In case you somehow missed it, the 90th Academy Awards are on right the hell now, and the one question people seem to be asking over and over is: what the hell is up with that stage?
The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles seems to have been transformed into a cross between the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin and something out of the Hunger Games. It’s glitzy, it’s totalitarian, it’s utterly wild.
The Oscars stage has always veered towards the sparkly – it’s for handing out little gold statues to people in shiny gowns, for chrissake – but this year it was decked out in 45 million Swarovski crystals, looking like it would slice you up if you got too close.
Designed by Derek McLane, in his sixth time designing it, it’s meant to look like the inside of a geode – and Twitter had some questions.
Welcome to the 2018 Oscars, which is borrowing the set of the weeekidly exciting new Broadway show, Frozen. pic.twitter.com/fddFxSyajI
— R. Eric Thomas (@oureric) March 5, 2018
Thrilled that the stage got vajazzled for the occasion!!! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/6UNFhARII6
— Michelle Collins (@michcoll) March 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/jennyjaffe/status/970465610390945794
That #Oscars stage is nuts! Is #BlackPanther gonna have his next fight there? pic.twitter.com/VBokh7guNG
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) March 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/davidehrlich/status/970468320397979649
Did @CaissieLevy decorate the #Oscars stage this year? pic.twitter.com/e4o4iVFP4u
— broadway.com (@broadwaycom) March 5, 2018
(Cassie Levy plays Elsa in the Broadway version of Frozen, fyi.)
Next year’s Best Documentary winner will be a probing, investigative report about the back drops at this year’s #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/9RtgykjKyl
— Joseph Scrimshaw (@JosephScrimshaw) March 5, 2018
Of course, many others frothed on the beauty of the thing, which is pretty undeniable.
https://twitter.com/AshleyBuck7/status/970471703015915521
earnesty alert: this year’s #Oscars stage design is GORGEOUS I can’t get over it #Oscars90 pic.twitter.com/gRgQWPySuI
— Megan Paolone (@meganpaolone) March 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/ryannxp/status/970478883014287360
*shrug*