Lin-Manuel Miranda: 'Disappointing' If Oscars Don't Keep Song Performances

Gordon Harrold/Disney

Lin-Manuel Miranda called out the Motion Picture Academy Friday after news broke that not all of the nominees for Best Original Song would be performed at this year’s Oscars ceremony.

Variety reported on Thursday that only two of the five nominated songs — Lady Gaga’s “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” and Kendrick Lamar’s “All the Stars” from “Black Panther” — would be performed live on the Oscar broadcast on Feb. 24, as selected by Academy executives and show producers.

That would leave the songs “I’ll Fight” from “RBG” as performed by Jennifer Hudson, “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” as sung by Emily Blunt, and “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” as performed by Tim Blake Nelson from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” out in the lurch.

A representative for the Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also Read: 'Mary Poppins Returns' Composer Marc Shaiman: 'I'd Love to' EGOT With My 2 Oscar Noms

Miranda said in a tweet that the news was “truly disappointing.”

“The 1st time I stayed up to watch the Oscars, it was because I LOVED ‘The Little Mermaid’ & they were going to sing songs from the movie I loved on The Oscars,” Miranda wrote Friday. “If true, and Poppins’ song won’t be performed, truly disappointing. Hostless AND music-less? To quote Kendrick: Damn.”

The Academy has been committed to shortening the Oscars broadcast to under three hours, going as far as announcing winners of some of the undecided below-the-line categories during commercial breaks.

In past years, musical performances of original songs have been left out all together, or in some cases mashed up into a medley rather than individual performances.

See Miranda’s tweet below:

The 1st time I stayed up to watch the Oscars, it was because I LOVED The Little Mermaid & they were going to sing songs from the movie I loved on The Oscars.
If true, and Poppins’ song won’t be performed, truly disappointing. Hostless AND music-less?
To quote Kendrick: Damn. https://t.co/BEXOy7JCId

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 25, 2019

The 91st Academy Awards ceremony airs live Sunday, Feb. 24, 5 p.m. PT on ABC. And, of course, the show remains without a host after Kevin Hart stepped down from the job in wake of the resurfacing over past homophobic tweets.

The Scene at TheWrap's Oscars Best Original Song Contenders Panel (Photos)

Here are photos from the scene at TheWrap's Best Original Song Contenders Panel 2018 ahead of the 2019 Oscars race, with Diane Warren, Boots Riley, Drew Pearson, Keegan DeWitt, Sounwave, Aoife O'Donovan, Phil Johnston, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The event was presented by Dolby Laboratories.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Guests line up in front of the Dolby Screening Room Hollywood Vine.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Panelists at TheWrap's Oscars Best Original Song Contenders event pose together on the red carpet.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Dolby's Jennifer Bowcock and TheWrap founder Sharon Waxman pose on the red carpet.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Left to right, "Ralph Breaks the Internet" co-director and co-lyricist Phil Johnston with his co-lyricist Tom MacDougall and with songwriter and AMPAS member Allan Rich on the red carpet.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Ralph Breaks the Internet" songwriter Phil Johnston, "Boy Erased" songwriter Brett Leland McLaughlin and "On the Basis of Sex" songwriter Drew Pearson pose for a photo together.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Dolby's Jennifer Bowcock and "RBG" songwriter Diane Warren line up on the red carpet.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Sorry to Bother You" director and songwriter Boots Riley arrives on the red carpet.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
TheWrap founder Sharon Waxman, "RBG" songwriter Diane Warren and Christine La Monte pose for a photo.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Mary Poppins Returns" songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman arrive on the red carpet.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Panelists arrive at TheWrap's Oscars Best Original Song Contenders event.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Guests mingle at the opening reception.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Guests and panelists take their seats in the Dolby Screening Room.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
TheWrap founder Sharon Waxman gives opening remarks.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Dolby's Christine Thomas gives opening remarks.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
The panel kicks off.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
TheWrap's Awards Editor Steve Pond moderates the panel.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Diane Warren takes the mic on the panel.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Sorry to Bother You" songwriter Boots Riley takes the mic on the panel.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Here Comes the Change" songwriter Drew Pearson takes the mic on the panel to talk about his song with Kesha from "On the Basis of Sex."
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Everything Must Go" songwriter Keegan DeWitt speaks on the panel about the film "Hearts Beat Loud."
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Producer Sounwave fist bumps songwriter Diane Warren as the panel kicks off.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
The audience listens during the panel discussion.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Revelation" songwriter Brett Leland McLaughlin speaks on the panel about the film "Boy Erased."
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Songwriter Sounwave discusses his work with Kendrick Lamar for the "Black Panther" song "All the Stars."
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"What They Had" songwriter Aoife O'Donovan talks about her song "Are You There" on the panel.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Ralph Breaks the Internet" director and songwriter Phil Johnston speaks on the panel about the song "A Place Called Slaughter Race."
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
The audience at the panel.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
Marc Shaiman explains how he felt the weight of responsibility in writing songs for "Mary Poppins Returns."
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Mary Poppins Returns" songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman speak on the panel.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
The panel takes a question from the audience.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
"Mary Poppins Returns" songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman take a picture after the panel discussion.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap
TheWrap founder Sharon Waxman and "RBG" songwriter Diane Warren share a selfie.
Photographed by Jen Lowery for TheWrap

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Diane Warren, Boots Riley, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Sounwave and more were on hand for event presented by Dolby Laboratories

Here are photos from the scene at TheWrap's Best Original Song Contenders Panel 2018 ahead of the 2019 Oscars race, with Diane Warren, Boots Riley, Drew Pearson, Keegan DeWitt, Sounwave, Aoife O'Donovan, Phil Johnston, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The event was presented by Dolby Laboratories.

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