You won't get wet arriving at the Academy Awards on Sunday. I've worked the Oscars in the rain and I know it's no fun -- and so does Bruce Davis, who has been at the helm of the Academy for 27 years. He tells me "a team of runners" (with umbrellas) will meet the arrivees and escort theatergoers to the security tent (which will hopefully move ticketholders rapidly) before leading them to the red carpet which will be covered -- as it has been at past rain-threatened Oscar ceremonies. Sometimes, last-hour weather clearance made the (expensive) on-off see-through coverage unnecessary. But what about the open areas leading up to the Board of Governors' Ball? That too will have overhead protection for the now-expanded number (1500) of attendees. Davis reminds that when a change of Oscar date was originally proposed, it was known there is a possibility of six times more rain in February than the previous March date -- but when all things were considered, February won out. Meanwhile, the Academy's "weather guru" is predicting only "horizontal rain" in the a.m. and a clear afternoon. With that settled, let's get ready for the show, whose presenters have formidably come to the fore. Davis compliments Oscar show stalwart, Danette Herman, on the casting achievement.
