Hugh Jackman must be missing the Tony Awards, because he perfected the musical numbers at the Oscars this year. From what I’ve read around the Internet, people either loved it or hated it. I, for one, loved it.

Yeah, the big “The Musical is Back” number was really big, flashy, and out there, but come on — it was created by Baz Luhrmann, the creator of “Moulin Rouge.” Could we expect anything less from Baz?

I’ve read two complaints, 1) that Hugh wasn’t funny enough, and 2) the musical has been back for several years now, so why the belated announcement on the Oscars?

1) I love good, subtle wit, and therefore Hugh was funny enough for me. Sure, he may not make off-color jokes like Billy Crystal and other popular hosts, but he’s got wit.

I liken it to years ago when comedian Dennis Miller joined the hosts of “Monday Night Football.” While the other guys bantered about obvious details of the sport, Miller used literary anologies and wittiness that was unfortunately lost on most football fans.

Jackman’s wit was most likely lost on much of the Oscar audience.

2) Yes, the musical has been back for a few years now. Mamma Mia‘s move to feature film is nothing new. After all, the last few years have seen quite a few popular musicals turned into movies, including Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Rent, and Dreamgirls. Chicago even won a 6 Oscars, including Best Picture! So, why the major delay in the Oscar’s recognizing this? My belief is that those years they never had a host who could sing and dance like Hugh does, so they’re finally, FINALLY recognizing that THE MUSICAL IS BACK! (Better late than never, in my opinion.)

In case you missed the musical numbers, here are both the intro to the Oscars, and the “Musical is Back” performance.

The intro features Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. The musical number features Hugh Jackman, Beyonce Knowles, “High School Musical” stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, and Mamma Mia! stars Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper.

Intro:

The Musical is Back: