Janelle Monáe opens Oscars with Mr. Rogers tribute
Janelle Monáe can rock a red sweater as good as anyone, even Mr. Rogers.
The 34-year-old singer opened the Oscars Sunday night with a step-by-step recreation of the opening scene to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” right down to his famous sweater that she had a little trouble buttoning.
After delivering her top hat directly to Tom Hanks, sitting in the front row, Monáe launched into a honor of the “art of storytelling.”
Watch @JanelleMonae kick off the #Oscars with "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" https://t.co/xRQSHrCzeEpic.twitter.com/qYT0GmdStq
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 10, 2020
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“Oh, the misfits, the outcasts, the misunderstood. Those voices who are long deprived. Be loud, be seen, be lit, be heard. Because tonight, we come alive,” she sang.
She, Billy Porter and a series of backup singers and dancers ran through a series of Oscar-themed costumes, based on “Joker,” “Midsommar,” “Dolemite,” “Jojo Rabbit” and more.
“Tonight, we celebrate all the amazing talent in this room. We celebrate all the women who directed phenomenal films,” Monáe said. “I’m so proud to stand here as a black, queer artist, telling stories. Happy Black History Month.”
