At 11:38 p.m. last night the PS 22 kids from Staten Island were introduced to Hollywood's biggest names by Oscar co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway. The 64 fifth graders ended the big show with a rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," led by their chorus director Gregg "Mr. B" Breinberg. They were joined by the Oscar winners at the end... which may have made their t-shirts look even more out of place, but we're glad they kept it real in front of an A-list crowd.
10-year-old Azaria Chamorro told the Daily News she got to hold a (very heavy) Oscar, and described the afterglow of the performance, saying, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it was really crazy. When we ended on the final note, I started jumping up and down and crying. I cried for a long, long time I was so happy."
Even the typically grumpy Nikki Finke at Deadline was won over, writing, "Cue the finale: the 5th grade student choir from New York City/Staten Island School PS 22 closing the show by singing 'Over the Rainbow' from The Wizard Of Oz ... A lovely end to the worst snorecast ever."
One teacher told the Staten Island Advance, "When we look a these kids, you have to understand the background. Many of them have never been on an airplane, never been to a hotel. Many of them, their parents work. They go home, their homes are empty. They have no one to help them with their schoolwork."
There's no update on their blog yet, but they're probably getting some rest before another big appearance... on Oprah's Oscar special today!
