John Shearer/Invision/APWell, the hills really were alive at the Oscars tonight.
Sorry, but we had to. Amazingly, this year marks the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music, and the Oscars decided to pay tribute in a big way. Things kicked off with a speech by Scarlett Johansson in which she praised the film for its five academy awards (including Best Picture), and made a few "problem like Maria" jokes.
Then none other than Lady Gaga emerged onstage to sing a compilation of the movie's best songs. Rumors had been floating around that the singer was going to be paired with the tribute, and she even hinted at what was to come on the red carpet, telling E!'s Ryan Seacrest of her impending performance, "I really have put my heart into preparing for it."
Gaga went on to give a heartfelt performance of some of our favorite tunes from The Sound of Music, starting off with, naturally, "The Hills Are Alive," and then transitioning into "My Favorite Things" and "Edelweiss" before ending on a very high note with "Climb Every Mountain." It was certainly different than the Lady Gaga jams we know and love, but it was great to see her really show off her vocals. Clearly we're not alone in our admiration, as the singer got a major standing ovation from the audience.
And, of course, since this is Lady Gaga, she surprised us with a huge surprise guest: Fraulein Maria herself, Julie Andrews! The legendary actress appeared at the end of the performance to give Gaga a huge embrace, and then say a few words on her work in The Sound of Music before introducing the award for Best Original Score.
"Dear Lady Gaga, thank you for that wonderful tribute," said Andrews. "It really warmed my heart. It's hard to believe that 50 years have gone by since that joyous film was released. I blinked and then suddenly here I am. I think that I do speak for everyone connected with the movie when I say we all really felt blessed to have been a part of it. And as for me, well, how lucky can a girl get?"
You said it, Julie.