HOLLYWOOD — On the surface, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan
come across as polished pros, but underneath lies a thrill-seeking
streak that has made them the go-to producers for live televised events.
Their nerves will be put to the test again Sunday with the 86th Academy Awards broadcast (ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 ET), which is likely to draw a viewing audience of some 40 million. And those Oscar fans will be waiting, just waiting, for something unscripted to occur, be it a stumble by a star, a streaker or a one-armed push-up.
"When it's
live, people know it's happening as they are viewing it," Meron says.
"There's excitement knowing it's going on at that same time ... and
knowing something could go wrong."
The longtime Broadway producing team has proved to be unflappable and pretty successful recently. Last year's Oscar show, with controversial Seth MacFarlane as host, was their first experience with live television, and ratings rose 3% over 2012 (and 11% among adults ages 18 to 49).
On Dec. 5, the duo produced The Sound of Music Live! starring Carrie Underwood, which delivered nearly 22 million viewers to NBC and topped all telecasts that week. As soon as the curtain fell, they moved directly into prepping for Sunday's show, which will feature Ellen DeGeneres as host. The comedian last hosted in 2007, and "she said she was scared about doing it, and that pushes you," Meron says. "It gets the juices flowing again. She wants to challenge herself on the world's biggest stage."
As do the producers. They've found that their styles work well together for the high-pressure world, and they communicate so effectively that Meron can discuss strategy in a dressing room beneath the Dolby Theatre while Zadan continues to work on the stage above.
"The truth is, live television is here to stay," Meron says. "So we'll see how far to take it."
One of the keys to success, they say, is to understand that mishaps are unavoidable. In The Sound of Music Live!, Underwood almost tripped in an opening scene, and Laura Benanti had her dress stepped on.
"You cannot stop and say, 'Cut!' You just have to hope for the best and that people are smart enough to cover it up," Meron says.
It's also crucial to be prepared for and embrace spontaneous moments, since those will be what viewers will talk about for years to come. Think the Oscar streaker (1974) or Jack Palance's one-armed stage push-up (1992).
Last year, it was Jennifer Lawrence tripping up the Oscar stairs to accept her best-actress award, only to receive an unforgettable standing ovation.
"You hope the gods shine down on you," Meron says.
"You have to remain calm throughout the process," Zadan adds later. "Once you lose your patience, the rest of the team gets scared."
The duo say that not only is their team ready for Sunday, the producers themselves are ready for more. Meron and Zadan have signed on for another live holiday show for NBC, Peter Pan, in December.
"There is a philosophy that it's good to stop," Meron says. "But it's been such an unbelievable ride on these projects. It's not like they are even jobs."
Their nerves will be put to the test again Sunday with the 86th Academy Awards broadcast (ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 ET), which is likely to draw a viewing audience of some 40 million. And those Oscar fans will be waiting, just waiting, for something unscripted to occur, be it a stumble by a star, a streaker or a one-armed push-up.
The longtime Broadway producing team has proved to be unflappable and pretty successful recently. Last year's Oscar show, with controversial Seth MacFarlane as host, was their first experience with live television, and ratings rose 3% over 2012 (and 11% among adults ages 18 to 49).
On Dec. 5, the duo produced The Sound of Music Live! starring Carrie Underwood, which delivered nearly 22 million viewers to NBC and topped all telecasts that week. As soon as the curtain fell, they moved directly into prepping for Sunday's show, which will feature Ellen DeGeneres as host. The comedian last hosted in 2007, and "she said she was scared about doing it, and that pushes you," Meron says. "It gets the juices flowing again. She wants to challenge herself on the world's biggest stage."
As do the producers. They've found that their styles work well together for the high-pressure world, and they communicate so effectively that Meron can discuss strategy in a dressing room beneath the Dolby Theatre while Zadan continues to work on the stage above.
"The truth is, live television is here to stay," Meron says. "So we'll see how far to take it."
One of the keys to success, they say, is to understand that mishaps are unavoidable. In The Sound of Music Live!, Underwood almost tripped in an opening scene, and Laura Benanti had her dress stepped on.
"You cannot stop and say, 'Cut!' You just have to hope for the best and that people are smart enough to cover it up," Meron says.
It's also crucial to be prepared for and embrace spontaneous moments, since those will be what viewers will talk about for years to come. Think the Oscar streaker (1974) or Jack Palance's one-armed stage push-up (1992).
Last year, it was Jennifer Lawrence tripping up the Oscar stairs to accept her best-actress award, only to receive an unforgettable standing ovation.
"You hope the gods shine down on you," Meron says.
"You have to remain calm throughout the process," Zadan adds later. "Once you lose your patience, the rest of the team gets scared."
The duo say that not only is their team ready for Sunday, the producers themselves are ready for more. Meron and Zadan have signed on for another live holiday show for NBC, Peter Pan, in December.
"There is a philosophy that it's good to stop," Meron says. "But it's been such an unbelievable ride on these projects. It's not like they are even jobs."
