The Academy dumping three press releases in the span of one day seems like a rather desperate, last-minute thing. Slow, methodical releases of information are preferred to this onslaught. Here are three more articles on presenters, events and hosts.

Oscar® Producers Name Performers in Celebration of Musicals of the Last Decade

Beverly Hills, CA – Academy Award® winners Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Russell Crowe join this year’s Oscar® nominees Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway along with Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, and Helena Bonham Carter in a celebration honoring movie musicals of the last decade, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

“We are pleased to have been able to amass so much talent to create the celebration of musicals of the last decade that we envisioned,” said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “We are thrilled that so many talented actors have agreed to bring our vision to life.”

Earlier this month, the producers announced a planned tribute recognizing the resurgence of musicals over the past decade with performances highlighting “Chicago,” “Dreamgirls” and “Les Misérables.”

Hudson, Zeta-Jones, Jackman, Hathaway, Crowe, Seyfried, Redmayne, Barks, Tveit and Bonham Carter join a stellar list of previously announced performers including Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand and presenters including Jennifer Aniston, Michael Douglas, Jamie Foxx, Paul Rudd, Salma Hayek Pinault, Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, Ted and “Marvel’s The Avengers” cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; “Chicago” cast members Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger and Zeta-Jones; and special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide. For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.

Chris Connelly to Welcome Oscars® Red Carpet Guests

Beverly Hills, CA – Academy Award® nominees, presenters and performers arriving on the red carpet on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, will be greeted by entertainment and sports reporter Chris Connelly, the Academy announced today. This will be Connelly’s first stint as the Academy’s red carpet greeter.

Connelly’s celebrity chats will be streamed live in the Backstage Pass on Oscar.com and the official Oscars App. The interviews will also be audible to the thousands of bleacher fans and arriving guests.

Connelly is a reporter for ESPN and a contributor on pop culture to ABC News, where he frequently interviews filmmakers and actors. From 2000 to 2007, he was a co-host and interviewer for the official Academy Awards pre-show, duties for which he brought the wrong pants to the show only once. He first covered the red carpet at the Oscars in 1989, for MTV, where he was the host of the network’s movie show, “The Big Picture.” From 1987 to 1996, he was an editor and writer for the movie magazine, Premiere.

Stories he has worked on at ESPN have won three Sports Emmys® and six Edward R. Murrow Awards. Since 2006, he’s served as correspondent and host for ESPN’s yearly “My Wish” series, in collaboration with Make-A-Wish. He was a consulting producer for ESPN Films’ documentary series 30 for 30, which won a Peabody Award.

The Oscars Backstage Pass is designed to be the ultimate complement to the live telecast. With more than 20 live cameras strategically placed on the Red Carpet and throughout the backstage area of the Dolby Theatre during the telecast, fans will have insider views into the most memorable moments of the night. The Backstage Pass experience launched in 2011 to much acclaim and has been recognized with an Emmy for Creative Achievement in Interactive Arts and an Industry Star Mobile Excellence Award. It remains unprecedented in terms of live event second screen access. This Backstage Pass is sponsored by Samsung, and is available for the first time on Android, including Samsung’s Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 10.1 and GSIII.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane. The Oscar presentation will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries worldwide. For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.

Kristin Chenoweth And Seth MacFarlane Perform Special Oscar® Closing Number

Beverly Hills, CA – Oscar show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today that Kristin Chenoweth and Seth MacFarlane will participate in a special show closing musical performance.

“After the Best Picture award has been given, Seth and Kristin will perform a special number and we think it will be a ‘can’t miss’ moment,” said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Chenoweth joins a stellar list of previously announced performers including Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit and Helena Bonham, Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand and presenters including Jennifer Aniston, Michael Douglas, Jamie Foxx, Paul Rudd, Salma Hayek Pinault, Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, Ted and “Marvel’s The Avengers” cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; “Chicago” cast members Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger and Zeta-Jones; and special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron.

Oscars® for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.