Oscars to Stay Put at Kodak Theatre

By Stephen M. Silverman

03/29/2002 at 09:25 AM EST

Despite reports to the contrary, Frank Pierson, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, says the Oscars will remain at Hollywood's new Kodak Theatre, which received mixed reviews after last Sunday's ceremony. Yet, in reviewing the venue himself, Pierson told the Los Angeles Times that the 3,100-seat house "just doesn't sound right," citing areas in which dialogue sounded muffled (some audience members couldn't hear Tom Cruise's opening remarks about the importance of movies) and speakers needed to be readjusted. Still, he pooh-poohed media accounts speculating that the Academy will pull out of the Kodak altogether and even move back to one of its former venues, the Shrine Auditorium in downtown L.A. "Acoustical problems also occurred when the Hollywood Bowl was created, and will be solved, I'm sure," he said. What Pierson liked about the Kodak was its ambience. "There's an intimacy, a closeness with what's going on onstage. Performers up there feel they're at a party with the audience. All in all, I'm very satisfied with the house."