LOS ANGELES — Can an opening act steal a show?
That's the question Beyoncé posed with a lavish and swagger-ific performance of her song "Be Alive" that opened Sunday's Academy Awards, where the throbbing power ballad from "King Richard" is nominated for original song.
Performing on a public tennis court in Compton — where "King Richard's" subjects, tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, learned to play under the guidance of their father, Richard — Beyoncé led an ensemble of dozens of dancers and musicians through a stately rendition of "Be Alive," which she co-wrote with Dixson and which celebrates Black excellence as a function of family and community.
