When You Believe - Live Performances

Live Performances

The duo performed the song live on The Oprah Winfrey Show on November 26, 1998. Aside from the joint performance, Carey and Houston sang their own singles at the time, "I Still Believe" and "I Learned from the Best", respectively. Additionally, they sang the song live at the 71st Annual Academy Awards on March 21, 1999. Before the performance, they were due to rehearse together a few days before their scheduled appearance. Houston however, called in sick and had to miss the rehearsal. Reportedly, her excuse was not taken well, with academy executives calling it a "bullshit story." Conti, the academy's musical arranger, found a young female singer to take Houston's place, Janis Uhley. Before the performance, Carey walked down the stage in a white top and jeans, while choreographer Debbie Allen led the background singers. As they began the performance, Carey forgot the lyrics and stopped, as Uhley began singing in a "theatricality and gusto." Her boastful performance was not taken well by the directors, who called it "inappropriate and unnerving." After she was removed from the stage, a new date was chosen for the rehearsal, one that would accommodate both Carey and Houston. The next night, after they began the rehearsal, both singers had trouble performing the film version of the song. After hours of practice and confusion, they reached a compromise; they would sing a mash-up of the film and single versions, which featured an additional bridge and instrumentation by Edmonds. For the awards ceremony on the twenty first, Carey and Houston wore matching white gowns, symbolizing "humbleness and simplicity." At 5:55 pm, Houston entered the arena, performing her verse, followed by Carey. As the song's finale drew near, a full gospel choir joined the performance from large suspending golden scaffolding, all wearing large white tunics. After the original was nominated for the Academy Award, Schwartz refused to give Edmonds writing credits in nomination forms submitted to the academy. However, after being booked to perform at the awards show ceremony, Carey and Houston were told to perform the film version of the song, because it was the version nominated. To their dismay, both singers were not familiar with the original arrangement or key, because they had been performing the radio version throughout the winter. Conti composed a new version, which intermingled both versions. His idea was to help the duo learn the song's new arrangement, yet still satisfy the academy.