Host Conan O’Brien brought a rare gravity to his opening monologue — and then, the city's firefighters onto the stage to read some one-liners.

The Oscars tonight joined the long list of major entertainment and sports events paying tribute to first responders in the wake of the horrific fires that struck Los Angeles in January. As part of the homage,

Former Sacramento firefighter and current Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin took the stage as the Oscars honored those who battled the L.A. wildfires.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo brought Oz to the Oscars, kicking off the 97th annual ceremony with a musical medley from “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz” and “Wicked.” After a tribute to Los Angeles, which is recovering from devastating wildfires,

The Oscars opened with a montage of Los Angeles on film. It included clips from “The Big Lebowski,’ “Rocky 3,” “The Long Goodbye” and “La La Land.” The show is expected to put a special focus on the city after the wildfires earlier this year.

Times columnists Mary McNamara and Glenn Whipp break down the biggest surprises, best moments and top winners of the 97th Oscars in our live chat.