Bette Midler performs Oscar-nominated Mary Poppins Returns song during ceremony

Umbrellas are the only way to travel.

At the 91st Academy Awards, Keegan-Michael Key descended from the ceiling on a flying brolly to introduce Bette Midler’s performance of “The Place Where Lost Things Go,” the nominated song from Mary Poppins Returns. The Divine Miss M, donning a floral dress and red lipstick, sang in front of a backdrop of a London skyline by night and — of course — multiple floating red umbrellas.

Before the show, “The Place Where Lost Things Go” songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman chatted with PEOPLE’s JD Heyman and Lola Ogunnaike to tease an aspect or two from the upcomingperformance. “Anything’s possible — as Mary Poppins says,” Wittman said. “There’s a lot of umbrellas involved.” Shaiman added that their lives might be in jeopardy if they shared any further details. “We haven’t seen it yet but we saw it in a script, but I hope it’s safe!” he said.

The track is sung by leading lady Emily Blunt in the film, and is nominated for Best Original Song alongside “All the Stars,” for Black Panther; “I’ll Fight,” from RBG; “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings,” from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; and the favorite to win the award, “Shallow,” from A Star Is Born.

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