There might not have been performances by the 2012 Oscars' two Best Original Song nominees Sunday night (February 26), but the Cirque du Soleil troupe behind "Iris" stepped up in the performance department.

The group performed a high-flying acrobatics show that paid homage to the decades of films that have been honored by the Academy Awards. Even though the Cirque show seemingly was placed in the ceremony's lineup in place of the musical performances, that didn't mean the Muppets didn't get their time to shine. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy presented the "Iris" troupe, but not before they got in one dig about their film not being nominated in more than just the song category. "It's about time Spielberg leaves some for the rest of us!" Miss Piggy lamented. Unfortunately, her comment wasn't followed by a shot of Spielberg's face.

Cirque performed its acrobatic routine against a backdrop of beloved films like "North by Northwest," "Titanic," "Spider-Man" and "Gone with the Wind." Cameras showed George Clooney and Stacy Keibler being enthralled by the show, an homage to the joy of cinema, keeping with the theme of many of the year's nominees, including "The Artist" and "Hugo."

After the performance, host Billy Crystal returned to the stage to express how impressed he was. "Wow, I pulled a hamstring just watching that," he said. "We're a pony away from being a bat mitzvah."

In addition to hosting the Oscars, the former Kodak Theatre -- now being referred to simply as the Hollywood & Highland Center -- is home to "Iris" six days a week.

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