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Having steadily risen the variety show emceeing ranks since he was plucked from relative obscurity by the immaculately manicured hand of Merv Griffin himself, it was really only a matter of time before American Idol host and E! red carpet munchkin Ryan Seacrest would be asked to preside over a major awards telecast. But until that day comes, he's more than happy to take on the Emmys. Talking to THR about the high-profile gig, Seacrest spoke of having to stretch past his copy-regurgitating comfort zone into the realm of jazz-hand-waving song and dance man:

Emmy host Ryan Seacrest said Wednesday that he is forgoing an opening monologue in favor of a musical number at the upcoming 59th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony.

Seacrest said that the Emmy telecast, which is set to air live at 8 p.m. ET (tape-delayed on the West Coast) on Sept. 16 on Fox, will open with a musical number that he "may or may not be" part of depending on "how confident I feel on the 16th."

Asked whether there might be a performance of the Emmy-nominated song "Dick in a Box," originally performed by Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," Seacrest said Emmy producers are in talks with Timberlake — whose scheduling would be tricky since he has a show that night at Staples Center in Los Angeles — but that nothing is finalized.

It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the hit novelty song might in fact wind up the show opener itself, presented in a stunningly mounted production number: As Timberlake and Samberg serenade the crowd about creative last-minute gift ideas, a chorus of scantily clad background dancers climb a giant Christmas present set-piece, unraveling its bow to reveal a smiling Seacrest inside, costumed only in a flesh-colored body stocking as the song's titular "Dick."