Fireworks illuminate the sky over the Olympic Stadium during Opening Ceremonies at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
It’s almost game time in Rio, but first there’s the pageantry of the Olympic opening ceremony. Always splashy affairs, the parade of athletes this time around will take place Friday night [Saturday, Macau time] at Maracana Stadium with a country-by-country show of fashion, along with speeches, flag-raising and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
For now, enjoy these moments from opening ceremonies of Olympics past:
London 2012
First there was the green of the English countryside, then along came the queen.
Queen Elizabeth II “parachuted” into the stadium with James Bond, the one that’s Daniel Craig. Craig played himself after a fictional trip from Buckingham Palace to the stadium in a helicopter. The queen and 007 did not actually take flight, FYI.
More slapstick ensued when “Mr. Bean” actor Rowan Atkinson banged out a single note on an electric keyboard as he helped the London Symphony Orchestra perform the theme from “Chariots of Fire,” complete with a dream sequence that had him running on the beach with the athletes in the Olympic-themed movie’s famous opening scene.
Oh, and who lit the cauldron? Not David Beckham. He bowed out after failing to make the soccer squad.
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
Beijing 2008
Dazzling doesn’t begin to cover it.
First, more than 2,000 drummers played the Fou, a traditional Chinese instrument. They were followed by 10,000 highly rehearsed performers after giant Olympic rings sprang from the floor of the stadium. In all, there were more than 18,000 performers.
There were fireworks, and more fireworks, and still more fireworks, including some that were computer simulated. Lots of openers have fireworks, but they were invented in China some 2,000 years ago, so there’s that.
Everything from the silk road to chanting disciples of Confucius was represented in this ceremony. OK, that was more than one moment, but it was a BIG opening ceremony.
Sydney 2000
Well, the Man from Snowy River scared the bejesus out of his horse with the crack of a whip to open this opening ceremony, followed by a little girl who conked out in the middle of the stadium to introduce a dream sequence featuring huge jellyfish and other sea life.
But the best part was the last torchbearer, who waded into water and seemingly lit a soggy, spaceship-like cauldron on fire as she stood in the center. It was then airlifted up and up on a set of tracks amid waterfalls and fireworks.
Did I mention there were people on horses? Lots of them, including some who galloped into circles to form the Olympic rings.
Bill Suiter “Rocket Man” soars with the help of a jet pack during the welcoming of nations at the Opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles 1984
A dude arrived by jet pack. Enough said. The Jetsons generation had been patient.
Spiraling human pyramids occupy the field of the Lenin Stadium Saturday during opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Moscow in 1980
Moscow 1980
This was the year of the U.S.-led Olympic boycott, reducing the number of participating countries to 80.
It was also the year of the stackable human. Pyramids of gymnasts and dancers constructed towers, including one with participants all in white surrounded by a circle of other participants on the ground in pink.
Another human construction came in yellow, with mad respect for the performers in the middle who had to lean out and hang upside down as the shape of the bodies fanned out.
A “children’s show” featured legions of other humans dressed as brown bears dancing and prancing before even more legions of humans in white shorts danced and pranced on white-headed hobbyhorses.
It wasn’t real, kids, but you might want to NOT look at it on YouTube. Leanne Italie, AP
Executive producer: Rio opening ceremony full of heart
Don’t expect the opening ceremony at the Rio Olympics to match the grandeur of some in the past. But do look for plenty of smiles, scenic depictions of the rainforest and a celebration of the country’s ethnic diversity.
Marco Balich, the Italian executive producer, would not disclose finer details ahead of the ceremony, but offered broad strokes on how the host country’s heritage will be honored.
“This is not the most grand show,” he said earlier this week from Rio, though he wouldn’t disclose how much money he had to spend. “This is not an opulent show compared to London or compared to Beijing, but it will be a very emotional ceremony, full of heart and very graceful.”
Balich is an experienced Olympic hand. He created, directed and produced the opening for the Torino Winter Games and served as executive producer of the closing ceremony in Sochi and the Paralympics there in 2014.
In all, 4,800 performers and volunteers will be involved in the show built on three basic “pillars” touching on sustainability, particularly re-forestation, “smile” and the idea of “gambiarra,” the quirky Brazilian art of improvising repairs using whatever parts are available.
“Smile is the approach the Brazilians have toward life,” Balich said. “Brazil is not a grand nation. They’re saying in this ceremony, we are who we are, with a lot of social problems, a lot of crises in the political system etcetera.”
“The message is Brazil has the last garden in the world, which is the Amazon, and we need to protect that garden,” added Balich. “This is a message of hope for the future. This is not a message of ‘oh the world is going to terminate because of global warming.’”
Other strong elements will include a celebration of Brazil’s ethnic diversity and its rich music, from bossa nova to “hippy-hoppy,” as they say in Portuguese, Balich said. And, of course, there will be a touch of Carnival. He’s using some of the same costumers around Rio who design for Carnival. MDT/AP
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