Before we offer our usual playful take on the televised spectacular, we need to acknowledge the serious side of last night’s Olympics Opening Ceremony. It was dedicated to 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili, the luger from Georgia who died Friday after a 90 mph crash at the end of his final training run. When his seven teammates entered BC Place, and the crowd stood to applaud their decision to honor him by competing, it was by far the most moving moment of the evening. For many athletes who have no hope of medaling, walking in the Parade of Nations is their podium, which made the absence of Kumaritashvili, who was ranked 44th in the world, all the more poignant. The Olympics are about nations coming together to celebrate the human spirit; watching 82 of them pay tribute to Kumaritashvili’s and his countrymen’s was reaffirming.
Now, the show must go on…
Ceremony mastermind David Atkins spent somewhere between $30 million and $40 million on the production, roughly a tenth of Beijing’s budget. He wanted it to feel intimate and personal as the story of Canada unfolded before our eyes, starting with a welcome from the Four Host First Nations. He succeeded.
Best entrance: Snowboarder Johnny Lyall, who jumped through the Olympic rings after a stunning video-taped mountain run.
Worst entrance: The fourth leg of the indoor cauldron that failed to rise.
Best effect: More than 100 projectors were used to create the ceremony’s “landscape of dreams” theme. The orcas spouting across the ocean after the ice broke up = the night’s first rewind. Honorable mention: The faux precipitation that made Matt Lauer feel like he was sitting in a 60,000-seat snow globe. Noteworthy: The rising bear constellation that deserves its own Coke commercial.
Worst effect: The collective groan heard throughout living rooms in America when we found out we were about to hear spoken word. But slam poet Shane Koyczan’s Canada-defining, stereotype-defying “We are More” was better than expected. You felt the pride, and suddenly wanted to say “zed.” The transcript. Honorable mention: The disappointment at seeing the Mounties not on horseback. It would have sped up their walk with the Canadian flag, but I suppose they couldn’t risk a horse going potty on the floor, which was such an integral part of the show.
Best less-is-more performance: Proving the quality of the song was more important than the presence of a singer, Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” was the perfect soundtrack for the prairie tribute, which featured aerialist and Ècole nationale de cirque student Thomas Saulgrain walking, running, then soaring through fields of gold. Honorable mention: k.d. lang, who captivated the arena singing Leonard Cohen’s ”Hallelujah” barefooted, as the audience lit up the stadium. Noteworthy: Donald Sutherland’s voiceover.
Worst less-is-more performance: Nelly Furtado and Bryan Adams, who failed to pop, even on a bare white stage, during their duet of “Bang Your Drum.” (Sarah McLachlan’s necklace saved her.) Honorable mention: The dancers in all white who lined the tunnel for the athletes’ entrance. Aside from the guy who kept doing the Molly Ringwald Breakfast Club move — he was at peak form during Spain and Tajikistan — their enthusiasm had a certain ebb and flow.
Best trivia shared by Bob Costas and Matt Lauer during the Parade of Nations: It really is one of our favorite parts of the ceremony. They’re good when they’re sharing vaguely relevant information, like the fact that in 1964, a group of Mongolian cross-country skiers showed up unexpectedly at the Innsbruck Olympics but were allowed to compete anyway, or that Poland’s flag bearer has a museum in his hometown where he charges $2 admission to see his skis and bibs. They’re better when they’re riffing on the fact that Finland hosts the World Sauna Championships.
Worst trivia shared by Bob Costas and Matt Lauer during the Parade of Nations: New Zealand was largely responsible for the visual effects in Avatar. Reaching!
Best outfit: Italy. Sleek and stylish jackets, but the athletes still looked comfortable and sporty. Honorable mention: Bermuda, which opted for Bermuda shorts.
Worst outfit: Azerbaijan. Loud, loud pants, which caused Costas to joke that as president of the country’s figure skating federation, their flag bearer was allowed to make whatever sartorial decision he wanted. Honorable mention: The pants on the Czech Republic.
Best discovery: Split decision: Newfoundland’s punk tap dancing fiddlers or this rum they call Screech?
Worst discovery: Jamaica did not send a bobsled team.
Best reaction shot: Honestly, any one of Shaun White, but we’ll go with him and Louie Vito enjoying the aerial snowboarders during the tribute to the Rockies.
Worst reaction shot: Wayne Gretzky couldn’t hide the worry on his face during the mechanical malfunction. Fortunately, we’ll remember a different image of him: Riding on the bed of a truck through the streets of Vancouver to light the outdoor cauldron with people spontaneously running behind him. It was like a scene from Rocky.
Your turn!
More Olympics coverage:
Olympic Stud of Day 1: US curler Chris Plys
Your Olympics TV schedule through Monday
Olympic Song of the Day from skier Shannon Bahrke
Scott Hamilton: The 5 most memorable Olympic figure skating falls
Scott Hamilton: The 5 times I was a little too excited in the broadcast booth
Scott Hamilton: The 5 programs I would have skated
Scott Hamilton: The 5 moments I’ll be on the edge of my seat in Vancouver
Photo credit: White: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images, Adams/Furtado: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
That is so horrible about that Georgian luger. I read somewhere that an Australian luger had criticized the track as not being properly tested.
Yes.
On Thursday night Australian luger Hannah Campbell-Pegg nearly lost control of her sled. Afterward she told reporters, “I think they are pushing it a little too much. To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.”
Less than one day later, Kumaritashvili was dead.
Even more horrible? The IOC blamed him 100% for his own death.
“Move along, people. Nothing to see here. Move along.”
Blaming the athlete is standard operting procedure for the IOC. I have yet to see the IOC take responsibility for anything.
It pains me to stand up and admit that I am a Canadian in the debacle surrounding this promising young athlete’s death.
I place the blame directly on the doorstep of the Canadaian Olympic Federation and the IOC. The track was too frikking steep and too frakking fast. Experienced sliders, including the gold medal favorite from Italy, were having spectacular crashes left, right and center. What kind of a chance did an inexperienced, albeit promising, 21 year old kid from Georgia stand? Particularily in light of the fact Canada, in a narcissistic, self absorbed, utterly selfish quest to “Own the Podium” severely restricted the access of this hellacious track to foreign athletes wishing to train and gain experience. Meanwhile, the IOC stands idly by, fiddling as it were, while a young man hurtles down an ice mountain and crashes to his death. I hope they find their podium worth it. For me, the price will always have been too high.
Glad to see you swallowed the anti-Olympic propaganda, Anna. Yes, the track was steep and fast. The same track that’s been opened for a year. The same track that all of the athletes knew was this way. His death was horrible, tragic, sad, all those things. But don’t use Nodar’s death as a podium for your half truths.
I’m not anti Olympic. I’m anti winning at all cost and this cost was too high.
Speaking of half truths…
The track may have been open for over a year but it was only open for the benefit of CANADIAN athletes and their training runs. Read a newspaper, ger.
Never that last comment I did actually swallow the propaganda and then some
We do own the podium and your flawed knowledge of these events is rather amusing. Its almost like you teach religion at a crappy school in eastern ontario.
Anna, Anna, Anna, there was a world cup luge event held at Whistler last year. There were 67 athletes from 23 countries.
Screw that I dont care about reasoned arguments I’m crazy and argue blindly like an idiot.
The statistics for the run are that about 3% of the trips down end up with a crash, which is a pretty standard number compared to any new run. Aside from the increase in speed, the course is not presenting itself as being anymore dangerous than any other new course – and the speed issue has already been addressed. The talk of ” win at any cost” not only doesn’t make sense in the context of the olympics (do you win extra gold medals for going faster?) but lacks any basis in fact.
Anna- Why do you get in fights on every board you post on??
Actually all teams got 40+ training runs each,for comparison in Turin, Canada was scheduled to have 35 runs- but got only 15, access to the luge run was NOT the issue.
I don’t know anything about the Luge but I imagine everyone gets a practice run, just as they do in figure skating. Everyone gets out and skates to test the ice and practices. I’m sure it’s the same with every sport. It’s a terrible tragedy and I feel so badly that this young athlete did not get to complete his journey to the Olympics. Unfortunately, if you watch the Olympics much, you will note that there are tragedies at most of them:
* the man who stabbed an Olympic athlete’s father
* the bombing at the Atlanta Olympics
* the death of a spectator who was hit by a car at a winter Olympics several years ago
* the worst of all, the death of the Olympians by terrorists – who can ever forget that?
The Olympics are never perfect. Of course, they should never end in death. I hope that if there is a problem with the track, that it is corrected. RIP Nodar.
There is also the point that anybody who was ranked lower then 20 or 30, not sure which, he was ranked 44th, had the chance to come a week early for an extra week of practice. he chose not to.
No never my the LAST comment, I did not swallow the propaganda. Repeat: no swallowing. :0
Anna, we can tell that you didn’t swallow the propaganda because you’re spitting it out all over this board. Just an observation..
The Georgian luger lost his life because he had lost his faith in the Lord.
It is his fault and his alone. As with the people of Haiti, he has been punished.
A tragedy that could have been avoided by turning to the good book.
The track has been open since 2007 though, it is too dangerous but I don’t know if proper testing is the problem.
Dont call the track dangerous unless you have gone down it.
The track is tested by the Louge Frederation and met all standards.
“Don’t call the track dangerous unless you have gone down it.”
Seriously?
Then I guess people can’t call a gun dangerous if they have never shot…do you really need more analogies here?
If everything was so safe, why did they make so many changes within 24 hours?
Trust your eyes and not agencies or companies making millions off of the games. That kid flew off a track and DIED when he hit steel beams. That could have been prevented.
Btw, it’s spelled “luge,” not “louge.”
@Hummusfan: To quote you: “Dont call the track dangerous unless you have gone down it.”. Really? I don’t drive a Toyota, but I know that a stuck accelerator is dangerous. If professional lugers are going on record as saying that the track may be a bit too fast, I’ll trust them. I don’t need to hurtle myself down there first!
Actually, the majority said that it was no more dangerous than any other track. The most ELITE said this. He had gone down 40 test runs before without any problem. It was a simple mistake, and it is sad, but stop blaming the organization for that. It’s been tested over and over again.
You do realise that most toyotas recalled did not have the problem? A incredibly small amount did and the millions were recalled as a precaution. But I guess a sheep like you can’t form your own conclusions. The crash was driver error so I guess using your logic you don’t drive because others crash their cars.
I loved all the visuals created on the floor; the ice breaking and the whales then emerging was stupendous. The center circular piece that went up and down to create new images was great; loved the “skiers” going down the mountains, which then turned into Vancouver. Excellent.
Does anyone know whether the video effects on the floor were produced by projectors, or was the floor one big LED panel? I want to believe that it was projectors, but I never saw the projected images bleed onto those people who were dancing around.
Good recap! KD Lang was tremendously good. I liked the Breakfast Club dance guy. How did he keep the energy up for so long?
No one has mentioned Nikki Yanofsky, the 16 year old who sang the national anthem brilliantly and who’se theme for the olympics, “I believe” gives me chills every time I hear it.
Agreed, she is amazing.
i thought she had an amazing voice — but i think the canadian anthem is more moving when more uptempo! it was too slow for me, dawg.
Can we call it “singing” anymore? It’s all lip-synched after about 100 takes and careful edits.
I agree her voice was amazing but being Canadian I did not like the arrangement. It didn’t feel like our anthem. Little disappointed about that. BUT she has an amazing voice.
She sang well, but I thought the arrangement of the anthem was cheesy and overblown. ‘O Canada’ works better when it’s delivered simply because the melody is so lovely, there was no need for them to punch it up. This would’ve been the worst moment of the night if not for Nelly Furtado/Brian Adams and that terrible song.
She was terrible. I dont care about her voice or how good of an artist she is, this performance was awful.
She had a nice voice but her rendition of O Canada was horrible. The anthem should not be mucked around with.
They butchered our national anthem! And the “I Believe” song sucks balls. Unfortunately, Canadians have to hear it throughout the entire games cause our national broadcast partner, CTV, commissioned it and love it. *sigh* The rest of the ceremony was amazing, Cauldron Malfunction aside – let’s not forget that there was a similar cauldron malfunction at the Sydney Olympic Games but that’s what happens when technology takes the reins.
I agree that the girl had a good voice, but add me to the line of “sing the national anthem straight”. No national anthem ever needs melisma, thank you!
I agree with most of the comments here – Her voice is beautiful (saw her for the first time on Nightline not long ago), but the arrangement was truly awful. Why will they never let anyone just sing the anthem ‘straight’? It’s beautiful, and it needs no jazzing/schmaltzing up.
as a Canadian was appalled by the anthem it is the one thing that is ours and it should never never be changed she may sing well but it should of been sung the normal way
I agree she has a great voice and sounds fantastic in the I Believe CTV commercials, but I thought her rendition of the national anthem was the worst part of the opening ceremony. Way too over stylized!
Sorry, but the Olympic song “I Believe” is absolutely terrible. It sounds like something The Rankin Family might have crapped out in the early ’90s
ecstasy
She does have a nice voice but it was much too slow. The crowd couldn’t really sing along because they didn’t know where she was going with it.
Nothing against KD Lang but Canada had another unknown jem who would have blown the arena away with his version of Halleluja. Canadian singer Iann Guerin who posted this song on You Tube nailed it. (sorry KD)
Sorry, but I can’t imagine anyone but Leonard doing a better version – and his whole sound is so different. KD has made this her own. She was unbelievable.
I was hoping for Rush.
The Canadains should be ashamed of that “show” 40 million $ on that?? on what??, the Superbowl halftime show was way better and cost a fraction of that totally BORING attempt and entertainment. I’m not alone, Canada’s Rush should have rocked the place! very disappointing!
Rush sucks ass! Where was the Hip?!?
Don’t forget the closing ceremonies. Anyone upbeat will sing at that.
Redstarman-
I know you have the understanding of culture and art of a two year old, so maybe you should stick to Football
I thought it was brilliant. As a Canadian I was able to appreciate the slight humor and veiled goofiness of it all (The slam poet and tribute to the prairies and me rolling on the floor). The aboriginal dancers were amazing and so impressive! Dancing for an hour through the parade of nations. I thought Adams and Furtado were great, too. But the Projection just blew me away. The ice in the beginning, especially. It never tried to be bigger than it was, and really did a job and a half showcasing Canada without trying to make it out to be more than it is. I was impressed, and had motivation to stick out the entire three hours.
i thought it was awful, and as a canadian am embarrassed by the ridiculous fiddle sections, the ugly leather and plaid combinations, and the cramming of first nations people down everyone’s throat. i can’t imagine what nations unfamiliar with canada thought about us after that. the floor should’ve been used more, with less people. and the malfunction was the absolute icing on the cake. the biggest moment for the entire games completely botched and remembered for a lifetime. awful.
I too am a Canadian (errant) – we must have been watching different shows for I was hugely impressed – especially the slam poet you decry – he was superb. k.d. lang was outstanding and who could remain cold to the Joni music (and thank you too to Wayne Shorter.)
I watched from the begining to the end, I thought it was stunning, very humbling, it was about everday people noy some great celeberty. I can’t amagin anyone grumbling especially a Canadian.
Screw you, mal. Negative Nancy.
oh no! you are too harsh. have you been to Newfoundland they truely do play the fiddles. I thought it was great.
I agree with David. The slam poetry was a big risk, but it was nice to have someone tell you about Canada without having to watch four hours of someone’s artistic vision of the country and its people. It was different, so I liked it.
I don’t agree with you Mel. Clearly you haven’t been anywhere in Canada because everything showed was all a part of Canada. It’s not BC olympics its Canada’s Olympics. It was simple and reflective of our Country. It was different. I felt that the malfunction was symbolizing the death of the Georgian Luger. Almost saying One has fallen. Although, it wasn’t planned. Very symbolic of the tragedy and humble start to the games here in Canada
This comment just smacks of ignorance. What exactly do you really know about Canada, beyond your own narrow experience of it? Have you travelled to the east coast of Canada? Have you ever bothered to learn anything about the First Nations of Canada beyond what you are forced to learn in school? Because here’s a news flash: they are hugely important parts of the mosaic that is Canada’s geographic and cultural identity, whether you like it or not, and the fiddlers clad in plaid and leather, the First Nations pow wow, the holographic projections, and the many, many performances were spirited and inspired and wonderfully, perfectly fitting.
If you want to complain, about the hydraulic malfunction during the torch lighting, or about how they butchered the Canadian anthem (the arrangement, not the vocals), those are legitimate criticisms. But I could not have been more thrilled with the side of Canada the organizers chose to showcase to the world, and it’s really too bad that Canadians like you think they have a right to dictate what Canada is, based on nothing but their own small and narrow-minded view of it.
Totally disagree with you – I was ready to watch for a bit and go back to my PVR but the show was spectacular. It was a great cross-section of the Best of Canada. It made me very proud to be Canadian; especially Shane’s poem and KD’s performance which brought tears to my eyes. Go back to your video games.
Mal must have been watching a different show than us. This was brilliant, moving, and made me so proud to be Canadian.
I loved the fiddlers (and even that part was exaggerated) but everything else…meh. First the native dance groups were so haphazardly doing their own thing, they looked like a bunch of drunks at a party. Only the next to last group, I think, did a great job. The perpetually jigging ‘dancers’ all in white during the athletes march were annoying. When the history of Canada part started, I hoped for something great, but each segment went on way too long, with boring music, with no explanation or hint of what the heck the segment was meant to portray. That got tiresome real fast. The NBC presenters kept saying, “well we asked David what this part was about and he said…” If a 40 million dollar show is not understandable without interpreters, then the money was wasted. The glitch at the end was too bad, but they, those things happen. There’s no similar excuse for the rest of the show. Glad I didn’t pay to see it.
Totally agreed. I gave it a 6/10. The ppl who say ‘oh it was “brilliant, spectacular, and other superlatives” are fooling themselves. It was not great! Open your eyes or get higher standards! 40 million dollar show? Please! Our outfits were the worst of any games, too.
It’s nice to proud to be Canadian, but it was a show of patting ourselves on the back for being oh-so unique because we say zed. Oh, and don’t forget our celebrities who’ve “made it” out there. Showcase them, too. Poor ceremonies. Again, stop pretending it was great. It was not.
O, Mal, you’re party pooper…
What could have been more Canadian than that opening ceremony? I found it understated and genuine, beautiful and touching.
Very, very proud moment…
Wow, what a negative reaction! I’m from Chicago, and I must say, after the slam poet, my honey and I looked at each other and said, “suddenly I want to be Canadian!”. Seriously, it was a beautiful show, very much about people rather than pomp, and I love that the athletes were invited in to actually SEE the show! I love fiddling too, and had NO idea you could find this in Newfoundland, so I learned a little bit more by watching. Well done Vancouver & Canada – you look fantastic!
I thought Hallelujah for the Olympics was totally inappropriate. “She tied you to a kitchen chair” Come on when did we include S&M into the Olympic Spirit. What were the organizers smoking?
Sarah, you are clearly American with your crass and white trash response . (and I am a well travelled American who cringes at behavior of some
Americans in other countries.
The Olympic Games are about celebrating diversity while competing in sports that unite. The opening ceremony is a lovely demonstration to the world of the cultural heritage of the hosting country. It does not have to be perfect. It celebrates the unity of the world and derives comfort from the traditions that do not waiver.
Those who are so critical, look at yourselves. Your judgemental, arrogant attitude spoils the beauty of the message.
I am Iowan who was very lucky to have parents that took me and my sisters to Canada many times. And since then I have returned as often as possible. I have many Canadian Toastmasters friends, who are always welcoming, generous, and fun! I thought the opening ceremony captured the peoples and spirit of our wonderful neighbor country. I have a great desire to go to some Newfoundland pubs!
Ann did you say the same thing about this song when Justin Timberlake sang it for the Hope for Haiti Now concert?
As a Canadian I was proud of everything. I LOVED the fiddlers. The devil man in the canoe playing in front of the moon was awesome! Also as a Canadian I sometimes take being here for granted. Thinking it might be more interesting to be British or German or anything else. This made me proud of being a Canadian. Made me realize just how special we are. Loved it all. Mal you’re a hater.
It wasn’t the first time that something has gone wrong with lighting the Olympic cauldron (Hello, Sydney!), and really, once you’ve light the cauldron with a flaming arrow or ski-jumped the Olympic flame into the stadium, it’s all downhill from there, but overall, I enjoyed it. Having heard a bit about Newfoundland from a Canadian friend who has visited there, I thought the fiddlers were an excellent representation of that part of Canada. And hey, at least the Olympic cauldron doesn’t look like it was sponsored by McDonalds. (Anyone remember the giant french fry box in Atlanta?)
I disagree with every single thing you said. Thought they did a fantastic job, and i’m proud of the way the ceremony went off (even with the equipment failure….everyone knows how complicated these things are, and there’s no shame in having one thing go wrong).
Mal, again, can’t agree. I thought the show was very uniquely Canadian and I enjoyed everything – especially the fiddlers! And from the posts, many others enjoyed it too. So put your misery away and enjoy the rest of the games.
I have to agree that it was awful, it was one of the worst I’ve seen and that poet was awful. I actually had to keep flipping the channel to get through it.
Mal – You are crazy, my boyfriend is a Newfie and that is pretty typical St Johns. Most people there sound like they just got dropped off from County Cork and have a great musical history due to their Irish-Anglo background. The Screech does make you a little crazy and want to bust a move. Have you ever met a Newfie?
Who peed on your corn flakes? It wasn’t nearly as bad as all that. I thought the pop version of the national anthem was a bit much but on then that it was a well put together show representing ALL of Canada. Native Canadians are a very important part of Canada so you will have to just deal with the organizers trying to “shove them down your throats”. As for the ugly punk and plaid fiddlers, I am from the maritimes and I thought they did great. So boo who on you Mal.
I see a lot of people defending the ceremonies on the grounds that they were a perfect representation of Canada. Frankly, you’re not helping. Olympic opening ceremonies are traditionally a presentation of the culture and history of the host nation. What did we get in Vancouver? Performers in spiked black leather and brightly colored mohawks and lots of loose flannel (i.e., the two worst bits of fashion of the 80′s and 90′s rolled into one nightmare), doing some sort of mash-up of an old western hoedown and riverdance? A recital of the sort of pretentious poetry usually relegated to badly-lit cafes? If this were all just a poor choice of performances, that would be a different matter entirely; but claiming that all of this was “so Canadian” and a true to life representation of the best culture Canada has to offer is just plain sad.
I thought it was a beautiful ceremony. The effects were lovely, and not stereotype-y. The fiddlers were great…just good fun…they looked like they were having the time of their lives! I liked how they covered all the regions of Canada. And I REALLY respect the First Nations people for dancing for soooo long, and with such energy! Overall, I really enjoyed it.
I’m not really comparing it to Beijing, because to me that was so different…impressive in a different way.
And now the games have begun. Good luck to all the athletes!
Phhh. Why compare anything to Beijing? No sense trying to compete with a host-nation that is a dictatorship and can with the stroke of a pen authorize $millions on a show, not to mention give long vacations to all performers so they can go to endless rehearsals, and not to mention threaten to shoot any performer that screws up? Sorry. Different situation completely.
Jamaica tried to send a bobsled team, but failed to qualify.
Really bummed about that.
They didn’t qualify, but they are still coming to “experience the Olympics” and are hosting a party!
It was beautiful, even with the “malfunction”. My fav was the ice breaking and the whales on the floor. But it was all spectacular!
I feel bad for all the athletes wearing layers of heavy clothing. I understand it’s the Winter Olympics, but the stadium was climate-controlled.
Overall, awesome ceremony, although I didn’t even realize that was Bryan Adams “singing.”
Agreed about Bryan Adams “singing” – I loved how when we first heard his voice he didn’t even have his microphone up – took about 4 counts for him to stop staring at Nelly Furtado and realize he was supposed to put the mic up so it looked like he was singing!
I was happy that Ralph Lauren tweaked the uniforms of the U.S. athletes. Originally, the “polo logo” was bigger than the the United States patch! Glad common sense prevailed, although polo and horses don’t really go together with winter sports (or do they?).
OOOh…what about polo on horses on snow? (you could use an orange ball or whatev) Winter rules polo!
>> I feel bad for all the athletes wearing layers of heavy clothing. I understand it’s the Winter Olympics, but the stadium was climate-controlled.
Yes, but it’s Canada, and the climate-controls were set to “Vancouver-winter” settings — I was there, and was wearing a shirt, a fleece vest, a jacket, and the hand-out white rain-jacket, and I was _appropriately_ dressed for the ambient temperature.
KD Lang sang beautifully and Joni Mitchell’s song in a tribute to the prairies (where I live) really moved me. Great job ladies!
“Hallelujah” is a beautiful song and was done very well, but did anyone else find it a strange choice of song for this particular occasion?
Very strange. Plus, it went on too long.
JB, I completely agree with you. Some folks have speculated that her song was added after the Georgian Olympian’s fatal accident, but as someone who has worked on events and productions for the past 20 years, I can tell you that there is NO WAY they could have pulled off that elaborate segment in 8 hours.
Hallelujah was a scheduled performace. It featured and amazing Canadian singer, singing a sing written by an amazing Canadian singer/songwriter.
I thought it was a somewhat unusal choice – Leonard Cohen (who wrote the song) IS a Canadian, but I’m sure there are other Canadian songwriters who could have been shoowcased, including k.d. herself. I liked the performance, but the sentiment of the song was a little weird for this occasion…
To all of the people who think the song was an odd choice, you obviously haven’t been paying attention to the Canadian music scene over the past three years. Leonard Cohen has had a resurgence in popularity, as has “Hallejah.” kd lang put it on an album a few years ago, to great acclaim. It was completely appropriate to showcase two incredible Canadian artists. And kd worked it – her rendition was the highlight of the night for me.
Yep-Hallelujah was a weird choice. I’d have skipped it and kd lang in favor of BTO and “Takin’ Care of Business”. Everybody knows the song, and it suits the Olympic idea.
Hallelujah is not a song about peace, though…which is how it was sold. Did you see the doves at the end?
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
That’s NOT about peace. But I do love, love, love the song.
I love that song but it completely reminds me of Shrek.
The “Both Sides Now” segment was the definition of poetry in motion. Wonderful visuals and a sweeter vocal the world has never known.
I agree! It was simple, elegant, and impactful. A very Canadian approach
agreed – fantastic segment.
My favorite part of the whole show…
The reason Joni Mitchell sang “Both Sides Now” was not because they were reaching for a good less-is-more moment, but BECAUSE SHE WROTE IT and she’s Canadian! (No, Judy Collins didn’t — she merely popularized it.) And Mitchell, as always, did the best job with it because it was never intended to be an upbeat, uptempo song but rather a quiet contemplation about life and love. Very Canadian, that. This was one of the two best moments of the show. The other was aerialist Colin Maier’s graceful dream sequence amid the projected red maple leaves. Just beautiful.
Where was Celine Dion? Shame on her, Canada has been nothing but good to her.
And why do we always have to listen to everything duplicated in french?
The rest was expensive but good.
French is one of the national languages of Canada…?
Announcements/Intros are always done in english and the host nation’s first language. Celine’s absence must have been her Olympic gift to Canada and the world!
Celine’s is incommunicado right now because she’s getting fertility treatments in New York.
French and English are the two official languages of the International Olympic Committee (coincidentally they are Canada’s officials languages as well)…if the games were in another country (that did not speak French or English) you would have heard all announcements in 3 languages – French, English and that country’s official language
I’m getting SO tired of ignorant people who keep criticizing the use of French in the ceremony. First off it is one of our official languages so what’s the problem? I mean we’re known as a multicultural and diverse country. Nice message we’re sending if we’re complaining so much about the other official language of this country.
Second and most importantly, the modern Olympics was founded by a French man, and it along with English is the official language of the Olympic movement. Therefore, both these languages (and the host country’s language if it’s not one of the two) are used for all proclamations.
DON’T FORGET THE CLOSING CEREMONIES. That’s where Celine will pop up to over sing. But I do love her.
It’s the offical language of the Olympics – every Olympics you have the French first and then the English.
french is always used at the olym[ics because of baron de coubertin and the frfench who founded the IOC. the modern olympics are a direct result of their work.
Spent post-Opening time searching out Ashely MacIsaac- the fiddler who closed out that segment. Wow. mad fiddle skills, and unearthed a 1997 appearance on Conan that had a blurry wardrobe malfunction proving he wears his kilt authentic.
MacIsaac’s a magnificent fiddler. But he’s nearly as well-known in Canada for announcing to news magazine that his sexual turn-on is urinating on underage boys. I swear I am not making this up!
Yeah I was going to say he went through a period of sharing WAY too much information in a quest to stand out. He’s toned down a bit so that people can appreciate his brilliance on the fiddle now.
…which may be part of the reason(s) he went back to school and got a law degree…. he married now, so probably limits his urinating…?!
That was Ashley MacIssac?! *runs to DVR to rewatch*
Yes, he’s an incredible fiddler, easily the best in Canada if not one of the best in the world.
More trivia: Ashley MacIssac and Jack White are distant cousins.
Also, Newfoundland is the most Irish place on earth outside of Ireland.
Ashley MacIsaac is from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, home of Celtic fiddling. He’s fantastic, and the tune he played was called “Devil in the Kitchen”
Wow…could someone at NBC tell the announcers to shut up during the show! I am all for trivia when the teams are coming in, but when they score a show with music it is their job to shut up.
At one point Costas told us we were watching a fiddler battling with his fiddler image on the moon! Um….I am watching Bob! I can tell that on my own. Why don’t you just tell me I am watching tv and go home.
Or when talking over the fiddle, telling us how good the fiddle player is! Why not let us listen to it instead of listening to the sound of your own voice.
Yes, I got annoyed with Bob Costas too. Especially when he talked during the prairie tribute.
My mistake. He did not talk during the prairie tribute, he just annoyed me.
Hahaha… hilarious comment. I’m glad we could watch it on CTV – the commentators barely spoke, except to briefly mention the name of the person we were watching.
Even then they didn’t do that. CTV was the way to go!!!
Bob Costas just can’t stop himself from being Bob Costas. New blood, please.
Btw, good to see Al Michaels back at the Olympics! I believe in miracles!
did anyone else feel badly for the athletes from Uzbekistan? they had to come out between the United States and Canada. I don’t even thin NBC showed them. yes, most Americans couldn’t even find it on a map, but they still should have showed their entrance. I do have to admit that I actually had to look up the spelling because I wasn’t sure if there was an H after the K.
At first, sure, but being between the US and the last country I decided they must be used to it by now. Haha, maybe it will pay off karma-wise and they’ll come home with a medal.
Yes! They waited all that time for their moment in the spotlight, and they barely get a footnote. Really shameful lapse – it would have been no problem at all for them to run the footage and give them their proper place on the world stage.
We were all thinking of you, Uzbekistan – Good luck to you in the games!
Hear hear – A thousand times over! They were driving me NUTS with their incessant babbling. How could they sit there yammering while we were all trying to follow/appreciate the work of all involved? Geez! So frustrating.
Watch the Canadian station. It’s much better.
I grew up in Detroit watching CBC, but now live in Texas and we dont get the option. Sad.
American commentators love to talk to much. Especially while watching basketball and football. Just let us watch in peace!
I pretty much agree with everything you written. The visuals were stunning, especially the orcas spouting across sea. David Atkins did a wonderful job.
For some reason I found it absolutely hilarious – in a cringe-y way – when Costas said, “Did we mention that the Inuit people have been DANCING this ENTIRE time?!?” God, I’m still chuckling.
My roommate and I was thinking the same thing “They’re STILL dancing?” Glad it wasn’t just us. One drummer did look like he was about to pass out during the Bryan Adams/Nelly Furtado performance.
I would attribute any passing out during the Nelly Furtado/Bryan Adams performance to Nelly Furtdao and Bryan Adam’s performance.
Maybe all their dancing is the reason it’s been raining so much in Vancouver this week.
ah, that time of the decade again…more olympic coverage I will gladly miss…wake me up for the synchronized skating or that event when they sweep the ice with a broom!!!…how inspiring!
you do realize it happens every 4 years not ever 10, right?
yes…note i said “that time of the decade” meaning it happens at intervals within a decade…and for the most part, it sucks…
because I’m sure you do anything that can be considered anything close to inspiring
You’re free to switch over to Toddlers & Tiaras, the Bad Girls Club, Kell on Earth or something else equally inspiring if you choose.
Loved the orcas! Probably one of the coolest effects of the night. Blowholes in the floor?! Amazing.
the orcas’ blowholes WAS incredible, i was wishing it was in 3D & that i had the glasses!
bryan adams was SO lip synching, thought, that was awful.
fell asleep during that LONG droning speech by whoever that was, so i missed the lighting of the cauldron.
Nelly was lip-synching too.. it was embarrassing
lip synching??!! uhg. that’s pathetic.
ashlie simpson wasn’t available?
were there any French ( Quebecois) performers?
I imagine that was missing…
In productions such as the Olympic openings and closings (to wit, all that I can remember in the last 20 years), singers lip-synch. You don’t risk a dead mic in a show like that. That doesn’t mean performers shouldn’t work to improve their ability to lip-synch.
there were one french quebecois performers but NBC put a commercial break during is song, it was after the opera singer
They would have Aretha lip sync at an Olympic ceremony.
To Hochelaga: Actually Garou performed and he was excellent!
Hochelaga there was a Quebecois performer, but I think NBC but him out of their telecast.
Garou, a famous singer from Québec also popular in France sang, but you didn’t miss anything, he massacred the song, singing off-key, very embarassing. Can I say that I find cutting the only french song of the night wrong? I’m a francophone and found that the absence of french was infuriating, so to hear that some networks skipped the only 3 minutes of it….
I think everyone pretty much lip-synched except Nikki Yanofsky, Garou, and KD Lang. I think even the fiddlers, except Ashley MacIsaac, were “stroke-synching”
Joni Mitchel did not appear because she refused to lip-synch. Allegedly.
Does anyone know exactly how the floor effects were done?
Projection using PIGI projectors.
The ‘keystoning’ effect that would normally happen when projecting at an angle (The projectors were at the top of the seating block) was overcome with software.
Loved the Orcas, the polar bear, even the red leaves and the ice breaking up! very cool
but…bad lip synching their Bryan and Nelly, and a little too much fiddling. had a good laugh with the ‘sky canoe’ as we called it. major cheeze!
the “sky canoe” was a reference to the French Canadian and Aboriginal legends based on voyegeurs’ travels and La Chasse Galerie. There are a couple of different interpretations, but generally refers to making a pact with the devil to get back to hunt camp on time/in one piece etc.
It wasn’t a polar bear, it was a spirit bear.
I am from the Nass Valley, way in the northcoast, R.I.P. to the person who passed, condolence to all the people in his country, everybody who is around him and to Vancouver. and his family.