London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony
It was a night filled with fantasy and spectacle. This year's Olympic host, London showcased their contributions in art, literature, and technology in the over-the-top Olympics Opening Ceremony. Academy Award winning Director Danny Boyle fused star power with pageantry in a delectable four hour presentation watched by billions worldwide. The affair started off with a scene showing the country's primitive lifestyle. It focused on Britain's lush landscape with its people living in the Medieval Era. Shakespearean actor Kenneth Brannagh recited lines from The Bard's The Tempest to highlight the country's contribution to literature. What is a British presentation without paying tribute to Shakespeare? Britain is known for their well-loved children's classics. Effigies of diabolic characters from children's books such as Lord Voldemort and Captain Hook appeared on stage to portray their roles in a child's nightmare. J.K. Rowling read a few lines from JM Barrie's Peter Pan. Iconic British literary character Mary Poppins descended from above to save the child from horror. Danny Boyle brought out the movie aficionado in him when he presented a short film featuring James Bond and Queen Elizabeth in one frame. The current James Bond Daniel Craig fetched the Queen from The Buckingham Palace and flew the helicopter to attend the ceremony. I didn't know that Queen Elizabeth could act. Britain is also known for their participation in the music scene. Some dancers were clad in Sgt. Pepper's costumes when the presentation ushered in the Industrial Revolution. There was an appearance by percussion virtuoso Evelyn Glennie. Music from British artists were played in the background within a span of 5 decades. From The Beatles to the Rolling Stones, from New Wave Bands to Chemical Brothers. I wonder why the Spice Girls were not featured. The ceremony provided comic relief when Mr. Bean, Rowan Atkinson joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He displayed his usual crazy antics that brought smiles to the audience. Star crossed lovers danced to techno music to signal the arrival of the Digital Age. The founder of the worldwide web was on stage. Soccer God David Beckham was on a speed boat to officially pass the torch to a famous British athlete. The torch was then given to young and promising British athletes. The ceremony will not be complete without the parade of the athletes from around the world. They walked on the Olympic park to the tunes of the British chart toppers. Ireland's U2's Beautiful Day was played in the background. Britain's top export Sir Paul McCartney closed the ceremonies singing his greatest hits including Hey Jude. He choked because the entire country was beaming with pride and no amount of words could describe how proud its citizens were of their country. Although the Beijing Olympics gains an upper hand in terms of production value and creativity, the London 2012 Olympics ceremony was a sight to behold. The fireworks say it all. The ceremony was majestic and dazzling in every sense of the word. every sense of the word.
