Supermodel, dancers to lead opening show

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, trailblazing transgender beauty Lea T and carnival dancers will show off Brazil in its multicolor glory at the Olympic opening ceremony Friday, reports AFP from Rio De Janeiro Rio has a hard act to follow after London 2012’s alternately humorous and jaw-droppingly sophisticated version.
This opening ceremony, held in a country suffering its deepest recession in almost a century, will be more modest.
Co-artistic chief Fernando Meirelles, who directed the hit movies “City of God” and “The Constant Gardener,” has said his budget is a fraction of the London splurge. But organizers promise to keep the more than 70,000-strong crowd in Rio’s legendary Maracana stadium and the estimated three billion people watching it on television at the edge of their seats.
If Beijing 2008 was ostentatiously lavish and London quirky, Rio will try to capture Brazil’s amazing diversity, love of music — and talent for fun.
“We want to have the biggest party there has ever been in this country,” co-artistic director Daniela Thomas says.
No one does big outdoor parties better than Rio — think the annual carnival — and music is at the heart of that.
Along with thousands of athletes parading behind their national flags, as well as a contingent of refugees, there’ll be hundreds of performers from a dozen local samba schools singing and dancing in wild costumes.
Two icons of Brazilian popular music, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, will feature. On the more contemporary side, there’ll be rappers and baile funk star Anitta.
Leaks from a closed-doors dress rehearsal on Sunday promise a run through the transformation of Brazil, including a light show to recreate the Atlantic Ocean crossed by Portuguese colonizers, depictions of slavery, a recreation of aviator Santos Dumont’s flight in the plane 14 Bis, and the founding of cities.
Another heavyweight theme in the show, which starts at 8:00 pm (2300 GMT) and lasts roughly four hours, will be global warming and Brazil’s crucial role as home to the Amazon rainforest, reports say. One of the most famous Brazilians alive — Bundchen, who retired from the catwalk in 2015 — and pioneering transgender model Lea T will provide the glamour.
“Brazil is vast and all this diversity, in one way or another, needs to be represented in an event like this,” she said.

 

Supermodel, dancers to lead opening show

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, trailblazing transgender beauty Lea T and carnival dancers will show off Brazil in its multicolor glory at the Olympic opening ceremony Friday, reports AFP from Rio De Janeiro Rio has a hard act to follow after London 2012s alternately humorous and jaw-droppingly sophisticated version. This opening ceremony, held in a country suffering its deepest recession in almost a century, will be more modest. Co-artistic chief Fernando Meirelles, who directed the hit movies City of God and The Constant Gardener, has said his budget is a fraction of the London splurge. But organizers promise to keep the more than 70,000-strong crowd in Rios legendary Maracana stadium and the estimated three billion people watching it on television at the edge of their seats. If Beijing 2008 was ostentatiously lavish and London quirky, Rio will try to capture Brazils amazing diversity, love of music and talent for fun. We want to have the biggest party there has ever been in this country, co-artistic director Daniela Thomas says. No one does big outdoor parties better than Rio think the annual carnival and music is at the heart of that. Along with thousands of athletes parading behind their national flags, as well as a contingent of refugees, therell be hundreds of performers from a dozen local samba schools singing and dancing in wild costumes. Two icons of Brazilian popular music, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, will feature. On the more contemporary side, therell be rappers and baile funk star Anitta. Leaks from a closed-doors dress rehearsal on Sunday promise a run through the transformation of Brazil, including a light show to recreate the Atlantic Ocean crossed by Portuguese colonizers, depictions of slavery, a recreation of aviator Santos Dumonts flight in the plane 14 Bis, and the founding of cities. Another heavyweight theme in the show, which starts at 8:00 pm (2300 GMT) and lasts roughly four hours, will be global warming and Brazils crucial role as home to the Amazon rainforest, reports say. One of the most famous Brazilians alive Bundchen, who retired from the catwalk in 2015 and pioneering transgender model Lea T will provide the glamour. Brazil is vast and all this diversity, in one way or another, needs to be represented in an event like this, she said.