Winter Olympics - Vancouver 2010

[Bud]

Might was well open up a new thread (prompted by scielle!) And since this first post references Diana, its being placed here

This article is from last year. If Diana doesn't appear, it certainly won't be due to an inadvertent oversight!

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/about-vancouv ... =8961.html

The creative team includes three francophones and two aboriginal designers, but no one from Canada's vibrant multicultural community. Nor is pre-eminent dramatist Robert Lepage or Cirque du Soleil part of the lineup. Cirque withdrew its bid to be part of the ceremonies in a disagreement over artistic control.

The freshly minted roster of talent includes:
...

local music moguls Sam Feldman and Bruce Allen, managers of many top Canadian acts, such as Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams, Jann Arden and Diana Krall.
...

Both managers were coy when asked which of their clients will perform at the Games. "We'd love to tell you exactly what we're thinking about, but then we'd blow the surprise," Mr. Feldman told reporters. "You wouldn't want that, would you?" Should any of their stars appear, it won't be for the money, Mr. Allen added. "They will get a small fee, but it's really just an honorarium. As soon as the Games were announced, they set their calendars free, because they want to be involved.

[scielle]

Some of my friends saw the dress rehearsal of the opening ceremonies last night and said it was fabulous. Everyone had to sign NDAs though, so few details have leaked out, and it seems most people have been pretty good at keeping the secret. However, I was told that Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now is in the program.

I'm cheering on my former classmate, Jennifer Heil, who is due to defend her gold from Turin this coming Saturday.
Go Jenn!!!

[Bud]

Will be pulling for your classmate, scielle! Sure hope Canada gets its first Gold Medal as the Olympic host!

I’Il go out on a limb. I say Diana makes an appearance during the Opening Ceremony. Its too big an event to miss, and she's a home town icon. Also, you'd think that she would have left for NZ by now to do in person interviews and other public events prior to the 18 Feb kickoff of her tour. But what do I know?

[Bud]

From Twitter --

leighrat: Actually saw Diana Krall and Elvis Costello...they are so cute!

I've asked @leighrat, who lives in Vancouver, whether she saw them today. If she did, its further evidence that Diana hasn't left for New Zealand yet!

[Bud]

Diana and Elvis are definitely in Vancouver...

http://lettheolympicgamesbegin.blogspot ... treet.html

[Bud]

But what do I know?

Fiddlers. Its always fiddlers.

[scielle]

Well that was disappointing. Not just because Diana wasn't there, but because the Bryan Adams/ Nelly Furtado bit was embarrassing. Plus they had completely butchered the national anthem. Nikki is one talented kid, but they gave her a dud of an arrangement - this is supposed to be about national pride, not Idol-style cheese. Shame.
Rest of the ceremony was lovely though. Whales, northern lights, Ashley MacIsaac and Loreena McKennitt (the fiddler/ maple leaf bit) were great. Nice to see kd lang sing Leonard Cohen. But seriously, Joni Mitchell should have been there to do Both Side Now - or they should have asked someone else to do it live. Hint, hint.
Glad to see the Georgian team get such a warm welcome.

[Bud]

That was some start to the Olympics. Terrible tragedy that now seems to have been unnecessary, since they quickly constructed a wall on the track that blocks the bare metal supports.

I was impressed by the whales! That was nice use of the technology. Still not sure about the tap dancing punk fiddlers Speeches were a bit long. I do think Diana would have fit in fine somewhere. Maybe she could have done a shortened rendition of I Love Being Here with You. It would've been upbeat compared to most of the musical selections!

That was an amazing finish to the short-track speedskating. Can't believe the South Koreans had all three medals sewn up and then blundered.

[scielle]

Well, Jenn came this close to defending her championship last night, but ultimately ended up with a silver. Canada's first medal of these games. We're proud of you Jenn!!!

[Coda]

I was wondering if Diana and Elvis would be around to see something of the Olympics. I'm glad somebody documented their presence on the scene. Diana looked a bit tired or something in one picture, there.

I also wish the Olympic planners had found a spot for Diana in the musical line up. I wonder what the back story is about that!

I really liked Joni Mitchell singing "Both Sides Now" and that amazing acrobat flying over the Canadian prairie. The whales with their spouting off were amazing, too. And the continuous welcoming dance from the people of the First Nations was amazing!

It's terribly sad about the luge athlete who died on that fast course. May he rest in peace.

[Bud]

Congratulations to Alexandre Bilodeau, and Canada for its first home soil Gold!

The Moguls provided big-time thrills

[gundy516]

Way to go CANADA! First gold on home soil..............these have been very exciting so far! I always say I'm not going to stay up late and watch but it never happens so I always know I'm going to be sleep deprived for a couple of weeks!

Let's just hope the weather co-operates for the rest of the events!

[scielle]

Well, Diana might be down under, but Elvis has just joined in on a major Olympic concert tomorrow & Friday night:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/cultural-festivals-and-events/event-listings/hal-willner's-neil-young-project-_70660zv.html

[Bud]

OK, fair warning that maybe I've finally completely fallen off my rocker. But here it goes

Diana's Australia schedule is on a four day break. It started after the Peter Lehmann vineyards concert. It’s the longest break of the tour. Why might that be?

Keeping in mind the international date line, flights leaving Australia and coming to North America arrive right around the time they left. There are a number of flights that leave Adelaide, the major airport near the Lehmann venue, at around 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, 28 Feb and, after a plane change in Sydney, arrive in Los Angeles on the morning 28 Feb, PST. From LAX, there is plenty of time to make it up to Vancouver. Returning to Australia, she could leave North America on 1 March and arrive in country on the morning of 3 March.

The bottom line is that it is still *very remotely possible* that Diana participates in the Closing Ceremony! And get back in time for her next concert in Brisbane!

I don't think the Olympic organizers would want to cut it so close, nor do I think the Brisbane folks would like it either. Its just that its physically in the realm of possibility, and you know Diana would love to get back to see her kids too!

I'll get back to enjoying a bottle or two of Peter Lehmann wine now

Bud

[scielle]

You have fallen off your rocker to have spent time figuring this out!

I think the kids are in Nashville with daddy at the moment.

[Bud]

So what you're sayin' is, we need to post some lookouts at the Nashville airport right away to keep a lookout for anyone looking like EC. Who's in?

[mapache61]

Yup, our fearless leader has flipped his lid.

Neil Young.com confirms he'll be playing the closing ceremony:
http://www.neilyoung.com/tour.html
Very cool. I predict he'll play "Helpless"

As for DK, I'd say the chance is very remote. I've flown from LAX to Oz and it is an epic, torturous flight. I couldn't imagine doing it twice in the span of a few days. Hope I'm wrong and she surprises us.

[mapache61]

Changing Neil Young prediction to "Heart of Gold"

[scielle]

National pride intact.

Thank you Sidney Crosby.

[Bud]

Congratulations to Canada for a great hockey game and for a memorable Olympics!! If we *had* to lose to someone, I'll admit that I'm glad it was Canada.

I guess I can relax now. Finally, no more mindless speculation. I suppose its obvious in hindsight why she couldn't/wouldn't participate. Her performance style doesn't lend itself to lip-syncing!