Olympic Opening Ceremonies Impress

Posted on August 14, 2004

Everyone has been giving the Greeks so much grief about not being ready for the Olympics -- with endless news stories and even a Saturday Night Live sketch spoofing the confused construction director -- that I'm sure the Olympic Committee was determined to show the world what they are made of. Well, they did it. The opening ceremonies were simply amazing.

During the first hour, a fantastic procession of figures from ancient Greece reminded the world of just how much Greece has contributed to our culture. Figures who were made up to be statues represented various Greek myths. The Greek theater was also represented, such as scenes form Sophocles' tragedy "Oedipus Rex." Now, you know Bob Costas couldn't let that one pass by. So Costas intones, "Oedipus, as you know, is the tragic Greek king who killed his father and married his mother, a sequence of events that seldom turns out well." Groan.

As the parade of figures went forward in time, the makeup and clothing changed and went from white (such as one would see on a stone bas-relief) to more colorful tones, until we got to the modern age of Greece, where the performers were in full color. The faces of the performers went from the statue-like stillness of the past to vibrant, fully lifelike representations of the current Greeks. It was really quite educational, in spite of Bob Costas.

The lighting of the Olympic rings, the participation of the 70,000 spectators with the use of lights in the darkenss was incredibly moving -- and tasteful. It was so tastefully done, in fact, that it made our opening ceremonies in Atlanta (remember the weird Disney-like figures?) pale in comparison. I also like the fact that the medalists get crowns of laurel leaves. Now, that's cool.

Let us hope and pray that no violence mars these games. The Greeks have done a fabulous job so far. I can't wait to see what they've got planned for the Closing Ceremonies.