The mysteries of the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony -The Closing Ceremony of the London Summer Olympics was full of music, stars, and culture. Below, a recap of some of the moments that may have had non-Brits saying, "Wait, what just happened?"
Is it Prince Henry or Prince Harry?
When Prince Harry made his grand entrance at the start of the Games, you might have done a double take when his name was announced. "Prince Henry," the announcer said.
timothy spall
Did somebody just make an epic mistake, calling the redheaded prince by the wrong name? Nope. While the English may know this already, for those who don't, the prince's official name is Henry Charles Albert David. Folks call him Harry for short.
Who was the guy playing Winston Churchill?
That was popular character actor Timothy Spall. The London-born actor has appeared in several "Harry Potter" flicks as well as "Sweeney Todd," "Enchanted," and "The King's Speech" (in which he played Churchill).
Spall wasn't quoting Churchill after he emerged from the top of Big Ben. The words were from Shakespeare's "The Tempest." "I dreamed of clouds opening up and dropping such riches on me that when I woke up, I cried because I wanted to dream again." Indeed, dreams and imagination came back again and again as themes of the Closing Ceremony.
What's with Batman and Robin?
At an early part in the Ceremony, Michael Caine's iconic voice echoed through the stadium. "Five, four, three, two, one," Caine said, a line from "The Italian Job." A small car in the middle of the stadium exploded, and out came rotund versions of Batman and Robin.
Great Scott! Had Christian Bale gone to seed? Negative, Alfred. Those were actors David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, reprising a famous moment from their sitcom, "Only Fools and Horses." You can watch the original clip here.
Why did they single out the marathon in the middle of the ceremony?
One word: Tradition. Every four years, the Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony also serves as a medal ceremony for the winner of the Men's City Marathon. The winner's national anthem is performed. Medals are awarded. The whole deal. Hey, after running 26.2 miles in August, they deserve something special, right?
Why was Naomi Campbell there?
No clue.
Why don't the athletes march out behind their flags?
They used to. But then in the 1956 Melbourne Games, at the height of the Cold War, there was so much tension that organizers were worried about fights between athletes. A young Chinese man, John Ian Wing, who was an apprentice carpenter in Australia, suggested that the organizers mix the athletes together. It worked. And the Peace March has been a tradition ever since.
Who was that awesome dancer/street sweeper in orange near the end of the Ceremony?
That would be Renato Sorriso of Rio. Sorriso was an actual street sweeper from Brazil. He became famous for his spectacular dance moves during Rio's Carnival. Now, thanks to his performance in London's Closing Ceremony, he's gonna be really, really famous. ( Fourth-Place Medal )
Blog : Popular Entertainment
Post : The mysteries of the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony
Is it Prince Henry or Prince Harry?
When Prince Harry made his grand entrance at the start of the Games, you might have done a double take when his name was announced. "Prince Henry," the announcer said.
timothy spall
Did somebody just make an epic mistake, calling the redheaded prince by the wrong name? Nope. While the English may know this already, for those who don't, the prince's official name is Henry Charles Albert David. Folks call him Harry for short.
Who was the guy playing Winston Churchill?
That was popular character actor Timothy Spall. The London-born actor has appeared in several "Harry Potter" flicks as well as "Sweeney Todd," "Enchanted," and "The King's Speech" (in which he played Churchill).
Spall wasn't quoting Churchill after he emerged from the top of Big Ben. The words were from Shakespeare's "The Tempest." "I dreamed of clouds opening up and dropping such riches on me that when I woke up, I cried because I wanted to dream again." Indeed, dreams and imagination came back again and again as themes of the Closing Ceremony.
What's with Batman and Robin?
At an early part in the Ceremony, Michael Caine's iconic voice echoed through the stadium. "Five, four, three, two, one," Caine said, a line from "The Italian Job." A small car in the middle of the stadium exploded, and out came rotund versions of Batman and Robin.
Great Scott! Had Christian Bale gone to seed? Negative, Alfred. Those were actors David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, reprising a famous moment from their sitcom, "Only Fools and Horses." You can watch the original clip here.
Why did they single out the marathon in the middle of the ceremony?
One word: Tradition. Every four years, the Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony also serves as a medal ceremony for the winner of the Men's City Marathon. The winner's national anthem is performed. Medals are awarded. The whole deal. Hey, after running 26.2 miles in August, they deserve something special, right?
Why was Naomi Campbell there?
No clue.
Why don't the athletes march out behind their flags?
They used to. But then in the 1956 Melbourne Games, at the height of the Cold War, there was so much tension that organizers were worried about fights between athletes. A young Chinese man, John Ian Wing, who was an apprentice carpenter in Australia, suggested that the organizers mix the athletes together. It worked. And the Peace March has been a tradition ever since.
Who was that awesome dancer/street sweeper in orange near the end of the Ceremony?
That would be Renato Sorriso of Rio. Sorriso was an actual street sweeper from Brazil. He became famous for his spectacular dance moves during Rio's Carnival. Now, thanks to his performance in London's Closing Ceremony, he's gonna be really, really famous. ( Fourth-Place Medal )
Blog : Popular Entertainment
Post : The mysteries of the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony
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