I watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony tonight, and was alternately indifferent or enthralled. It seemed a bit disjointed, with little logical flow. Rollerbladers screaming along with flaming backpacks, a mish-mash of choreography, the truly amazing Ferrari F1 car doing doughnuts - if this was meant to be Fellini-esque, they succeeded. Of course, I loved that fact that the athletes marched out to disco music! Long live italo-disco!! Team Italia's super sexy, futuristic parkas were amazing, and having Sofia Loren, who at 70 looks fabulous, along with Susan Sarandon and other women lead out the Olympic flag was quite a coup. The precious little Eleonora singing the Italian anthem ( I have to support anyone with a similar name) was a plus, as was the slightly drawn Luciano Pavarotti singing "Nessun Dorma". Turandot was the first opera I attended (at the tender age of 7), and that aria holds a special place in my heart. I also enjoyed the pyrotechnics at the end - and indeed throughout the ceremony - but was disheartened to see that Alberto Tomba, one of my objects of pre-pubescent lust, was looking a little worse for wear.
All-in-all, a winner. Where else can you see Cherie Blair and Laura Bush seated together on bleacher sets AND watch the irascible, irreverent, and just plain hot Bode Miller?
