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The Olympics Opening Ceremony
Oh, What a Night!
By Kendeyl Johansen
Ticket prices for the 2002 Olympic opening ceremony started at $885, which made me gulp before opening my wallet. But this star-studded event was being hailed as "The Greatest Show on Earth," and as the frazzled parents of toddler twins and an energetic 5-year-old, my husband and I were overdue for a dose of "couples fun." We decided to splurge on what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A week later we arrived at the outdoor ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah. We were definitely dressed not to impress in bulky snowsuits, alpine boots, gloves and American flag hats. It was lucky we'd tossed fashion sense aside in favor of warmth, since we'd breezed through the intense but reassuring security and were seated 1 1/2 hours prior to the ceremony in 15 degree weather.
I had enough time to notice snipers on the buildings surrounding the stadium, and hoped the state-of-the-art security would keep us safe. All around us early birds chatted excitedly in a dozen languages, and I took a deep breath and made myself relax.
The show started with a literal bang, as a shower of golden fireworks exploded. Then, as if on cue, Mother Nature added a light sprinkling of snowflakes while silver-clad skaters swirled across the ice. I got the chills, and not because I was cold.
Minutes later I felt a quiet spiritualism descend on the stadium as countless brightly-clad Native Americans danced to tribal music, and later the flowing props of the Western segment evoked Broadway's majestic The Lion King. I was especially impressed with a gargantuan, ethereal buffalo that seemed to float across the ice.
Later, I fought tears as the scarred flag from 9/11 was carried into the stadium, and I was amazed by the audience camaraderie as the Olympic athletes marched. Our crowd cheered extra loud for the teams from Bermuda and China, since people nearby were proudly brandishing these flags. And when the Americans marched, the people from Bermuda and China cheered robustly for us.
