So it’s only a rumor! The thought the Olympics opening would feature Lord Voldemort terrorizing Alice in Wonderland and being vanquished by an army of Mary Poppins (all of whom fly into the stadium via Umbrellas) is a perfect ‘Shared Text’ moment, no? I suspect everyone present will ‘get’ the Dark Lord reference and that quite a few will not recognize the Lewis Carroll and P. L. Travers heroines. Here’s hoping that many of those few will walk through the portal Harry Potter provides to English literature, especially the best in high fantasy. The Gateway drug to a life of engaging, edifying reading, etc.
And if the rumor isn’t true? Well, it ought to be. Hat tip, A2Paper.
I have fourteen posts in queue to put up over the next week or so — my experiences with friends at Ascendio 2012 in Orlando right at the top of the list and thoughts in anticipation of LeakyCon3 in Chicago early next month right behind them. I have started a new job and a new writing project, though, since returning from the Wizarding World so blogging may continue to be spotty. Thank you for standing by — did I tell you about my conversation with Veronica Roth? You’ll never believe it…
I read that the other day and it made me laugh. I can’t tell whether it’s British humor behind the idea for the article or for the Olympics. Whatever it is, it sounds like a fun idea. Don’t you really think people would recognize Alice in Wonderland or Mary Poppins characters? With the recent remake of Alice with Johnny Depp and with Mary Poppins still being shown often on TV, I think a lot of people would get it. Honestly, I’m surprised they aren’t including something Hobbity. Well, there’s probably the whole issue of getting permission for that one, which seems a bit difficult.
Well John……if Mary Poppins takes on lord Voldemort with that umbrella….ummm(wand)……it better be made of elder with a phoenix feather in its core, no?
Couldn’t help but compare the flag-laden hill in the Olympic stadium to a Hobbit-sized hillside dwelling…did anyone else get a similar impression??
Turns out it was not a rumor. Here’s the clip:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/2012/opening-ceremony-olympic-bedtime-story.html
In He-Who’s shadow, I spotted a Dickensian baddie too… Bill Sykes, perhaps?
The Queen parachuting into the stadium was such a hoot I’m wondering if the power that be won’t try to top it in the closing… maybe having Her Majesty apparate into the stadium on the arm of Daniel Radcliffe or Michael Gambon.
Though few follow-ups could beat the mime “fixing” the arm of the 2010 Winter Olympics that malfunctioned during the opening.