The flags of 15 nations are displayed during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Invictus Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla., May 8, 2016. The 2016 Invictus Games officially kicked off with the ceremony and 15 nations will compete over the next five days in multiple adaptive sports events. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace/RELEASED)
Behind the Scenes of the Unforgettable Invictus Games Orlando 2016 Opening Ceremony: Q+A with Creative Producer Sara Donaldson
Last night 15,000 people, including a prince, president and first lady, filled the stands of Champion Stadium for the Invictus Games Orlando 2016 Opening Ceremony. For many people it was an exciting few hours of their lives, but for esteemed Creative Producer Sara Donaldson and her Co-Executive Producer Chris Laue it was eight months in the making.
In September 2015, they were tasked with developing and executing Prince Harry’s vision for the Games. Drawing on her experience planning for the ceremonies at the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014, Donaldson aimed to put on a show that demonstrated the growth of the Games. She succeeded.
“This time it was about showing the progression and maturity of the Games from London, while also establishing rituals and protocols that can be handed to Toronto in 2017 and to other Invictus Games host cities,” said Donaldson.
In one action-packed and emotional event, Donaldson paid tribute to the Invictus heroes and offered guests captivating performances by James Blunt, Laura Wright and rare military bands as well as appearances by international icons Morgan Freeman, Prince Harry and the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama. Attendees were moved to tears by the inspirational stories of the brave men and women who have served their countries.
Donaldson said the only thing about the Ceremony that did not go exactly as planned was that the event ran over the allotted time due to the number of standing ovations and cheering from the crowd. According to Donaldson, the most powerful moments arguably belonged to the three storytellers U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro Jr., LCpl John-James Chalmers and Louis Nethercott, who each took the stage to standing ovations and silenced the crowd with their stories of how they overcame their visible and invisible wounds of war.
Looking towards the Closing Ceremony, Donaldson says she had completely different visions for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. While the Opening Ceremony was a patriotic tribute to the competitors’ journeys, the Closing Ceremony will be more of a celebration with six electrifying musical guests. With only 1,500 tickets left, fans should purchase tickets as soon as possible.
Go to www.invictusgames2016.org/tickets to get your tickets to the Closing Ceremony before they are sold out. Below please find a personal Q+A with Donaldson.
Q: What was the inspiration for the Opening Ceremony?
We worked on the Invictus Games London 2014 so the “I AM” Invictus branding was our starting point, but our intention with this show was to allow the wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women to share their stories, however painful and personal, on a world stage.
Q: What goes into the planning process and what don’t people realize?
We started preparing in September and took our first walk-through of the site in October. An incredible amount of detail and planning went into the ceremonies and developing all of the creative elements. But it was all worth it.
Q: What was it like seeing the venue finished?
It’s one thing to see it all on paper but quite another to see if come life. It was incredible to see all of our months of work pay off and to see the way the crowd reacted. We wanted to touch the hearts and souls of competitors, their families and the public – and we think we accomplished just that.
Q: The Opening Ceremony was full of dramatic details and surprises. Is there anything that surprised you about the Opening Ceremony?
We honestly could not have asked for a smoother show. The only thing that didn’t go exactly as planned was that it went a bit longer than we had planned. The good news, is it was because the audience was so engaged, so we’ll take that!
Q: Any sneak previews for Invictus Games Toronto 2017?
In London, we weren’t able to focus on the continuation of the Games because we didn’t know where it would go next. This time around, we will properly pass on the flag to Canada. Stay tuned.
