Saturday, November 27, 2004
Opening night
In the end the Wales Millennium Centre opening Gala night was better than I expected. It achieved what it set out to do in a spectacular fashion helped considerably by the setting of the magnificent auditorium.
The interior of the building is incredible, almost futuristic in appearance. Certainly, when the house lights were off, the auditorium reminded me of scenes from the recent Star Wars films when the council of the republic meet in a space full of suspended circular pods to discuss various impending crises. It is not recommended for anybody suffering from vertigo, particularly the upper circle.
The evening set out to celebrate the lives of five outstanding Welsh artists - Dame Shirley Bassey, Alun Hoddinott, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Sian Phillips and Richard Burton. It was comfortable, unchallenging entertainment, a bit like the Royal Variety Shows that used to form much of the weekend entertainment on TV in the 1970s. It might well have benefited from some edge - an appearance by Goldie Lookin' Chain, for example. Highlight of the evening by far was Nana Mouskouri singing All through the night - in Welsh!
The interior of the building is incredible, almost futuristic in appearance. Certainly, when the house lights were off, the auditorium reminded me of scenes from the recent Star Wars films when the council of the republic meet in a space full of suspended circular pods to discuss various impending crises. It is not recommended for anybody suffering from vertigo, particularly the upper circle.
The evening set out to celebrate the lives of five outstanding Welsh artists - Dame Shirley Bassey, Alun Hoddinott, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Sian Phillips and Richard Burton. It was comfortable, unchallenging entertainment, a bit like the Royal Variety Shows that used to form much of the weekend entertainment on TV in the 1970s. It might well have benefited from some edge - an appearance by Goldie Lookin' Chain, for example. Highlight of the evening by far was Nana Mouskouri singing All through the night - in Welsh!
