The Opening Ceremony of the XXII Olympic Winter Games 2014 is just days away, and Great Bend native Dr. Bryan Pinkall is hard at work to help stage in Sochi, Russia. The opening ceremony will start at 11:14 a.m., local time, on Friday, Feb. 7.
Pinkall, a voice instructor at Kansas State University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance in Manhattan, was selected to join a team of 5,000 performers, artists and organizers to produce the opening ceremony production. Security is tight, and Pinkall reported going through five pat-downs to get to work.
“I’m very excited about the preparations of the ceremonies,” Pinkall said. “It should be massive and it should be a great tribute to Russia and to the spirit of the games. I am one of only two Americans on the ceremonies team, and I am very proud to represent the USA, Kansas State University, and Great Bend.”
Pinkall is maintaining a blog at website bryanpinkall.blogspot.com that has all sorts of information and photos. Recently, he commented on some of the most memorable Olympics opening ceremonies, with Beijing 2008 topping the list. According his blog, the upcoming ceremonies will hold some surprises:
“The protocol segments will be incredible, the music is fantastic, and the effects we have lined up – however tricky – are phenomenal. One special effect in particular, which will be a complete surprise to the world on opening night, is such an amazing idea, I wish I could discuss it here. But, we are getting to that time of the preparations when we will be finalizing the production of the artistic segments, and we will begin full runs, which means there will be relatively few things that I can say.”
Pinkall told the Tribune, “I feel like a kid with infinite toys to play with – this is the most amazing project that I have ever been a part of.”