Yahoo Lifestyle Lady Gaga recreates “Ed Sullivan Show” moment with Paris Olympics performance on Seine river
She sang a cover of Zizi Jeanmaire's "Mon Truc En Plumes" at the opening ceremony.
Lady Gaga won gold along the Seine river, as she transformed the Parisian waterway into a recreation of a vintage Ed Sullivan Show performance at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.
The Oscar- and Grammy-winning pop star kicked off the Summer Olympics Friday in Paris with a wealth of dapper dancers flanking her on the banks of the river as she danced through a wall of pink-feathered props and sang a cover of French star Zizi Jeanmaire's "Mon Truc En Plumes."
Jeanmaire, who died in 2020 at age 96, notably performed the song on a 1965 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States, with Gaga channeling the same aesthetic, costuming, and vocal intonation of the late singer in her rendition of the song.
NBC
Lady GagaGaga's performance accompanied the traditional procession of global athletes set to compete in the Summer Olympics, and began moments after the international sports professionals floated by on boats.
The 38-year-old also sported feathered plumage of her own toward the end of the set, after she briefly sat at a piano perched along the Seine.
"Oh my gosh, I mean, guys, I know this is about Olympian and athletes, we're going to see a lot of people thriving under pressure," fellow pop star Kelly Clarkson said amid her commentary on the broadcast for NBC. "But, they have had no rehearsal. That was incredible. She's incredible."
The upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux star was, however, spotted earlier this week rehearsing for the performance, which was also rumored at one point to include a duet of Édith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose" with French-Canadian icon Celine Dion.
Later, French artist Aya Nakamura gave a fiery performance of her 2018 pop hit “Pookie,” while accompanied by a row of sky-high sparks and backup dancers adorned in shiny gold outfits.
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Gaga is no stranger to performing French-language tunes, as she previously sang a cover of "La Vie en Rose" (which translates to "Life in Pink") in her 2018 film A Star Is Born.
"I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre," Gaga said of the performance in a follow-up post on Instagram. "And this is not the first time we’ve crossed paths. Zizi starred in Cole Porter’s musical 'Anything Goes' which was my first jazz release. Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music—I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth—Paris. We rented pom poms from Le Lido archive—a real French cabaret theater. We collaborated with Dior to create custom costumes, using naturally molted feathers. I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic."
She continued, addressing French viewers: "Thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you—it’s a gift I’ll never forget! Congratulations to all the athletes who are competing in this year’s Olympic Games! It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympic Games always makes me cry! Your talent is unimaginable. Let the games begin!"
In addition to her Joker sequel, the performer is also readying the release of her seventh solo studio album, affectionately dubbed "LG7" by fans, after teasing its gestation at the end of her Gaga Chromatica Ball film in May.
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