February 13, 2009

Publication title: -, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Unknown
Writer: Unknown

A tired Jacques Rogge and IOC miss Sarah McLachlan

So much for Sarah McLachlan’s sultry voice strumming the heart strings of the International Olympic Committee.

That tremendous performance she gave last night in Vancouver for the 2010 Cultural Olympiad went unheard by IOC President Jacques Rogge and most of his entourage.

McLachlan was the headline act for a night of music and dance at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Hers was a performance to cap 24 hours of celebration as Vancouver entered the last 12 months of preparations for the Games.

But it turns out that the day’s heavy agenda and the lingering effects of jet lag did in most of the IOC guests by the first half of the concert.

Rogge, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli and Vancouver Coordination Commission chairman Rene Fasel all attended the concert.

But when I ran into each of them this morning at their hotel, I asked what they thought of McLachlan’s performance. They were all a bit embarrassed to say that they had left at the intermission, after the performance by the Alberta Ballet company. They loved everything up to the intermission, but bailed out when eyelids started to close and heads started to bob.

Don’t worry, they all got razzed by Vanoc CEO John Furlong, who good-naturedly scolded them for missing what most people thought was the best part of the concert.

Rogge apologized, and told me with a small smile that he just couldn’t keep up with the jet lag. But he hinted that he’d like to listen to McLachlan in 2010 when he’s back to open the Games.

It also turns out that Furlong didn’t like The Vancouver Sun’s review of the concert. At least not the part where the reviewer, Joshua Kloke, suggested that he’d butchered his French.

“I only said two phrases, merci and bon soir,” Furlong said in a huff.

Fasel, who was sitting with me, can speak more than passable French. He was born in Switzerland, and his English is almost as good as his native tongue.

“John,” he deadpanned, “it’s merci, not mercy.”