The opening ceremony at the Olympics 2024 was nothing short of spectacular. American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga set pulses racing with a mesmerising show as she sang the French classic 'Mon truce en plume' by Zizi Jeanmaire. Celine Dion, meanwhile, made a comeback to the live stage on Friday singing Edith Piaf's classic "L'Hymne A l'Amour" to close the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. While the events were nothing short of extraordinary, the credit to organising the most ambitious Olympics opening ceremony in the world lies with one man – Thomas Jolly, a native of Normandy in France and a theatre artist by profession.
Jolly was also the driving force behind the spectacular performance by French metal band Gojira as they stood 'outside the windows of a castle' and performed 'Ah, Ca Ira' at the heart of the city. Opera singer Marina Viotti, also joined the band as she floated down the river Seine.
While the art director is being praised for pulling of the show in grand style, Jolly also came under heavy criticism for directing the 'Last Supper', a parody act where drag queens sat behind a table akin to how Christ and his disciples sat down for the sacred ritual.
American Football kicker Harrison Butker condemned the act saying “This is crazy. Be not deceived. God is not mocked,” he wrote. Several netizens said the act was an insult to Catholics around the globe.
"This is outrageous. Kicking off your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples with men in drag is unacceptable," wrote Clint Russell, who hosts the Liberty Lockdown podcast on X. "With 2.4 billion Christians across the globe, the Olympics has sent a clear message that they are unwelcome," he further said.
Who is Thomas Jolly
Thomas Jolly was selected as the Olympics 2024 art director in 2022. President of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet had said 'Jolly was a bold choice but was consistent with our vision'. And unlike the previous years, Jolly had a challenging task ahead of him. The opening ceremony didn't take place in a stadium; instead, it was held in the heart of the city along its main artery: the Seine river. Jolly, who began his career with popular theatre, rose to fame for staging a play by William Shakespeare in 2014 for 14 hours at a stretch.