The first of three dress rehearsals for the semi-final of the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest started on Tuesday, 9 May at 2pm Finnish Time (1pm in Malta).
The dress rehearsal is a full and proper show in itself. Several fans and journalists attended the first show, resulting in a long queue outside the arena. Over 2,600 accredited journalists are covering the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest, which is a record in itself.
The show kicked off with whiteness, which is typical of this Nordic country. Music, dancers, costumes and make-up in the “true fantasy” theme will characterise the opening of the semifinal, which will be held tonight All the fans of Cirque de Soleil will enjoy the spectacular opening.
Malta revealed its full show accompanying our 20th Eurovision entry, Vertigo. Jes and Joseph appeared on stage wearing gold body paint and mask of Swarovski, handmade by make-up artist Shasha.
Shasha told us that she is using over Lm500 worth of make up for this year’s Eurovision experience. More that Lm200 was spent yesterday on cosmetic products bought from leading Helsinki stores.
Shasha also told us that Olivia Lewis will be wearing
special make-up for the semi-final. She will concentrate mostly on Olivia’s eyes, with colourful make-up in typical Shasha style.Jes and Joseph are now wearing a mask made by Swarovski, all fixed together directly on their faces by Shasha herself. The Swarovskis are meant to create a dazzling effect on cameras and golden body paint enhances their upper
bodies muscle definition.
Gordon from Toni & Guy added “body” to Olivia’s hair, especially meant for the wind machine effect so that her hair does not flatten out during those particular shots.
Mixed reactions followed the Maltese performance on stage. Some say that it is the best show Malta has ever had at the Eurovision Song Contest, while others are quite sceptical about it. Of the 28 entries, only 10 will make it through to the finals – and this is no easy task.
The second dress rehearsal was held last night and the third and final dress rehearsal will be held today, prior to the actual semi-final. This dress rehearsal will be recorded and used by EBU, just in case anything goes wrong during the broadcast of the actual semi-final show.
Ukraine is now leading all the odds with the leading betting agencies, with Malta in 10th place out of the 42 entries.
In the meantime, EBU has revealed the tentative dates for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The 53rd contest will be held on 22 and 24 May 2008.
Read the latest news from Helsinki on www.ogaemalta.com and The Malta Independent. There are daily links on ONE TV at 8pm, hosted by Norman Hamilton and Deo Grech. ONE TV’s filming and editing is done by Pierre Cachia and Jason Busuttil. This report has been made possible thanks to Hamilton Travel.