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Thomas Jolly Prepares Big Show for Paris Olympics Opening
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Beginner
Beginner
Thomas Jolly poses Friday, July 19, 2024 in Paris. Thomas Jolly, a 40-year-old actor and stage director, was chosen by the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee to helm the artistic direction of the four grand ceremonies. He will be tasked with bringing to life Paris' ambitious plan to hold the July 26, 2024, opening ceremony in the French capital's city center, along the Seine River. (AP Photo/Tom Nouvian)

Thomas Jolly Prepares Big Show for Paris Olympics Opening

July 20th, 2024

Thomas Jolly is a man who makes shows. He is 40 years old. He is getting ready for a big show. It is for the start of the Olympic Games in Paris. The show is on July 26, 2024. Many people will watch it. Thomas Jolly is making the show in the middle of Paris. The show will be next to a river. It will be very big and long. It will last for almost four hours. Thomas Jolly has done big shows before. He has won big awards for his work. Now, he wants to show everyone what France is like. He says France is like a story that changes a lot. Last year, France had another big sport event. They had a show too. Some people said the show was not new. Thomas Jolly wants to make a show that is new. He wants to show Paris in a good way. He wants to show that Paris has young people and many cultures. The big show will have a lot of people watch it. Some people will see it from far away. Thomas Jolly has a big idea for the show. It will have dancers and boats. But it is a secret. He cannot tell us everything. People think maybe there will be submarines or famous singers. But Thomas Jolly only says the show will mean a lot to the people in it. We will have to watch and see.
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💭 Discussion Questions


1
. What is Thomas Jolly preparing for?
2
. Where will the big show be in Paris?
3
. What will the big show have, according to Thomas Jolly?

📖 Vocabulary


🌐 Cultural context


Thomas Jolly is an artist in France, a European country known for art and culture. France's capital is Paris, famous for hosting international events. The Olympic Games, a major global sports event, are being held in Paris in 2024. France values creativity and innovation in presenting their cultural heritage.

🧠 Further reading


Come from Away
"Come from Away" is a show with singing and acting. It tells a story about a place called Gander in Newfoundland. A big thing happened on September 11, and many airplanes with about 7,000 people had to land in Gander. The show is about the real people from Gander and the people on the airplanes. The show was first in San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Toronto. Then, it was in New York on Broadway on March 12, 2017. Many people liked it, and it did very well. There was even a special version recorded and put out in 2021. The show in New York ended on October 2, 2022, after many performances. The show also went to Dublin in Ireland in December 2018 and to London in February 2019. The show in London ended on January 7, 2023. At a big awards show in 2017, "Come from Away" got many nominations and won an award for having a very good director. The idea for the show came from a man named Michael Rubinoff. He works at a college and makes theater shows. He asked Irene Sankoff and David Hein to make the show. They said yes to make "Come from Away." They went to Gander in 2011 to learn more and make the show.

2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
On Friday night, July 27, 2012, a big sports event started in London. Many people and the Queen of England came to the first night. People played music and showed things from the UK. Before this night, people were not sure if the UK could do a good show like China did in 2008. China's show was very big and cost a lot of money, but the UK's show was also very good. Many people liked it very much. It did not cost as much as China's did. The show went on for almost four hours and lots of people from all over the world watched on TV. They saw dancing and music that told stories about the UK. Everyone was excited to see the Queen in a movie with James Bond and to hear music from a big orchestra.

Event management
Event management is like planning a big party or a special meeting. It is when people create events like music shows, weddings, business meetings, or big sports games. To do this, they think about who will come, what the party will be about, and how to make it all happen. Events can be big like the Olympics or small like a breakfast for work. Many different people make events to share their work, make friends in business, get money for good causes, or say "well done" when someone does something great. Planning an event means taking care of the money, finding a place, getting permission, and making sure people can get there. You also plan food, safety, and fun things for guests. Every event is unique, so planning is different each time. An event manager is the person who makes sure the event goes well. They take care of everything from how the event looks, to telling people about it, to handling money and making sure the guests are happy. Managing events can be hard work and very busy. It needs a lot of knowledge and things can change quickly. It is said to be as stressful as being a doctor. Companies use event management to help them talk to people and share their message. They can show what they do and meet new customers by having events.