GERMANY: Twenty five acts take to stage in Duesseldorf in the first dress rehearsal ahead of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest Final

Record ID: 651044

  • Title: GERMANY: Twenty five acts take to stage in Duesseldorf in the first dress rehearsal ahead of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest Final
  • Date: 14th May 2011
  • Summary: DUESSELDORF, GERMANY (MAY 13, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FINNISH ENTRY PARADISE OSKAR REHEARSING SONG "DA DA DAM" VARIOUS OF DANISH ENTRY A FRIEND IN LONDON REHEARSING "NEW TOMORROW" VARIOUS OF HUNGARIAN ENTRY, KATI WOLF, REHEARSING "WHAT ABOUT MY DREAMS?" VARIOUS OF IRISH ENTRY, JEDWARD, REHEARSING "LIPSTICK" VARIOUS OF ESTONIAN ENTRY, GETTER JAANI, REHEARSING ROCKEF
  • Embargoed: 29th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVAC14CL6UVFOFS1ZSBJAGUEC9F1
  • Story Text: Final preparations were underway on Friday (May 13) for the final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest as the 25 participating acts put the finishing touches to their routines at a dress rehearsal in the western German city of Duesseldorf.
    A television audience of 125 million from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea is expected to watch the 56th annual pop music competition that is, like the performing acts themselves, taken seriously in some places and lampooned in others.
    While the Eurovision Song Contest is derided as a monument to mediocrity and bad taste in some countries, it has legions of enthusiastic followers in others -- especially in this year's host country Germany, where 2,500 journalists are covering it.
    It has been a launching pad for international careers. Swedish pop group Abba became famous after winning in 1974 with "Waterloo" and Canada's Celine Dion took top honours in 1988 with "Ne partez pas sans moi" while competing for Switzerland.
    A singer named Ruslana won for Ukraine in 2004 and was later rewarded with a seat in parliament.
    From its start in Switzerland in 1956, the contest conceived by the European Broadcasting Union has grown into a giant event watched by millions in a glitzy live broadcast where spangly costumed performers belt out their songs in different languages.
    Fans draped in their national flags or clad in outrageous outfits will pack the 36,000 seat arena in Duesseldorf and cheer the 25 finalists who will mix glitz and kitsch, ballads, rock 'n' roll and disco to try to win the highest number of votes.
    Predictions on potential winners are notoriously wrong in many years because the outcome is determined -- partly -- by viewers from around Europe who call in their votes which are then awarded to the various acts on a scale of 12 to 0.
    Oddsmakers have identified Ireland's pop-rap duo Jedward, identical 19-year-old twins, as a hot favourite.
    France's opera singer Amaury Vassili, a tenor, and Britain's boy band Blue are also tipped as favourites by bookmakers.
    German teenager Lena-Meyer-Landrut, a fresh-faced 19-year-old, is attempting to become the first Eurovision Song Contest winner to defend her title. She became an instant national hero a year ago for ending Germany's three-decade Eurovision drought that made many Germans anguish over why Europe so disliked them.
    After winning Eurovision, "Satellite" went to the top of pop music charts in six nations and a top 10 hit in seven others.
    Lena admits to being nervous about her title defence -- the first attempt since Corry Brokken of the Netherlands tried it.
    History is against her. Only one performer won more than once: Ireland's Johnny Logan in 1980 and then in 1987. Ireland has the most wins (7), although the last victory was 15 years ago.
    Some other famous participants in past contests include Julio Iglesias, Olivia Newton-John, Secret Garden, t.A.T.u., Lordi and Patricia Kaas. Riverdance was created in 1994 when Ireland hosted the contest.
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