• EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2009 VENUE : THE SHOW

There is no question that Russia is taking its Eurovision hosting role seriously. The Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin appointed his deputy Alexander Zhukov as chairman of the organising committee which will deal with coordinating federal agencies and the Government of Moscow. The committee includes Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, head of the Russian Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications Igor Shchegolev and director of Channel One Konstantin Ernst.

The budget for the event will be the biggest in Eurovision, with one billion Russian roubles (27 million euros) being allocated from the Russian federal budget. With almost one third going on the refurbishment of the arena and the balance going on staging, technical facilities, transport and other elements of event management. An additional three million euros will come from the EBU.

The Executive Director of the event is is Yuri Aksyuta, while director of the shows will be Andreiy Boltenko, a well know television director who has directed many big event shows for Channel One, including "Star Factory" concerts in Olimpiysky, and the Russian version of the MTV Music Awards. One thing that is certain is that Channel One is taking far more responsibility for the staging of the event than many previous broadcasters with local technicians doing most of the "hands on" work. The producer of the contest will be the Estonian Tarmo Kriim, who was involved in the team that chose the venue for the contest.

The stage has been designed by New York-based set designer John Casey who previously designed the Eurovision stage for the contest in Dublin in 1997, and was involved in 1994 and 1995 as well. He has also been involved in the design of the news studios of American channels CNN, CBS and NBC.

"Even before I worked with the Russians on the TEFI Awards in Moscow in 1998, I was inspired by and drawn to art from the Russian Avant Garde period, especially the constructivists," said Casey. "Everything from this artistic time period, from the posters to the three dimensional constructions, has interesting perspective. The art presents an unexpected view or use of space. I've tried to come up with a theatrical design for the contest that incorporates Russian avant garde art into a contemporary setting, almost entirely made up of different types of LED screens," he explained.

The schedule of the concerts, (in local Moscow time) are as follows and please note that the live shows include pre-show entertainment of a half hour duration for the semis and for an hour before the final.
11th of May, 14.00 - First rehearsal of First semi-final
11th of May, 20.00 - Second rehearsal of First semi-final
12th of May, 17.00 - Third rehearsal of First semi-final
12th of May, 22.30 - FIRST SEMI-FINAL
13th of May, 14.00 - First rehearsal of Second semi-final
13th of May, 20.00 - Second rehearsal of Second semi-final
14th of May, 17.00 - Third rehearsal of Second semi-final
14th of May, 22.30 - SECOND SEMI-FINAL
15th of May, 14.00 - First rehearsal of Final
15th of May, 20.00 - Second rehearsal of Final
16th of May, 16.00 - Third rehearsal of Final
16th of May, 22.00 - FINAL

You can find more details of the rehearsal schedule here.

The opening act of the first semi-final on Tuesday May 12th will feature the winners of the 2006 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, The Tolmachevy Sisters. The interval act will feature Russian choirs, and will end with t.A.T.u's song "Not Gonna Get Us", although the two former Eurovision Song Contest participants are not expected to perform. The second semi-final on Thursday May 14th will feature an opening act with matrioshka graffiti painted on stage, carnival elements and folk orchestra performing pop music, while the interval act will see Russian ballet in a surprising form.

The final of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest on May 16th will feature a performance of the famous Canadian circus entertainers Cirque du Soleil (left). Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) are one of the most successful international circus acts and their spectacular shows have earned them international fame. You can read more about Cirque du Soleil on their official website.

The show on Saturday night, which will start at 23.00 local time, will also feature Dima Bilan featuring ice skater Evgeni Pluchenko, who also accompanied last year's Eurovision Song Contest winner on stage. It is believed that Dima will perform his Eurovision winner "Believe" as well his new single "Lady".

Channel 1 has presented the first of the "postcards" which provide the breaks between the songs during the show. The postcards will feature uniquely Russian elements, showcasing the host country and will be less generic than the ones used in Belgrade in 2008.

 

While it has still to be officially confirmed by Channel One or the E.B.U., it has been widely reported that well known local television presenter Andrey Malahov and singer Alsou, the runner-up in the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest will be the presenters of this year's semi-finals.

Alsou, who remains a very popular singer in Russia, came second with "Solo" in Stockholm in 2000. She has travelled extensively and worked with Swedish and American songwriters and producers and is known to have perfect English. Andrey Malahov is a well known face on Russian television and he also presented the 2009 Russian national final as well as hosting the running order draw on March 16th.

In a first for the Eurovision Song Contest, it appears that the presenters of the final will be different from those that host the semi-finals. Channel One is still in negotiations with the agents for the potential presenters of the final, however Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda has leaked two names that are supposedly being lined up to host the final.

Ivan Urgant was born in Moscow in 1978 and has developed a successful career in television and cinema. As well as having starred in the movie "He, She And Me" in 2007, Ivan is known as a fashion trendsetter and "man about town".

Actress Mila Jovovichwas born in 1975 in Kyiv in Ukraine. Her actual name is Milica Natasa Jovovich.She lived in the former Soviet Union up to the age of five and then moved to California. At the age of eleven, she acted in the film “Two Moon Junction” and started her modeling career. She did campaigns for “Dior”, “Gap”, Donna Karan and “Mango”. After a great success with the film “The Fifth Element” in 1997, she completely dedicated herself to acting and starred in “Resident Evil”, “The Story of Joan of Arc”, “The Million Dollar Hotel”. Mila also has a music career. In 1994 she released a folk album “The Divine Comedy”. In late 1990’s she founded a band “Plastic Has Memory”. She also collaborated with Maynard James Keenan from the band Tool, the Crystal Method and many other famous musicians.