It's hard to believe that Celebration V officially started one week ago today! As a special "no fan left behind" treat, here is a gallery of what went down during the
Celebrating Celebration presentation.
It went pretty much as previous opening ceremonies went, with a rundown on what fans could expect throughout the convention, complete with panel breakdowns, special guests, and a few video clips (which I did not record).
The stage was designed to be reminiscent of Hoth, with snowy stalgmites and stalactites in the background, that could actually change color...pretty cool.
After a warm-up by the DJ and comedian host (whose names I'll look up later), a fun photo gallery was shown honoring the various outfits worn by the world-famous Steve Sansweet. The man has truly done it all: dressed up as Darth Vader, an Imperial Officer, R2-D2, Slave Leia, an Ewok, a Tusken Raider, in a Japanese kimono, and even Gene Simmons of KISS...but nothing could prepare the crowd for this year's suit...which looked like it was made out of a classic bedsheet set. Steve rode out on a landspeeder, proud of his "one-of-a-kind" suit, until someone else walked out onto the stage wearing an identical one. Drama ensued!
After a short greeting to the fans, there was a cool video montage of famous Star Wars celebs greeting the fans in honor of the 30th anniversary of
The Empire Strikes Back.
A local bellydancer named Amira Sa'id then treated the audience to a short routine, which left everyone speechless, including Steve. But only for a short time...
Next up was Pablo Hildalgo, who talked about what the programming schedule would be like for the weekend. There was over 800 hours of content planned between the various stages, impossible to see it all, unless your name is Jamie Madrox.
The LucasArts games were shown, first the logo or packaging, followed by a teaser clip: The Clone Wars Adventures, The Old Republic, and The Force Unleashed II.
Star Wars artist Randy Martinez took the stage next, singing an original song dedicated to his real-life sweetheart Denise Vasquez (who sadly was unable to make the trip to Orlando), proving that Randy is also talented in the musical arts!
Ashely Eckstein came out next, talking about the cool Her Universe fashion show that was planned for the weekend, and even called out the ForceCast's own Jimmy Mac to honor his word by dancing on the stage. (By now, I'm sure you have seen the results... ;))
Steve then went on to talk about more of the programming, such as the speed dating, Commitment Ceremony Chapel, Jedi Training Academy, Laser Tag, the G4 Hoth Ice Bar, and much, much more.
Video clips of spotlights on artists Drew Struzan and Ralph McQuarrie were shown, and more guest speakers came out, ending with Jay Laga'aia performing for the audience.
All in all, there was a little something for everyone...a great way to kick off the show.
Check out the full Celebrating Celebration gallery.