PARIS, France — Singer and actress Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance at the opening ceremony, performing in French.
She wasn’t on the official guide distributed to media beforehand, but her participation was heavily rumored after she was spotted in Paris in the run-up to the ceremony.
Lady Gaga performed a cabaret number on a golden staircase beside the Seine, emerging from behind pink feathers — an act pre-recorded and then shown on the television broadcasts.
Lady Gaga sang the French song “Mon Truc en Plumes” (“My thing in feathers”) by Zizi Jeanmaire. She was accompanied by 10 dancers and 17 musicians — all wearing costumes from House of Dior, which is owned by a major Olympic sponsor.
The singer-actor will likely be spending a lot of time in Europe this summer. Venice Film Festival organizers announced this week that “Joker: Folie à Deux” would play in competition at the festival kicking of Aug. 28.
Lady Gaga wasn't the only musical guest present at the Opening Ceremony.
France’s top artists from different musical genres showed off on the global stage. Opera singer Marina Viotti meshed her skills with the death metal style of Gojira. Singer Aya Nakamura strutted down a golden carpet on the Pont des Arts. In a gold feathery outfit, the French Malian performer sang her hit songs “Pookie” and “Djadja” alongside the choristers from the French Army and French Republican Guard orchestra members. Parisian rapper Rim’K also made an appearance, while mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel delivered an emotional interpretation of the French national anthem “La Marseillaise.”
The former would be the French singer and actor Philippe Katerine, singing “Nu” (“Naked”). Katerine, 55, became popular in France in the 2000s with his dance beat “Louxor, j’adore.” Katerine appeared lounging on a rug, painted in powdery blue from head to toe and seemingly clad in just a smattering of leaves and flowers. He was channeling Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity, the media guide said, with a song about “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”
Underneath the Eiffel Tower’s Olympic rings, Celine Dion showed she’s back to singing form after a career-threatening diagnosis as her vocals soared on Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love.” As a pianist played alongside her, Dion reached out to the assembled crowd, who applauded her stellar performance before the monument began to sparkle. It was an impressive showing for Dion, who canceled her world tour after revealing her stiff person syndrome diagnosis. It's a rare neurological condition that causes rigid muscles and painful muscle spasms. She returned to the Olympic forefront nearly three decades after she performed ”The Power of the Dream” during the opening ceremony at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.