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Invictus Games Adds Morgan Freeman To Star Studded Lineup
The Invictus Games Orlando 2016, presented by Jaguar Land Rover and taking place from May 8-12 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, today announced legendary actor Morgan Freeman will be participating in the Opening Ceremony May 8th.
Founded by Prince Harry and hosted in London in 2014, the Invictus Games are the only international adaptive sporting event for wounded, ill and injured military servicemen and women. Over 500 competitors from 14 nations will participate in the second Invictus Games May 8-12.
“The Invictus Games are a celebration of the human spirit and I am honored to be able to support these inspiring competitors who have embraced sport as part of their healing journey. I hope that my fellow Americans will join me in Orlando to cheer on these magnificent men and women who are truly unconquerable, as the Invictus poem says, they are the masters of their fates, they are the captains of their souls,” said Freeman.
The Opening Ceremony will include musical performances by British sensation Laura Wright and international star James Blunt and other surprise guests. The Ceremony features an unprecedented number of military performances, including the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, U.S. Army Band, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team. In addition, the audience will hear emotional first-person narratives from injured servicemen MSgt Israel Del Toro Jr., LCpl John-James Chalmers and Louis Nethercott. The show is bound to be one of the most inspirational events Orlando has ever hosted.
From start to finish, competition at the Games will be action packed. Gold medals will be at stake every single day and competitors will be ready to dig in. The international field will be competing in 10 events: archery, cycling, indoor rowing, power lifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.
The Closing Ceremony will feature musical performances by international popstar Rachel Platten, who will perform the song of the Games and her No. 1 single, “Fight Song.” In addition, best-selling country vocal group of the past decade Rascal Flatts, American sensation and former “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips, Florida native and Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Flo Rida, “The Voice” Season 9 winner Jordan Smith and the first nationally-recognized wounded warrior band, Vetted.
Tickets for the Invictus Games can be purchased for as low as $13 at http://invictusgames2016.org/tickets/
Fans can purchase tickets to the unforgettable and one-of-a-kind Opening and Closing Ceremonies for $45 each at http://invictusgames2016.org/tickets/.
Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman is one of the most recognizable figures in American cinema. His works are among the most critically and commercially successful films of all time. Freeman ranks 2nd among worldwide top-grossing actors of all time, with his films having earned over $4 billion in cumulative ticket sales.
In 2005 Freeman won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role in “Million Dollar Baby.” Freeman also received an Academy Award nomination in 1987 for Best Supporting Actor for “Street Smart,” in 1994 for Best Actor for “The Shawshank Redemption,” and in 2010 for Best Actor for “Invictus.” He also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his performance in “Driving Miss Daisy” in 1990.
Freeman was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards. That same year, Freeman received the 39th AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2000, Freeman received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor for his distinguished acting, and was honored with the Hollywood Actor Award from the Hollywood Film Festival.
In 2010, Freeman won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor for his performance as Nelson Mandela in “Invictus.” In addition to his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, he also received a Golden Globe nomination and a Broadcast Critics Association nomination.
The Invictus Games Orlando 2016 Opening and Closing Ceremonies are co-presented by Jaguar Land Rover and the Walt Disney Company and are being produced by continuumLIVE and Donaldson Creative with Christopher Laue and Sara Donaldson jointly performing the roles of Executive Producer and Creative Director.
Founder of Donaldson Creative, Donaldson most recently Executive Produced the Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony in London, the Invictus Games London 2014 Ceremonies and along with Laue was Co-Chief Operating Officer of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Ceremonies. Laue, of continuumLIVE, most recently served as Executive Producer for the Lima 2019 Handover Segment at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, the Salvation Army International Congress, the Los Angeles Music Center 50th Anniversary Spectacular and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Veracruz 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games.
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Invictus Games Orlando 2016 Announce Unforgettable Closing Ceremony Program
The Invictus Games Orlando 2016, presented by Jaguar Land Rover and taking place from May 8-12 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, today announced a lineup for the event’s Closing Ceremony on May 12 featuring world-renowned talent and uplifting performances.
“The Closing Ceremony will be an inspiring event that honors the Invictus spirit and recognizes our competitors,” said Ken Fisher, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Invictus Games Orlando 2016. “Stacked with incredible musical performances by internationally-renowned singers and songwriters, heartening stories of courage and triumph from servicemen and women, the ceremony will truly be the event of a lifetime. I encourage fans to buy their tickets now before they sell out – you won’t want to miss this.”
The Closing Ceremony will feature musical performances by international popstar Rachel Platten, who will perform the song of the Games and her No. 1 single, “Fight Song.” The lineup also includes best-selling country vocal group of the past decade Rascal Flatts, American sensation and former “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips, Florida native and Grammy-nominated hip-hop superstar Flo Rida, “The Voice” Season 9 winner Jordan Smith and the first nationally-recognized wounded warrior band, Vetted.
During the ceremony, Prince Harry will recognize competitors for their achievements over the past four days and lead the handover of the Invictus Games flag to the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 organising committee. In addition, the audience will hear firsthand from U.S. Team Captain, retired Army Captain Will Reynolds, as he shares his amazing personal journey. Captain Reynolds ultimately lost his left leg above the knee after an IED in Iraq and endured 26 surgeries. Since his injury, Captain Reynolds has become a husband, a father to four, earned a Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Public Health, embarked on a career with Deloitte and become a world class adaptive sports athlete.
“As the Games come to a close, I am honored by the opportunity to share my story,” said U.S. Team Captain Reynolds. “I want to let others know that the road to recovery is possible, no matter what injury or illness stand in the way.”
Thousands of friends, family and fans will come together to reflect on a memorable four days of competition and celebrate the accomplishments, victories and unbreakable spirits of more than 500 competitors representing 14 nations at the Closing Ceremony, where every competitor will be recognized on stage with a medallion of achievement. Two individual awards will also be given by the Games’ presenting partners, Jaguar Land Rover, at the Closing Ceremony.
“The Closing Ceremony is an opportunity for us to celebrate a week of achievement, teamwork and friendship,” said Christopher Laue, one of the Executive Producers of the Invictus Games 2016 Opening and Closing Ceremonies. “The competitors’ commitment and determination has been absolutely awe-inspiring and will stay in fans’ hearts in the years to come. I hope Americans from across the nation will show their support by purchasing tickets and attending this high energy, eye-opening and heartwarming event.”
Spectators, fans and loved ones will watch the Closing Ceremony at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee, Fla, while audiences around the world can watch the event live on ESPN 2. Fans can purchase tickets to this unforgettable and one-of-a-kind event for $45 each at http://invictusgames2016.org/tickets/.
The Invictus Games Orlando 2016 Opening and Closing Ceremonies are co-presented by Jaguar Land Rover and the Walt Disney Company and are being produced by continuumLIVE and Donaldson Creative with Christopher Laue and Sara Donaldson jointly performing the roles of Executive Producer and Creative Director.
Founder of Donaldson Creative, Donaldson most recently Executive Produced the Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony in London, the Invictus Games London 2014 Ceremonies and along with Laue was Co-Chief Operating Officer of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Ceremonies. Laue, of continuumLIVE, most recently served as Executive Producer for the Lima 2019 Handover Segment at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, the Salvation Army International Congress, the Los Angeles Music Center 50th Anniversary Spectacular and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Veracruz 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games.
