Sinem – Didem Balık Kardeşler 1001 Gece Masalları nda

Access to the Ball Area is possible through the Kronen Zeitung portal opposite the Burgtheater, which will look like an oriental royal palace and therefore will get guests in the right mood for the Life Ball 2013 and its motto 1001 Nights.

The 100 members of the Life Ball family, who will drive up to the Ball area directly in the Life Ball tram of the Wiener Linien, will open the Magenta Carpet, showing off their flamboyant costumes and stylings, before national and international star guests will arrive. Employees of the Austrian Airlines will greet them with charm and Austrian hospitality and will take them over the Magenta Carpet to their seats.

At 8.15 p.m., the ORF live broadcast from the Vienna City Hall Square will start. In "Life Ball – Der Auftakt" (Life Ball – the prelude), Arabella Kiesbauer will welcome famous guests and will talk to them in the VIP lounge "Skyliner". In between, Mirjam Weichselbraun and Alfons Haider will report about the colorful events on the "Magenta Carpet"

OPENING CEREMONY

Conception opening show: Gery Keszler

"When hatred turns into love" – these 5 words describe the framework story of 1001 Nights. A compilation of instructive tales and at the same time stage for a centuries-old relationship story: The story of King Schahriyar, who developed bloodlust and lust for revenge when he found out that his wife had been unfaithful. So he marries another woman every night, just to have her killed the following morning. Only Scheherazade brings an end to his cruelty: Because of her fantasy, which provides her with exciting stories every night that make the king so eager to hear the next part of that he spares her. And because of her honesty and love, which makes the king feel love again and in the end makes him overcome his prejudices.

You will hear the traditional Life Ball fanfare before the 200 debutants – this year in the role of princely subjects – will enter to the “Marsch Pompös“ from the “Aladdin Suite“ by Carl Nielsen. The casting of the 200 debutants was supervised once again by Prof. Dkfm. Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer and Dominik Truschner.

Austrian designer Thomas Kirchgrabner is responsible for this year’s debutants’ look.
The debutants all appear in an oriental style, wearing harem pants and turbans decorated with 14.400 of sparkling Swarovski elements. The robes for the opening have been produced by 40 people around Life Ball Angel Gabi Sulzgruber-Schartl. The textile print of the 2,200 cutting pieces has been done by Fahnen-Gärtner.

A vocal background to the "Marsch Pompös" will be provided by the Turkish OperaTwins Sinem Balık and Didem Balık, who will give their voice to the motto of the Life Ball 2013, “It takes the night to see the stars”. When “Scheherazade“ by Rimsky-Korsakov is playing, King Schahriyar and Scheherazade, played by exceptional dancer Desmond Richardson famous violinist Lidia Baich, will meet on stage for the very first time.