“The Vikings are mixing mystery and sizzle in an attempt to sear Sunday’s debut at U.S. Bank Stadium into the memories of their fans,” reports Rochelle Olson Thursday’s (9/15) Star Tribune. “Featured before the game and during halftime will be DJ Skee, an Icelandic soccer captain, an actor from the ‘Game of Thrones’ television show, the Minnesota Orchestra, 15,000 square feet of projection mapping … and an homage to Prince.… The eight-minute halftime show will feature the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Osmo Vänskä. The orchestra last performed at a Vikings game in 1995, when they played the national anthem in the Metrodome. The orchestra has never been part of a halftime show. Orchestra president and CEO Kevin Smith said 70 musicians will be there. He wouldn’t reveal the evening’s repertoire, but said it would be a combination of classical and contemporary music. The bigger challenge for the musicians comes before and after they play, as they hustle on and off the field under the NFL deadline. ‘We’re definitely breaking some new ground when it comes to performance etiquette,’ Smith said, adding that the members are excited. So is Vänskä, a Finland native who is not a football follower but understands Vikings’ fan fervor.”
Posted September 16, 2016
