Riyadh Season 2024 to Kick Off with Epic Showdown Featuring Boxing Stars on October 12

Riyadh Season 2024 to Kick Off with Epic Showdown Featuring Boxing Stars on October 12
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Riyadh Season 2024 to Kick Off with Epic Showdown Featuring Boxing Stars on October 12

Riyadh Season 2024 to Kick Off with Epic Showdown Featuring Boxing Stars on October 12

Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Advisor Turki Al Al-Sheikh has announced the much-anticipated fight at the fifth edition of Riyadh Season 2024 opening ceremony.
Boxing fans from around the world are eagerly awaiting the major event titled "IV Crown Showdown," which will take place in Riyadh on October 12, SPA reported. This event will serve as the launching point for a season filled with activities and entertainment that will put Riyadh at the forefront of the global event scene.
The IV Crown Showdown will be a special occasion for boxing fans. It will feature a clash between two light heavyweight titans: Russia's Artur Beterbiev, known for his overwhelming power and a record filled with knockout victories, and his fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol, regarded as one of the most tactical and intelligent boxers in this weight class. This confrontation is not just a title fight; it is a battle to prove supremacy in the light heavyweight division at the global level.
In addition to this main event, the audience will witness a series of thrilling matches featuring top international champions across various weight classes. US Shakur Stevenson will face Welshman Joe Cordina in the super featherweight category. In the middleweight division, British fighter Chris Eubank Jr., who has 18 knockouts, will challenge Polish boxer Kamil Szeremeta in what promises to be an exciting round.
In the heavyweight category, the audience will enjoy a British showdown between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke, both aiming to prove their worth in the Riyadh ring. In the cruiserweight division, Australian Jai Opetaia, who previously won by knockout in the "Ring of Fire" clash last December, will meet British fighter Jack Massey.
Other matches include the British silver medalist from the 2020 Olympics, Ben Whittaker, who took on his compatriot, Liam Cameron, in the light heavyweight division. Also, for the first time, a women's match will take place in Riyadh Season's boxing ring, with Australian Skye Nicolson battling British Raven Chapman in the featherweight category.
The audience will also witness a significant and memorable encounter between Saudi boxer Mohammed Al-Aqil and Mexican Jesus Gonzales in the welterweight division, adding a unique and national flavor to this global event.
The IV Crown Showdown is part of Riyadh Season, which has established itself as a major global entertainment destination.



Joyful Musical ‘Titanique’ Puts Celine Dion Center Stage

Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)
Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)
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Joyful Musical ‘Titanique’ Puts Celine Dion Center Stage

Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)
Canadian Singer Celine Dion performs at the Eiffel Tower at the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Reuters)

Imagine if singer Celine Dion had been on the Titanic, survived, and wanted to revisit her version of events. That is the premise of the musical "Titanique" that has opened in London's West End.

Featuring Dion’s back catalogue, the show's light-hearted tone is a break with previous more somber accounts of the story of the ocean liner that hit an iceberg and sank in 1912.

It blends elements from the plot of the 1997 movie version, which starred actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as lovers Rose and Jack, and other pop culture references.

Tye Blue, who directs and also wrote the musical along with actor and writers Constantine Rousouli and Marla Mindelle, describes it as "a joy machine".

The story is told through the eyes of the character Celine Dion, played by Lauren Drew.

"This is very much a love letter to Celine Dion....paying homage to her and her craft and her strength," Drew said after coming off stage. "It's completely embodying her kookiness, her craziness and her talent. So I just I love that I get to do that every night."

Blue said Dion's team came to see the show after it opened in New York and that "they loved it" and "kind of unofficially gave us their blessing".

Last year Dion returned to the live stage with a performance at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris.

The 56-year-old singer said in late 2022 that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome that causes muscle spasms.

The music from the show includes ballads such as "Titanic’s" award-winning hit "My Heart Will Go On" and Eric Carmen’s "All by Myself" that Dion released in 1996.

"Titanique" is playing at the Criterion Theater until March 2025. Other versions of it are playing in Sydney, Toronto and Montreal, and another is set to open in France in April.