ESCXTRA are live from Lisbon for day 4 of rehearsals ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018! The countries rehearsing today, in chronological order, are Georgia, Poland, Malta, Hungary, Latvia, Sweden, Montenegro, Slovenia and Ukraine.
We’re streaming live from the press centre
Furthermore, read our handy guide for a more detailed look at this contest’s rehearsal schedule.
In addition, for our immediate reactions to every single rehearsal, you can follow our live stream from the press centre at the Altice Arena by visiting our YouTube channel.
The latest artist to rehearse is Laura Rizzotto for Latvia. We have just watched her first run through of Funny Girl live on screen and here is our initial reaction.
Staging
The performance begins with minimal stage lighting, with the focus merely on a shadowed image of Laura which works well. Within ten seconds, the lighting changes to red and yellow with white spotlights surrounding the main stage – very similar to Aminata’s ‘Love Injected’ from 2015. She carries the performance single handily using a series of hand gestures, which the camera picks up and follows throughout. There are many wide shots in use here, though she tends to miss key opportunities to engage with the camera which would further enhance her connection with the audience if tidied up.
As the second verse begins, the camera spans around Laura several times and we see some swift camera angle changes at each beat change.
Vocal
Laura delivers this very well in each run through, hitting the higher notes without a real struggle.
Costumes
Laura is dressed in a red lace, open-front dress – very similar to what she wore in the national final performance but with a few subtle differences.
Watch the rehearsal!
Stay tuned for our reaction to Benjamin Ingrosso as he rehearses Dance You Off next for Sweden. If you want to know what to expect for the rest of the day, check out our rehearsal schedule here. Meanwhile, remember to tune in to our live stream from the press centre for instant reactions to each rehearsal.
