
Instagram/@willsmith
Will Smith had glitterati converge upon France, receiving pools of attention in the world. The actor-musician had been teasing the fans for a bit on the shows at the Positiv Festival at Orange, in France, at the historic Théâtre Antique d’Orange. For making that grand Smith announcement, the venerable Roman theater, with its almost legendary acoustics and awe-inspiring architecture, was quite perfect.
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In the accompanying short film, Smith said regarding the venue, “This is a crazy venue. I think I should join your Caesar up there. You took over the place. I think we got a shot.” His tonality was full of excitement as fans had quickly descended to fill the comment box with reactions that ranged from unrestrained admiration and casual debates on historical sites.
A local enthusiast apparently wrote, “Nice to see you recognize such a wonderful historical testimony. (And yes, I’m proud to live here).” The comment sparked a brief but heated argument when another user came back with, “Proud, stupid people are always proud.” The tension was real, but shows that majority of answers to the comment were enthusiastic; another fan greeted Smith to France and considered Orange “a beautiful and caring place.’
Neither did the international crowd hold back. An Iranian user invited him: ‘Soon you will come to Iran and will be more crazy, my friend. Iran is the oldest country in the world.’ At this point, a Bulgarian user couldn’t cease its moments of Spartan pride: ‘Sofia has a Coliseum and Amphitheater, also in Plovdiv. But the oldest is in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.’
Others took the opportunity to throw jabs at his parenting style with the comment in Russian that went: ‘Will Smith, please raise your child to be a real man, because it’s unclear what’s in his head.’ That was the only negative comment in a sea of positivity, but that was one that Smith chose not to reply to-likely because of his reputation for resilience.
Then they suggested paying a visit to the theatre’s café before the concert. Another reminisced about The Cure playing there and called it “the best concert.”
The shows provided others with another opportunity to send a supportive cheer towards Smith and his career. “I’ve always admired you! Continue to travel and love all that is around you. Such a phenomenal man,” ran one heartfelt message.
Amid that uproar, another ironically observed the irony of Smith being so Gladiator-esque in his surroundings. “Ah, Will, your recordings are cool. It gives some people an opportunity to visit these exotic places you are at without leaving their home. Gladiator—nice touch.”
Besides the promotion of the act and artists, the post by Smith also managed to lift the curtains on a worldwide debate regarding history, culture, and celebrity sway. Whether the fans were debating ancient landmarks or just celebrating his being there, one thing is very clear: Will Smith transcends beyond borders.
The Positiv Festival productions are destined to be remembered through modern artisanship. And judging from the chatter, whether Smith does have an international fan base hungry for the show is a sure thing.
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Lastly, he also celebrated a delightful Italian night which added more joy to his festival experience in France.
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