Want to sneak a peak at the Olympics closing ceremony? Well, I can’t give away the big surprises — who the star singer will be or what comes out of the black ring in the center of the stage. But, having seen the final dress rehearsal, I can say that there were some awesome surprises, some confusing moments and, given that it was a rehearsal and not the real thing, a bit of humor, too.

“It’s all a secret,” said the wife of a performer.

“He only told me he’ll be carrying a large Mardi Gras mask in a Carnival scene," Alba Facta said. "But, he didn’t even tell me what kind of mask because it’s all a secret.”

“I’m really curious,” said her 11-year-old son, Marco, as we waited for the program to begin.

Tickets for the dress rehearsal were given to the families of the roughly 4,000 people performing in and working with the grand finale. I received one from Philip Radice, director of the P.A.U.T. (Performing Arts University of Torino), who has six students climbing ladders, doing back flips, swinging from trapezes and clowning in the massive production.

With classes on pantomime, buffoons and jesters, medieval theater, black humor and juggling — along with slightly more traditional commedia dell’arte and monologue/dialogue classes — his university sounds like every circus-goer’s dream school. And, of course, such talents were in high demand for the Olympic show.

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After waiting three hours for the performance to begin, all eyes were on the four giant TV screens as the countdown to its start, featuring the 16 days of competition, was given.

What followed was a fusion of world-class acrobatics, dancing and comedic theater, with allusions to the Renaissance, royalty and the battle between good and evil.

With a cast of thousands using fire, sparklers, ropes, confetti and laser lights, it was a quite a spectacle. While parts of it lulled me into an “Alice In Wonderland”-like dream state, a flash or bang — or someone running high and hither — snapped me back to reality, only to wonder at what was really going on. But, even the lack of clarity often added to the magic of the moment.

Throughout the performance, a raised black ring sat in the middle of the stage. Its silent presence amid the thousands swirling about it sparked my interest. And, just before the Olympic committee heads gave their speeches, it finally came to life, provoking the audience to gasp with surprise.

While all the performers were in costume and the special effects were in place, the athletes were absent and a few of the final touches had yet to be added.

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For a run-through of a medal presentation, the name of Ted Ligety, the American who won the men's alpine combined skiing competition, was read out and the crowd was asked to stand for the “Star Spangled Banner.” But, the person who stood on the podium was a woman and the flag we turned to face was Italian.

So, although I saw the rehearsal, I’m still not sure what will really happen at the point in the program.

Another odd moment came when a half-smiling stand-in took to the stage as the voice of the singer whose name I can’t reveal belted out from the loudspeakers. I’m sorry I can’t allude to anymore, but that would kill Sunday’s surprise.

Although she failed to see what mask her husband was wearing, “it was beautiful, an amazing work of art,” Facta said at the program’s conclusion.

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