Comedy Skating

[Isk8NYC]

Someone recently mentioned working on a comic spotlight routine and it got me thinking. We have three hockey players in our rink's show this weekend. They're great guys and a lot of fun to be with. They were fooling around at Tuesday's practice and I just cracked up and said, "You guys should do a comedy routine next year -- like Frick and Frack." I of course was showing my age and received nothing but blank stares. Maybe they thought it was a curse. I explained and they were good sports about it.

For those of you who've been to "amateur" shows recently, do any of them include comedic routines? I think it would be fun for the audience to watch. Not that I have the slightest idea of how to choreograph something like that.

[skaternum]

Yes, sadly. Champions on Ice seems to think that you can't have a show any more unless there are 2 comedy and 1 novelty acts. Check out the Russian acrobats who've been "skating" in COI for a couple of years, as well as anything Dan Hollander did.

[icedancer2]

Yes, I think comedy is good in a show -- not a LOT of comedy, mind you, but some comedy.

I think both Kurt and Scott do comedy well.

I like the idea of using the hockey players for the comedy act. They are often really really good skaters and have a lot of control (despite their weird posture!).

I went to a judging critique at my club recently. One of the little boys (around 10 years) did a comedy routine -- the skating wasn't particularlly good, but the program was HILARIOUS! I think doing comedy is actually very difficult and doing it while skating has to be particularly difficult! (I can hardly imagine it!).

As far as those Russian guys at COI -- I never really got them until last year when I realized that they are really, really good skaters, as well as strong acrobats. I laughed so hard at their routine that I nearly fell out of my seat and left COI thinking that they were the best thing there (shows you how I feel about COI in general, LOL).

Good luck with the choreography... It sounds like fun!

[snoopysnake]

The Skating Club of Boston often has comedy in its annual Ice Chips show. One popular bit is functional as well as funny. A group of men called "The Bucketteers" come out dressed as clowns with buckets of water and mops (and I believe sometimes a bucket of ice and hockey pucks). The clown around while doing some minor repairs to the ice. Throwing buckets of water at each other is part of the act, and sometimes a clown seemingly hurls water at the audience too, only it turns out to be from a big bucket of popcorn!

Children love this stuff. Some skating purists sneer at comedy taking up valuable time at ice shows, but it should be remembered that these are shows that families with kids attend and sometimes these "lowbrow" numbers may be what keeps little Billy content and prevents him from howling during Sasha Cohen's number.

I personally enjoy Irina Grigorian and the acrobats in COI. Also, I think Dan Hollander's a hoot and admire the niche he's carved out for himself.

[Mel On Ice]

comedy is hard, I think much harder than drama. Anyone can go out there with a soulful expression, but it takes an artist to draw genuine laughs.

[icedancer2]

comedy is hard, I think much harder than drama. Anyone can go out there with a soulful expression, but it takes an artist to draw genuine laughs.

This is exactly what a friend of mine said -- she was a show skater -- she said, "Anyone can do pretty, it's the other stuff that is hard".

[Casey]

For those who haven't seen it, I invite you to watch Plushenko's "Sex Bomb" program. This has to be the funniest skating I've ever seen! And let's not forget Jay's MK number...

Here is a video of Plushenko's performance (warning, high-quality 67MB download!):
http://sk8rland.com/users/kc/video/ice_skating/evgini_plushenko-sex_bomb-2005-shaulaufen.avi

There's also a more "family-friendly" humourous recital featured in Disney's Ice Princess movie which is currently in theaters, performed to Björk's "It's So Quiet", which happens to be among my favorite songs but not one I would have ever considered skating to.

Nevermind that it's supposed to be a USFSA event and the music has vocals - the movie is far from realistic, but I did enjoy it. :)

[icedancer2]

For those who haven't seen it, I invite you to watch Plushenko's "Sex Bomb" program. This has to be the funniest skating I've ever seen! And let's not forget Jay's MK number...

Here is a video of Plushenko's performance (warning, high-quality 67MB download!):
http://sk8rland.com/users/kc/video/ice_skating/evgini_plushenko-sex_bomb-2005-shaulaufen.avi

I first saw this "Sex Bomb" number when Plushenko performed it at the exhibitions for Worlds in 2001. It was hilarious -- even from my 3rd balcony seat. This guy has such a great sense of humor!!



There's also a more "family-friendly" humourous recital featured in Disney's Ice Princess movie which is currently in theaters, performed to Björk's "It's So Quiet", which happens to be among my favorite songs but not one I would have ever considered skating to.

Nevermind that it's supposed to be a USFSA event and the music has vocals - the movie is far from realistic, but I did enjoy it. :)

Kristi Yamaguchi did a brilliant program to this Bjork piece in SOI one year. I LOVED it!!