Stars, Stripes, Skates Show - Sep 20th, New York - Tickets On Sale Aug 15th

[adrianchew]

Goes on sale tomorrow...

https://ticketing.ticketmaster.com/cgi/purchasePage.asp?event_id=1D00350996C817F6&artistid=836901&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=53

News release here...

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-14-2002/0001783343&EDATE=

"In the wake of Sept. 11, so many Americans came forward to help us grieve and encourage us to move forward. The 'Coalition of 9/11 Families' wants to repay this support by helping others who need help," said Lee Ielpi, a retired NY City firefighter whose son Jonathan, also a firefighter, was killed on Sept. 11 and whose daughter Melissa grew up in Great Neck and skated with Sarah Hughes. "The beauty, style and grace of figure skating is symbolic of the peace that we all look to achieve."

A host of Olympic and World Champions including; Viktor Petrenko,
Rudy Galindo, Maya Usova & Evgeny Platov, Surya Bonaly, Philippe Candeloro, Nicole Bobek and the four-time U.S. National Champion ice dance team of Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev have already been confirmed. Many of the other top names in skating -- Hughes, Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen -- have been invited and are expected to lend their support.

[CMc]

Thanks for the info, Adrian!!:D

[adrianchew]

Got my tickets!

CMc - you planning to attend?

[CMc]

I'm waiting until they confirm Sarah's participation, but I want to.
I didn't get to see last year's tribute show at MSG, so I'd like to make it to this one.

[rack]

I'll be there- bought my tickets yesterday and got rickside seats.

They cost a fortune (which I can ill-afford), but at least the money is going for a good cause, and I should have a terrific time.

Thanks for posting about it- I hadn't heard of the event beforehand.:)

[Debbie S]

I'm going, too! I can't wait! I'll be with a friend from NYC who wanted the $50 tix and not the $75, so we're in the first row of section 63. For anyone who goes to MSG regularly, we're not going to have a railing right in our faces, are we? Oh well, at least we won't have to worry about having a tall person sit in front of us - my friend and I are both short. :)

[BarbraM]

I saw on one of the bottom captions this morning on CNN that Kwan and Hughes are going to be there--I'm pretty sure it was Kwan and Hughes, not Kwan and Cohen, so keep your eyes open for that to see what is correct

[dbell]

I hope Phillipe keeps his clothes on this time! The strip tease to Wild Wild West isn't too appropriate for a tribute show. :oops:

I just looked at tickets, but the best in the $75 range were on the side, not prime for me. Guess I'll just watch if it gets taped and aired.

[Debbie S]

dbell, try checking for the $75 seats at loge level - these seats are near the center. The side seats are actually ice-level seats, but I can understand why you wouldn't want to be at the end. In fact, you might want to call Ticketmaster and ask them point blank what they have in the loge sections in a row close to the ice. Last year, when I got Skating Tribute tix, I didn't like what the web site was giving me, so I called and asked about specific sections. The person looked and gave me several options (imagine, a helpful Ticketmaster salesperson) for being in a low row and closer to the center, and I ended up in section 60 (I believe) in the third row. I think the key, if you call, is to be direct and not just ask for "best available" b/c then, they'll just give you whatever their computer spits out.

[BarbraM]

I watched CNN captions again yesterday, and Kwan and HUGHES have confirmed they will skate in this.

[adrianchew]

I played around Ticketmaster site - you need to know how it does allocation. Sometimes you have to wait to get the ideal sit - not immediately at 12.01PM will you get the best seat fromt the site.

I picked an on ice sit right by the area where the skaters go onto the ice - should be interesting to see the interactions going on there. ;)

I'm not sure if its first row or not - since that section is a tad on the corner sometimes Row B is the 1st row (I got Row B).

If you want loge level - select best available, loge level on the Ticketmaster site. It won't put you on the on ice seats then.

[Jack]

There is an audition for kids to take part in the show on Sept. 4, at 5:00 at Chelsea Piers. The parents have to purchase tickets for the show and bring proof of purchase for the kids to be able to audition. Make sure you get your ticket ahead of time. If your kid can make it around the rink by themselves, take them to the audition! Pretty cool chance for a kid to skate with the stars in Madison Square Garden! call 212-424-0135 for more details

[smurf]

It is still possible to get excellent seats for this show. Any chance it might be cancelled with due to low sales?

[adrianchew]

Originally posted by smurf

It is still possible to get excellent seats for this show. Any chance it might be cancelled with due to low sales?

I somehow doubt it - tickets will sell by the end.

[rack]

In the Collins Marshall thread there's a sub-link that states Michelle and Sarah will both be at the 9/11 Tribute show.

Now I'm hoping Sasha will join them!

[kara]

Is there a possibility that this will be televised?

Does anyone know who else has been invited and may partipate? (Angela, I&Z, Yagudin, any other US dance teams??)

Thanks!

[Debbie S]

One of the organizers posted on MKF (sorry, I don't have the exact link) a few days ago that Tim Goebel and Nancy Kerrigan had joined the cast. Still no confirmation from Sarah or Michelle.

[jkl]

I went on the Ticketmaster website to look for best available seating. While good seats remain I was shocked at the $17.90 for various charges added to the $75 ticket price. $92.90 per ticket, well...at least it is for a good cause. Too bad Ticketmaster doesn't show any streak of compassion for the families of the victims.

[adrianchew]

Ticketmaster rips people off - they take a huge fee. :evil:

[kara]

Thanks, Debbie. I wish Angela would attend...haven't bought a ticket, yet, though. Too bad the skaters weren't confirmed over the summer...it would give buyers more confidence. I'm sure they tried, though.

[Debbie S]

There's a short article about it on Yahoo - w/ a "slight" error about one of the skaters.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20020903/ap_en_ce/people_skaters_charity_2

Sarah and MK are not mentioned. I would be quite surprised not to see Sarah there. Unless she can come up w/ a good excuse for not being there (MK I can understand b/c of travel, etc.), something tells me her popularity in the NYC area may dip slightly.

[CMc]

Originally posted by Debbie S

Sarah and MK are not mentioned. I would be quite surprised not to see Sarah there. Unless she can come up w/ a good excuse for not being there (MK I can understand b/c of travel, etc.), something tells me her popularity in the NYC area may dip slightly.

They were ASKED to be a part of it but the show still doesn't have confirmation from them--It doesn't necessarily mean they won't do it, but if Sarah couldn't, there WOULD be a good explanation because I don't think she'd be against doing such a show.

What's more, I don't think anyone should be pressured one way or the other to do or not do such a show. If there was a mishap in communication on who was participating, it wasn't the skaters' fault, and hopefully the media or anybody else doesn't use this opportunity in the name of 9/11 to smear people for their choices--It's their perogative and their personal decision.

[lisabelle]

i agree with chris that sarah's participating or not should not be used as a slight on her character regardless of the reason she gives. she's not obligated to make public her personal choices and besides, it's not like she said no.

also, there's another mistake in the article because johnathon is melissa's brother, not father. just goes to show how much goes into checking facts. :roll:

[adrianchew]

As much as I want the show to be a success - it seems to have been a tad haphazardly organized and even getting the word out to the public that a show is going on. They should have started ticket sales and getting the word out much much earlier, and worked to have a confirmed list of skaters sooner.

The other problem is that its not a USFSA event, even though its for charity - skaters I believe have to go file the proper paperwork with the USFSA and get an OK to perform for it... or risk losing their eligibility... I'm sure someone here can clarify what I just said on the requirments that the USFSA has on this matter.

All of this factors combined make it less than ideal circumstances - and worthy as the cause might be, better organization could have helped. If Sarah isn't there, I'm sure she'll be missed, but its hardly cause for any demerits.

It almost seems like the organizers oversold the show in their press release by putting skaters into the "spot" - we're asking you to come skate, so we did our part - if you don't come, you bad, or something like that - but that's the organizers problem, not the skaters.

[Debbie S]

Adrian is right - eligible skaters do have to get permission from the USFSA, as L&T and Tim Goebel have done.

The point of my post was not to make accusations or demands against Sarah. The fact is though, that public opinion can be swayed by even the most seemingly inconsequential things. I agree that the event was probably not well-organized or thought-out. But seeing as how Sarah lives in the NYC area, grew up skating w/ one of the organizers, and even referred to the organizer's brother in her post-parade speech, I think most people attending the show would expect that she would want to be there.

Of course, she could have good reasons for not attending - injury, etc. But given how Sarah's image is that of an honest, down-to-earth person devoted to family, community, etc. (and I realize that Sarah didn't exactly sit down and create a specific image for herself), I think some people might be a little turned off if it "appeared" to them that Sarah wasn't interested in the show or its purpose. I'm not saying that would be true, but my point is that public perception, however unfair it may be - might not work in her favor if she skips the event w/o a word. An example of her providing a perfectly reasonable explanation of skipping an event would be last year's Worlds.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Sarah's status as an Oly champ brings certain responsibilities - along with the fame, skating specials, endorsements, etc. (and yes, I realize that Sarah is not "in it for the money")

[CMc]

It'd be nice to know the confirmation one way or the other at least.

But I personally would not dislike or discredit any of these folks if they could not be a part of the show. I completely wasn't aware that the USFSA had to sanction the event for the competitiors to be in it, and that puts a whole new light on it.

I have to admit I'm a little steamed because I went and purchased a ticket after CNN blurted out their misinformation about Sarah's "confirmation"--I even went out and got one of the best seats in the house for it. Well, I guess if we won't have Sarah and I end up with lemons, I'll be making lemonade!

Besides, it's supposed to be for the 9/11 victims, and in light of all this talk about the skaters that may or may not be there, I've sort of forgotten that. We can never forget it.

[Debbie S]

Originally posted by CMc

Besides, it's supposed to be for the 9/11 victims, and in light of all this talk about the skaters that may or may not be there, I've sort of forgotten that. We can never forget it.

Well said, CMc. Hey, I think we found something we both agree on. :)

Oh, and this is my 100th post here. Yay!

[CMc]

Congrats to you, Deb!:)

[adrianchew]

Guess who just confirmed for the show?!

http://www.sashacohen.com/news.shtml

Sasha Cohen! http://raelynn.netfirms.com/aw/emoticons/hyper2.gif

*does happy dance*

http://raelynn.netfirms.com/aw/emoticons/groupjump.gif

[rack]

I knew that's why Sasha moved to Connecticut! Triple yippee from me!!!:P :P :P

[CMc]

Now I guess we'll hear the others confirm next?

[lilskater]

You guys-if you go to the website-you will see that it is sanctioned by the USFSA...that means no excuses for amateur skaters to participate. All proceeds are going to charity too.

I for one, can't wait.

[Emanfan]

Could someone explain what "Coalition 9/11 Families" are?

[Anjelica]

Does anyone know when this will be broadcast and on what network?