New Stars on Ice...(possible spoilers)

[Ice_On_Winnipeg]

Everyone I seem to chat with these days is telling me how disappointed they are with this season's SOI. I've never heard so many negative comments as I have this year. I check out the CSOI on May 15th and I'm almost afraid of what I'll see!! Anyone want to discuss what went wrong with this year's show? What was the worst? What was the best?

[Meredith]

The one clinker IMO was a theme problem. There seemed to be competing themes and they didn't always mesh. Programs that didn't work for me: G-O-L-D, Steven Cousins' solo, Meno and Sand skating with chairs, Kurt and Tara's duet and K&O's (it was the costumes; I loved their skating). There was a lot of vamping throughout the show that struck a wrong chord for some and put off others.

That said, I attended SOI and enjoyed it very much. Examples: The skating itself was GREAT. Kurt seemed to put more energy into his skating and less into mugging than in any other show I remember. Ilia Kulik was awesome -- but you won't see him in a CSOI. His technical difficulty is really commendable. Kristi (and especially Kristi and Denis) was/were great, too. I loved Kat's solo. She involves you in her skating and in the music. Double jumps? So what. Tara had two of the best solos I've seen from her.

Best: Kristi and Denis skated my favorite program of the evening, tied perhaps with Kurt's part in the finale that made the hair on my arms stand up.

What was evident in the U.S. tour was that every member of the cast seemed to skate his or her heart out. I'm sure the same will be true of the Canadian tour. I think if you attend with an open mind, you may be pleasantly surprised. Of course, I may be wrong!

I'll be interested in reading your comments after May 15.

[VGL]

I'm thinking they might have a hard time adapting the theme of the US tour to the Canadian tour. There won't be 3 female olympic gold medalists to chat around their dressing tables.

[Tigger]

Not just that VGL, but Steven and Denis aren't going to be in CSOI, so I think the Vanity Tango is gone too. Same w/the Because We Can number. There's also going to be quite a bit of turnover in the cast this year. More than any year I can remember. Whatever they come up w/...It's going to be interesting.

[Ice_On_Winnipeg]

Oops..I goofed! SOI comes to Winnipeg May 8th! What was I thinking?! Anyone else from the US or Canada with opinions to throw in?

[Schmeck]

The worst idea for the show - giving skaters microphones,and letting them try to sing/rap/babble! (G-O-L-D) It was terrible, and they should be very embarrassed - I hope they don't think that they were actually talented in that area :lol: It was very painful to watch, and I cringed and grimaced through the whole performance. It was quite pathetic. At least you CSOI fans will hopefully be spared :wink:

Best performances - Kristi and Denis were fantastic together, wish they would have held out for one more year! Kurt's Guitar program was also a highlight for me. Every time Katarina and Steven skated together was very entertaining. They know how to perform! Lucinda Ruh spinning with a flashlight in her hand for "Oh Yeah" was incredible too.

Worst performances - Ilia's Rendezvous - sloppy and flat. Boring! Tara's Color of Roses - the worst choreography I've ever seen from Lori Nichol! Very disappointing.

Todd's performances were wonderful, but LOtR just didn't fit into the show. Your Song meshed into the theme nicely, though.

Ilia's Rubberband Man and Pick Up the Pieces were just too similar! Why did he get 3 solos, when two programs were practically identical?

And I refuse to stand for maudlin drivel, even when the American Flag is involved. So I sat at the end of Tara's "patriotic" program. I felt that she didn't get the music (why the big sell-it grin during the solemn, intense Drummer's Salute, huh?) so why should I applaud the performance?

Schmeck, rather disappointed in the show, and only ordering two tix for next year. And I'll donate them for a raffle for my skating club if it sounds like the show is going to continue to develop into a sexpot 'Star Search on Ice' show

[ToddFan]

I didn't think that the female skaters needed to shimmy, but it didn't bother me horribly. It wasn't truly obscene, and I enjoy watching MTV sometimes.... LOL

And although I enjoyed the Hershey's pro-am far more, I did enjoy the Stars on Ice show overall. Maybe if you have the opportunity to see it every year, or to see more skating, then you are "pickier" (no offense intended), but I had no problem seeing some good and great programs interspersed with filler :)

And although LOTR bore no relation to the Carpenters or Moulin Rouge LOL, I thought it kind of fit because it was the first in a series of "real" programs - skaters actually covering the entire ice and skating. Kurt, Ilia, Kristi, etc. Some of the more dancey programs can be nice but, especially if you are not close to the ice, real skating rally does make a difference....

Just my perceptions.

[LizF]

Hi, I'm not long back from CSOI's first C stop, in Halifax. I thoroughly enjoyed it, much better than last years, I thought. I notice that the "dislikes" most people expressed weren't on the C tour--Tara's number, Ilia's 2 "same" routines etc.
Well worth the ticket price, unlike last year! :D

[Ice_On_Winnipeg]

Liz!! Thanks, that is encouraging. Can you give more details? Who was in your cast and some of the routines?

[Ice_On_Winnipeg]

You would think I could wait another week...but no, I have to know. :wink:

[LizF]

The Canadian Cast (in no particular order)
Kurt
B/K
B/E
Meno/Sand
Yagudin
Brian Orser
Lucinda Ruh
Kristi Yamaguchi
Todd Eldredge
I don't have time to post a really detailed review, but some of the highlights for me included:
B/E 1 genderbender routine, not stale or old as previously reported,
B/K MJ (electrifying live); Enigma routine that is the complete antithesis of Return to Innocence, really different style for them as far as arm movements, etc. Lots of hydroblading.
Alexei's Winter--this is a classic that should go down as one of the best programs in history, in both composition and execution, was exciting live

Cast number "Can Can" with girls, then boys--very funny
Best # I've seen from M/S yet--they do a tango with a chair
Lucinda did a routine mostly showcasing her incredible spinning talents, just amazing live you can really appreciate the speed.

Hope that tides you over til the show gets to your town!

[Ice_On_Winnipeg]

Thanks Liz!! That's great!! I think I can make it now until then!!

[Martine]

I must say that overall, I agree with people who say that the show is not as good as in years past. I think it's the lack of a theme showing through, and the group numbers not being as well thought out. I mean those numbers with the women just posing and talking? That's not skating to me. And though some of those in-between bits were very well done, like Meno&Sand's cute tango with a chair, they just didn't have anything to do with anything else, there was no continuity between numbers like in some previous years.

But, as someone else mentionned above, the individual skating is simply top notch. Todd landed two triple axels, Kristi was spot on, Kurt had a spill but was litterally bursting with energy, etc. Every skater really gave it their all, and the individual numbers were for the most part extremely entertaining. I must say I would've bought tickets just to see Kristi skate again, I missed her on the tour and she did not disappoint. And the crowd also made the show, every skater had a partial or full standing ovation for almost every number, I'd never seen that before. So the show is still worth the price of admission, to see such great skaters in such great shape and skating so well, but SOI always set itself apart with the group numbers, and this year I think they dropped the ball on those...

Martine :D

[Ice_On_Winnipeg]

The newsdads have given me permission to post their comments about the shows...for those of you interested in comparisons between the American and Canadian shows..enjoy! Thanks newsdads!!

Canadian Stars vs U.S. Stars
We were in Halifax this weekend for the opening show of the Canadian tour. We saw the US version three times this past winter (Philly, the Garden in Manhattan, and Trenton)...just thought we'd post a few comparison notes.

Overall the Canadian version is much, much better. There's less talking, fewer programs with furniture, and more skating. Gone are the horrid Rainy Days and the repulsive GOLD rap. The GOLD rap has been replaced by all the women doing a can can program in the same black dresses. The Halifax show itself was rather rough around the edges...this is the third time we've gone to Halifax, and of the three, this was the first year they looked like they needed more time to put the show together. This was most evident in the can can program just mentioned. Brian Orser and Todd Sand join Kurt in Vanity Tango...timing was a little off here too, but we're sure that it will quickly come together. Alexei, Kurt and Brian do a tango right after Lady Marmalade...it's quite good, and we expect it will get even better as the tour goes along. The Haligonians love their skating, lots of standing ovations. Alexei had the people on their feet before he even started to skate. In his second program, Winter, he completed a triple, triple, double...Shae & Vic, along with Lloyd & Isabelle were terrific. Lloyd & Isabelle had a very odd fall in their first program, they looked stunned. The audience was shocked as well. Both couples really added to the skating content of the show. What chatter there was throughout the show wasn't received much better than it was in the States, but it was certainly more bearable because it didn't take away from the skating. Lucinda also no longer wears her headress. We still recall a woman behind us at the Garden referring to her as the Cockatoo whenver she had the headress on. We were glad to see it gone. Kurt, Kristi, Brian and Lucinda do the Oh Yeah program with the flashlights. I don't think this was received any better by the crowd in Halifax than it was in the States. The programs by Shae & Vic and Lloyd & Isabelle were more enjoyable and fun to watch than were some of the programs in the States (ie Katarina's Case Continues and Tara's American Tribute). Shae was born to skate in Stars on Ice. Kurt and Todd both had good shows as well. Kurt's Guitar is choreographed too much to one end of the arena, however, and we were thrilled to finally be on the right side, as for our three previous shows in the States we were always on the wrong side. Having a good seat for this program really helps you appreciate his ability to perform to every note of the music and see his face while doing so. Kristi had the only falls of the show by a single skater, both at the end by the tunnel. The finale is better as well, with couples skating to the music which the three women skated to in the States. Kristi and Alexei have replaced Steven and Katarina in the segment with the kiss. Kristi and Alexei looked less contrived at it than did Steven and Katarina.

In comparing the two versions, our votes go to the Canadian tour. While it's still not one of their better years, there's much more to enjoy in Canada. We were surprised the first act flew by, in comparison to the States when were thinking when will this end? We've got one more show to see, this Friday at the ACC. Looking forward to it

[¤Sweetie¤]

There's no comparison. This years tour was the best I have ever seen.
Everyone fit in perfectly, and looked like they belonged together. The only awkward performances seemed to stick out to me were that of Meno & Sand. The crowd responded to them as if they didn't even know who they were. Bourne & Kraatz mesmerized everyone- I have never heard an arena so silent, as when they were skating to "Sadness" by Engima. Alexei brought the house down, and Kurt... he was just... Kurt. Beloved by all, and everything.
I gave B&K standing ovations, Todd, Kristi, Kurt, Alexei, Brian, Isa & Lloyd... well basically everyone. You'll LOVE the show, I'm sure of it :)