by Emma Abraham
Chicago, IL - June 7, 1997 / Milwaukee, WI - June 8, 1997
I was able to see three of Todd's performances: two on Saturday, June 7 in Chicago, and one on Sunday, June 8 in Milwaukee.
You know, the idea of including the pros just for their recognition value is becoming pointless. Thanks to the plethora of skating on TV, both eligible and pro, Todd seemed to be just as recognizeable to the audience as Brian or Viktor. (Similarly, while Oksana Baiul seemed to get the biggest ovation of the shows, the gap between her and, say, Michelle and Tara has narrowed appreciably, and I don't think Nancy Kerrigan received any more applause than did the latter two.)
I have to admit, first off, that I hate the Joseph song and call it Gethsemane lite" (not a Lloyd Webber fan--get a new theme next year, Todd!). I seemed to spend an inordinate lot of time answering people's questions about what it was and saying "Donny Osmond" more in one weekend than I probably had done in my entire life up to that point. But as to Todd--he looks SO gorgeous in that opening pose, doesn't he? Especially seeing him in profile, as we did. (Yeah, those cheekbones that could cut paper--shades of Gettysburg.) As a showcase for his combination of grace and power, this number really does the trick. Of the five triples in the program (yes, the third jump is now a triple lutz), on Saturday afternoon he doubled the next-to- last and the landing of the second double axel was a little wonky; Saturday night was perfect; and Sunday the landing of the triple axel found his nose almost touching the ice! But he WAS three for three on the triple axels, which put him one up on Alexei Yagudin, and seemed in good spirits at all 3 shows. My favorite move remains that bent leg, arabesque-style spin. Lovely.
The post-skate audience response was again very good--I think Usova/Zhulin beautiful Love Story Medley provides a good lead-in to Todd's number, as it is similarly graceful and showcases great edges, but is different enough not to be repetitive.
I don't know how much I can say in this forum about the costume--he's changed the sleeves a bit from Nationals, hasn't he? Or did I just not notice the tucking? In any case, it's most attractive, and shows up quite nicely in a spotlit event (a fact we photographers appreciate).
I ended my weekend by waiting at the edge of the parking lot, trying to get a last glimpse of the skaters--most of whom went straight from the door to the bus without being visible in the interim. Suddenly I saw a car coming toward me, with Richard Callaghan driving. Some unknown devil made me shout "Goodbye, Todd" loudly just as they passed, and long before Todd was visible, or recognized by anyone else. He turned quickly to look, then waved--I hadn't expected him to hear, as the windows were rolled up, and didn't notice 'til then that the car had an open sunroof! Seeing the wave, several young girls ran after the car, carrying flowers, but to no avail.
