Disclaimer: As usual I was photographing the show so everything is from memory. I'm also recovering from a 7-hour each way drive so please forgive any odd ramblings :)
Opening - "Let It Snow"
Costumes were white pants or skirts with red sweaters with a white snowflake on them. It was a good look on just about everybody. The number featured groups of skaters coming out together and then splitting off for individual tricks. Ina and Zimmerman did a series of lifts that were really gorgeous. Eldredge & Yagudin did unison footwork and crossing double axels. Orser came out with Kadavy and Sumners and each split off for footwork or a spiral. The interaction between Orser and Kadavy was very cute.
Hamilton - "In The Mood"
Scott then blasts out to perform this number. Nothing really different than the performance 3 days earlier in Lake Placid.
Caryn Kadavy - "Oh Holy Night"
Caryn was such a wonderful surprise addition to this show! Her skating is so effortless and graceful. This is an older program for his but it was just fabulous - full of gorgeous spread eagles, ina bauers and other lovely edge work.
Ina & Zimmerman - "Look At Little Sister"
I&Z performed their SOI solo and it was better than it was in Lake Placid. John said they were still working on some of the transitions and it definitely showed here - can't wait to see this performance after a few more outings. It's a completely fun number and they both sell it very well. It's also nice to see a pro pairs team still including side-by-side jumps in an exhibition (this time it was axels).
Roz Sumners - "??" (Shania Twain)
While Roz may not being touring full-time anymore, she hasn't let her basic skating skills lapse. I think this was a great program for her - sweet but spunky. The program had several nice 2toes and single axels. She also had on a pretty sparkly salmon dress.
Todd Eldredge - "The Lords Prayer"
Todd skated to a a musical version of this prayer that was very well done. He's got a brand new costume for it too: steel blue pants and a crushed velvet shirt with a swirl pattern burnout on it that shades from pale blue down to steel blue - it was very striking! The program was full of trademark Todd moves, including a very nice spiral :)
Meno & Sand - "Santa Baby"
This was one of the best numbers of the night! Todd was in full Santa outfit and Jenni was in an old SOI costume of white and silver skirt, black sweater and red belt. The way Todd managed to lift and twirl Jenni around while wearing that large Santa costume was pretty impressive. Lots of great personality in this number. The program ends with Jenni being held by Santa, stealing his hat and giving him a kiss - too cute! What was most interesting was watching this number worked on in dress rehearsal as they altered a few moves to be able to not rip off Todd's beard halfway through.
Yagudin - "Nutrocker"
Alexei dug out this old program, though he skated it in his black/gray Tosca costume. It was pretty well performed, though Alexei looked exhausted by the end. What I found odd about the program was that all the jumps (3toe-2toe, 3toe, 3flip) were all done in the exact same place on the ice. I don't recall that at all from when it was a SP and it made the program look a little odd. But, that said, it was a perfect piece for a holiday show and did have some good footwork passes in it. I do really wonder how Alexei is going to last the whole SOI tour though - he looked exhausted post-show and even that morning he spent a lot of time stretching out his back. I just hope he's not pushing too hard too soon.
Orser - "The Man With the Bag" (Lee Ann Womack live)
Brian came out in this great modern Santa costume - red pants, white turtleneck and a red leather jacket with furry white cuffs and collar and the "Claus 25" in big letters on the back. Very cute! He was also carrying a red Santa bag which he swing around a few times at the start of the program. While it went well in rehearsal, during the show the bag swing a little wide and hit him in the head - nothing major, but it threw off his first jump so we had retakes (not that I minded seeing more of Brian - and he even ran the entire number over in retakes!) I give him credit for stamina though because skating a full number in a a heavy leather jacket must have been exhausting. The program has several 3 toes, 2axels and a gorgeously big open axel. For those curious, Brian says his 3sal has unfortunately gone on vacation without him, though he hopes it will be back soon
Act II
Sumners - ?? (Xmas song by Lee Ann Womack)
Roz skates out in this pretty green tress with the Clause jacket on over the top. The program also featured quite a bit of Brian as he played her love interest at the start of the song and skates around with her (including a cute bit of them acting out the lyrics of standing under the mistletoe) but he eventually takes back his jacket and lets her skate on alone. It was a very pretty number for her with lots of personality. I give Roz credit for knowing that her triples are gone and instead of trying for them and doing poorly she was doing gorgeous doubles - kept the program flowing right along.
Ina & Zimmerman -
This was their Xmas program and it was pretty much their 'Bed of Roses' program, but it still worked well (John said they hadn't had a lot of time to work on it because of the time spent on the SOI number). Their lifts were of course the highlight of the program, especially the candle lift with the flipout to the platter. Nice to finally see them get to do a holiday piece.
Caryn Kadavy - ?? (a Trans Siberian Orchestra Xmas piece I think)
This was a Xmas piece that was sort of upbeat number that she performed in a light silvery blue dress. The program seemed to have more footwork and turns than her usual number and it was good to see that from her. Well done!
Brian Orser - "Beyond the Sea"
This is a nice light-hearted program from Brian and he performed it really well in Columbia - lots of personality throughout. The program had a huge 2axel at one point - it's nice to see an axel with height to spare on it!
Meno & Sand - "Shall We Dance"
This is their SOI number and was performed just as well as it was in Lake Placid, nothing really new to say about it.
Gordeeva - "I Hope You Dance" (with Womack live)
I'm normally not much of a Katia fan, but this was a really great program from her. Lots of great turns and footwork in it that was very on with the music. There was also a really nice spiral sequence. Very well done!
Eldredge - "When You Come Back To Me"
I'm really thinking that this program might be my new all-time favorite from Todd - there's just something so powerful about the program that it really just grabs you right from the beginning. Todd's strength has always been those long edges and this program is full of moments that just highlight that kind of movement. Jumps were: 3axel (doubled but nailed one 1 try in retakes), 3toe, 3flip, Russian split-flip, 3sal and 3loop. And of course his signature spins were right on the money!
Hamilton - "Jingle Bells"
Scott comes out to skate some high energy footwork and a series of double axels for this program, but honestly the best part was watching the 'Ronettes' perform behind him. Up on the ice in front were Orser, Sand and Zimmerman doing various footwork steps and turns - backup singers only on skates so to speak. Watching them try and keep unison and just sort of groove was very funny. This was another highlight from rehearsal as Leanne Miller hadn't really choreographed them as doing anything so Brian spent some time trying to get some idea of what they were going to be doing step and turn wise. Too funny! Originally Eldredge was another of the Ronettes but Leanne really wanted him to close the solos and there wouldn't be time for the costume change so he got dropped.
Finale -
As Scott skates off, the rest of the cast comes on. The guys are in the SOI red leather and suede pants from Moulin rouge and the girls in red leather skirts, both combined with white sweaters with red and green horizontal stripes. The number again features lots of unison moves, with I&Z and M&S doing carry lifts and then down into side by side death spirals. Eldredge & Yagudin did more unison footwork with Sumners and Kadavy shimmying along the center ice and then they all switch places. Alexei especially looked to be having a lot of fun with the finale. Scott and Katia come out toward the end and give everyone Santa hats to wear and then do some unison footwork. I forget the name of the song, but it features the idea of Santa on a motorcycle (complete with motorcycle sounds), so when the cast heads back toward the stage area for the finale pose, you see WOmack and Orser (with leather Santa jacket) having just arrived on a shiny red motorcycle. Cute, but honestly I'd rather have seen Brian skating in the finale. I give kudos to Eldredge and Sumners who had to do a slow scratchspin in the opposite direction to their normal for the final bit. They were both really working hard during rehearsals to get it to look really good - must have been tricky.
Overall it was a really good show - lots of solid performances. Also I think the Columbia audience was one of the loudest and most appreciative audiences I've been to in a while. They appluaded like mad for everyone which was really nice to see. Afterward the skaters were speaking about the energy they got back from the audience and how it gave them that extra spark as their programs went on - so that was great!
-Hoo
