by Oly02 (Ebony)
Here we go…just so you know, I will only put in full performances, not the in- betweens…unless requested later or something.
The Firstar Center was in my estimation about 1/3 full. It was a travesty how many empty seats were in the arena. My sister and I were sitting in the top section (we had that buy 1, get 1 free coupon) and we moved down without a problem since there were SO many open seats.
ACT I
Tango (Jenni, Todd, Steven, Kat, Oleg, Angelika)– I noticed especially that Oleg and Angelika have very quiet skates considering the amount of speed they can get.
Lord of the Rings (Todd Eldredge)- GREAT performance. Kurt introduced him (and he sounded a LOT like Scott). Todd got thunderous applause. He did a 3loop, 2axel (intended to be a triple), 3lutz, 3axel, and 3toe. He got a partial standing ovation.
Guitar (Kurt)- Kurt was awesome as always. The crowd in Cincy has always loved Kurt. He did a 3toe-3toe combo, 2axel, the 3 2axels in a row, and a 3 toe. He got a loud hoot whistle when he finished.
Roses (Tara)- This is the first Tara performance that I must say I really, really liked. She’s back to doing triples. She did a 3sal, 3toe, and 3sal. Her spins were really slow, but her spiral sequence was a beauty. It didn’t appear as though her hip was really troubling her.
Rendezvous (Ilia)- He did a 2toe, 3axel, 3lutz, 3flip, and 3toe. He also had a GREAT split leap. His speed appeared to be a bit much for the arena. He was TOO fast.
Mohican (Oleg & Angelika)- Angelika has a new costume and is more covered in the front now. They had great speed and the crowd reaction was very positive.
Tom Jones Medley (Steven)- At first, the crowd appeared surprised when Steven arrived in the crowd. He did a 3flip (step out)-2toe, 2 axel, a split on the ice (which looked like it hurt more than it was supposed to), a 1axel, a 2lutz as he was too close to the edge, and a 3toe. He got great crowd response at the end.
Gold (Kristi)- Kristi commanded the ice as soon as she stepped out. She did a 2axel, a 2lutz (it appeared as though her toe slipped), a great high 3loop, and a 3toe.
Pick Up the Pieces (Ilia)- The crowd was into immediately as they heard the music…and of course the ladies love Ilia. He did a 3flip, a great death drop that Boitano would love, a huge 3toe, great footwork, and a 2axel. The ladies were of coruse screaming for him at the end and he rewarded them with that great big smile of his.
G-O-L-D (Kristi, Tara, Kat)- Good lord what were they thinking...I'll leave it at that.
Can-Can (The Guys)- Oh my lord was that hilarious. I was not expecting that at all! The crowd was in hysterics when they saw the guys come out in the Moulin Rouge garb. It was a great high energy way to end Act I.
ACT II
No One (Lucinda)- It is amazing to see on TV, but even more amazing to see in person. Good for you, Lucinda Ruh. I think this year is a great way to highlight her strengths and introduce her to the non-skating knowledgeable fans.
The First Time (Jenni/Todd)- I loved the costumes for this performance. Jenni hit a great throw 2axel and the crowd was mesmerized by the end. It was true to the romantic ballad formula for these two.
Trust A Try (Kristi)- The crowd appeared surprised by the music choice, but they soon settled into it. Kristi again commanded the ice. She did a 3flip, a 3 toe (toughed it out), and a 2axel. The younger girls in the audience appeared to really get into it.
Rubberband Man (Ilia)- The ladies were all for Ilia again as soon as he came out. He did a 2axel and a 3toe. That cantilever at the end had people in the audience oohing and ahhing.
Case Continues (Kat)- The audio for this song was booming, but I think it was necessary to understand the vocals, which are quite necessary for the performance. She did a 2axel (fought for it) and a 2flip. It’s great to see her back on tour.
Your Song (Todd Eldredge)- He had the crowd cheering even before a note was played! They could see it was Todd in the shadow of the blue light on the ice. He did a 3loop, a 3axel (maybe a hand down), and a 3toe. He received a standing ovation by about 2/3rds of the audience.
Fly Away (Denis/Kristi)- I need more Denis! A great performance. The push lift was a little shaky at first, but Denis’ strength as always made it stable. The moment that struck me was when he pulled Kristi to start her on her spiral….jeezle peets she flew! It was amazing how far she traveled just on how hard he pulled her!
Elevation (Kurt)- Kurt treated us to an aerobic workout courtesy of U2. He did a 2axel, 3sal, 2axel, 3toe, 3toe, 3toe (practically all in a row), and another 2axel. He appeared to run out of a little steam at the end, but I can’t blame him with all of those jumps and his footwork as well.
American Tribute (Tara)- The triples were here as well. She did a 3toe, a 3sal, and a 3toe. She received a standing ovation. My personal favorite moment is her steps in the drum cadence. For some reason, I really like that.
Techno Carpenters Closing (Full Cast)- The whole cast (including Todd) was awesome as always. In my opinion, it had too many solos leading up to the ending group number, but who am I to judge. It may have been too long to me since I really don’t know many Carpenters songs, but the whole close came together quite nicely.
Well, there’s my review. If you have any questions, please feel free to reply or PM me.
Best wishes,
Oly02 (Ebony)
