Stars on Ice - Washington DC - Sunday, 12/29/2002

Disclaimer - I started reading some of the other Baltimore & DC reviews and could hardly believe we had all seen the same show. I decided to finish my report as I saw it and not try to figure out why our perceptions are so different. There is that chacon a son gout factor, I guess, but that doesn't explain why we don't even agree on elements or the crowds. Please forgive any errors. Anyone who has ever tried to take notes knows that you can either write blind and hope you can read them, or look down at the paper and miss something on the ice, or sometimes that you just forget to pay attention. I did all of these. (Others can also blame taking pictures, but I don't have that excuse.)

General -

I've never been to SOI at MCI Center before and the crowd in this building has markedly less energy and buzz than Baltimore. (In earlier years I noted this same phenomenon in comparing MCI with the Cap Center in Landover.) It was hard to gage the crowd. The three large sections on each side were nearly full (lower level). The corner sections and upper tiers were sparse, the ends less than half full. Overall, I'd guess half full or a little less (which in this bldg is what, 9000 people?). My informal demographics assessment: This crowd seemed somewhat younger on average than Baltimore; the male to female ratio was about 1 to 4 or 5; saw lots of multi-generation groups.

Show started at about 7:15, the first intermission was at 8. Didn't note times for the second half but we were in the Metro by 9:30.

Overall I enjoyed this show more than last year but I think I would rank it behind the 98-99 and 99-2000 shows. There were so many new faces that it didn't really feel like SOI until Kurt was on the ice. (I think a lot of the rest of audience felt something similar, judging from the response when he first appeared.)

This show lacks any real highlight program. (I'm remembering the kind of buzz that 4 Corners, Nyah, the chairs, or the Ilia-Katia duet created.) OTOH, I do think this show is worth seeing, and it at least had no painful programs like G-O-L-D. (Well, I guess I did find the 2 pairs with narration semi-painful. Notice a trend? Lose the microphones, already.)

Merchandise - I didn't get too close to the table so have no info on prices, but I saw several Tshirts, photos, I think the videos. I didn't buy a program, but I think it included an SOI questionnaire/survey insert. If anyone got one, let us know what they were asking. Saw a table with people handing out ticket info for Worlds. Did not see advance fliers for next year, but did see fliers for getting on the SOI mailing list. (I wonder if they are going to continue with the advance fliers. Last summer, you could download an advance flier for anywhere from their website.)

We had excellent seats - 4th row, dead center, unobstructed view. Was surprised to see the hockey markings still on the ice. Big ice surface. 2 rows of temp seating (I think maybe the ones they use for basketball) plus a single row of on ice folding seats. By the end of each half, there was a lot of snow on the ice (too much hopping on toe picks, I think).

General observations:

Lighting effects seemed much less showy than usual and were not really used to set a mood as in the past.

I think Billings deserves the Nobel Prize for Engineering for Witt's dresses.

The 4 pairs in this show did 5 "cold spot" type programs and, amazingly enough, I enjoyed Ina & Zimmerman's the most. Maybe it was mostly the music, but I thought the program really showed them to good advantage. They also gave us the only SBS jumps of the night that I noted (1 axels). Among the 4 pairs, we did get several throw 3S, some 3 twists, lots of inside death spirals (fwd & back), some pair spins and even SBS spins, but man they must hate the SBS jumps. Call me grumpy, but I don't think it is unreasonable to hold pairs fresh out of eligible skating to the Betchke & Petrov content standard. Geez, I'd be happy with SBS 2 loops or flips. (Is this really too much to ask? Gordeeva can still do 2 lutz and was the only lady all night to even attempt a triple jump.)

The skater who most earned his paycheck tonight was Todd E. I counted I think 3 triple axels and (bonus points because I love this jump) a 3 loop. He seemed to be on the ice more than anyone and delivered two really solid solos.

I think the spread eagle was this year's theme move.

Since I didn't buy the program, I'm using the music titles from Hoo's Lake Placid Review. They seemed about right to me. Program was the same as reported for the Lake Placid show except -- Yagudin's "Overcome" was omitted in the first half.- "Guest Star" Katia Goordeeva's program was inserted in the second half between Roca & Sur and Kurt.

Opening
Typical high energy SOI opening with lots going on. I liked the way they introduced the skaters, using the spot to highlight each skater/pair while all the skaters stood in a line down the center of the ice. I think Kurt won the applause meter. Didn't note elements, except to report Todd does a really good, really long scratch spin somewhere in there.

Yagudin - "Born To Be Wild"
Features lots of skating around, footwork, knee slides, Russian splits, 3 toe, more up and down on the ice, a LFO hydroblading move with lots of lean, where he sticks the rt leg out to the side and holds his foot with his rt hand; elbow slides (not necessarily in that order). Alexei looked cute in his leather jacket and clearly has that ham quality that makes Scott H and Kurt B such great entertainers. I'm thinking this is a program designed for someone who can't jump.

Ina & Zimmerman - "Bed of Roses"
Transition to this program was neat. Kyoko comes out and skates with Yags - him doing a spread eagle to her Ina Bauer, then both into Ina Bauers before he exits. Loved her dress (skirt & top, really) . SBS 1A, throw 3S, FIDS, pairs comb spin, trademark lifts, a carry lift where he is doing a spread eagle and she is low to the ice across his two legs. I really liked the exit to this move - he sort of spun her around and up until she was back on her feet.

Sale & Pelletier - "Come Fly"
This number begins with David alone on the ice and I was really struck at how noisy his blades were - lots of scrunchy ice sounds. Nice program - a couple pair spins, FIDS, throw 3S, lifts galore, sbs sit spins with fly entrance which she couldn't control and had to step out of. Pretty yellow and white dress for Jamie that had a nice, fresh look to it.

Eldredge - "Channel 1 Suite"
Elements I noted were 3A, 3T, camel-sit spin, 2A, footwork, camel-sit/sit-upright-scratch. This was a good program. Witt slinks onto the ice while Todd is finishing his bows and starts acting flirty. Todd gives an overwhelmed but eager response but Sur & Zimmerman sling him off the ice in a "you're not ready to play in this league" sort of move. (I was surprised how easily and well Todd did this bit.)

Witt, Sur, Zimmerman - "Blues In The Night"
Really good, fun program. I can't imagine anyone but Witt pulling this off, and the two guys also played their roles to perfection. She does a nice layback spin in this program.

Meno & Sand - "I'm Your Man"
Todd Sand is another natural ham and this very cute number gives him a chance to show off. This program included a number of moves that I think the ISU would consider undignified. (snicker)

Browning - "How Do You Keep The Music Playing"
My favorite program of the show. Everyone else to this point was pretty good, but this program just stepped up into a whole other level, IMO. I love smooth programs like this, but that adjective doesn't do this number justice. Early in the program he does a 2 axel that was light as air and flowed up, around, down and out with a single motion and no change in the rate of progress across the ice. (OK, so maybe I am lame to drool over a double axel in this day and age, but this one was a beauty.) Program also included 3T, 3S, really nice camel spin, more smooth footwork, 3T, 3T (hand down), long spread-eagle on the diagonal most of the length of the ice. This program really builds nicely towards the end as the music builds.

Eldredge, Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze, Sale & Pelletier - "Sing Sing Sing"
This number was slightly odd but included some good skating. I thought the words were gak - "Who dares to judge me?" Well, duh, in a judged sport, just about everybody. I really wish they would let this judges thing go with these two pairs and start letting them stake out their own separate territories. (More bonus points for Todd though- this narrative was very well read.)

INTERMISSION

Ensemble - "Elvis vs. JXL"
Silly beginning with the women vamping the audience wearing cowboy boots. The skating featured 6 guys skating around, horsing around and generally having fun. I think it was somewhat a stylized version of how kids play on the ice. They did some crack the whip and that spinning move that looks like two-man barrel rolls. At one point Yags & Kurt did Besti squats around the end. This was another highlight program for me because it looked like such fun. I could have done without the cowboy hat as fig leaf ending pose.

Witt - "The Rest Of Your Life"
This was a nice soft number and I liked it much better than last year's. 2A (step out), 2T, comb spin, scratch spin, long spread eagle that went 360 degrees spiraling into the center, camel spin.

Eldredge - "Miserere"
Really good classic Todd program. I think it is good SOI encourages skaters to try new styles, but I also like when they have the skater do at least one program where he looks like the skater you expect to see. Elements included 3 loop, 3 toe, flying camel, 3A, 3T, combination spin (incl scratch) at each end of the ice.

Roca & Sur - "The Prayer"
Wonderful. Smooth, effortless classic Roca & Sur program.

Gordeeva - Russian folk music
Same program and red dress as on the Holiday special. Until she was announced at the beginning of this number, there had been no mention of her at all. (She did not appear in the opening.) She just glows in this number. She seemed so happy to be skating the smile never left her face, even during a fairly long scratch spin. 3 toe attempt ended in a fall, other jumps were 2 lutz and a nice, light 2 salchow.

Browning - "Slippery Side Up"
(more comedy than skating) Program starts with Kurt still in his skate guards and mainly features him crossing from the mats on the end of the ice to one edge (removes guards), slides and stumbles from one edge of the ice to the other and back again, acting silly. At the end someone throws him a rope and tows him off. Not my favorite, but at least we got a good program from him in the first half..

Ina & Zimmerman / Meno & Sand / Roca & Sur - "Something Stupid"
Another classic SOI small ensemble number that I enjoyed. Like last year's compulsory tango sextet, I found myself watching the ice dancers the most.

Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze - "Elvis & Marilyn"
Anton is wearing gold lame boot covers. I think this may be the first time I have seen a pair where the guy is wearing more sequins than the girl. Anton is another ham and makes a pretty good Elvis. I think I'm glad Elena doesn't overact at her Marilyn. Some good skating once they got started, included good throw 3S directly into Leap of Faith (Underhill/Martini move). This number was fun, but I think they should have had another cold spot doing a more classical number. (Lead with your strength, I say, or put another way, go with what got you here.)

Sale & Pelletier - "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'"
Can't remember the program, but my element notes include big 3 twist, throw 3S (forward lean on landing), nice pairs camel spin with illusions (don't think I've seen that before), one arm handstand lift that made the crowd ooh, Detroiter that looked like too much effort for him from the beginning to get her overhead then went around barely once and came right back down. (We'll cut him some slack here because he did a lot of lifting tonight and she is looking a little hippy these days.)

Yagudin - "Racing"
His ISU SP that others like so much and I find his least effective SP in years. (How anyone can think this is better than Winter is beyond me.) Elements - 3 flip, 3 toe, death drop, circular footwork, 3 toe, spin, straight line footwork, comb spin.

Finale - "I Can't Stop" hip-hop
I made no notes on the finale last night & have no memories tonight except that is was fun and lively, as usual for an SOI closing. Gordeeva came back out only at the very end for the bows.