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Here's my review of "Skaters' Tribute to Hollywood," January 29 in Boston at Northeastern University.
This show was filmed for ESPN and was loosely organised on a theme of "skaters often use music from the movies." Although we did have theatrical lighting, there was a definite air of sparsity to the setting. Absolutely no props, no special costumes for group numbers, no backdrops, no dry ice, no swathes of velour on the boards. When I glanced over the program, I hoped for sublime depths of cheesiness in the opening ("Star Wars") and closing ("E.T.") numbers, but all we got was the standard skaters come out in formation, separate to be introduced, come back together, wearing the costumes for that half of the show.
In no particular order, here is a recap of the programs skated. Terry Pagano & Tony Paul, a couple of pros from Lake Arrowhead, did two adagio pairs numbers in the strictest sense of the word. I don't think they did a death spiral, let alone a pairs spin, throw jump, twist lift, or singles jump or spin. The first was to "Mona Lisa" as butchered by Natalie Cole, VERY slow, the second to some Donna Summer tune. Denise Biellmann skated first to "Sooner or Later" by Madonna, which I don't think I'd seen before, and then to "Jazz Hot." She did a great job and hit solid triple salchow, triple toe, double axel, very clean and sure skating, lots of speed and ice coverage. I tried to get a picture that shows the tattoo, but I was sitting in the rafters (was not about to pay more than $12) and so who knows how the photos will turn out.
Robin Cousins (Sir Robin to you) did a program to the soundtrack of "Il Postino" in a white costume, lots of diddly sort of footwork moves, a tiny bit off in the spins and fell on his bum on the double loop. As always, I was just in awe of this man's skating. His form is just unbelievable; he looks as though he is barely moving but he takes two strokes and is across the ice. At some point he skated a pivot or something, some curving move before coming to a stop, but what I remember is hearing his edge rip into the ice. Both my friend Jean and I let out simultaneous involuntary gasps. :-)
Susanna Rahkamo & Petri Kokko skated their Nino Rota "Tramps" program in the first half and then in the second part of the show, did a number to "A Whole New World" from "Aladdin." For this, we had to endure live singing from Peabo Bryson and Paige O'Hara. What a treat. Petri, meanwhile, fulfilled my need for over-the-top costumes by wearing an open gold vest, gold sash over black pants, and sparkling gold boot covers. Susanna had a gold sparkling dress. With the gold blond hair on both of them, they sort of looked like a big pile of loot. I was trying so hard to not hear the music that I think some of the skating was lost on me, although it will be televised. My favorite moment was a memorable lift with Susanna's butt highest in the air and legs hanging down. This looked quite amazing from the rafters, particularly since her dress was quite sheer. (Sorry, couldn't take a photo... rail and bouffant-ed old woman in front of me in the way)
Caryn Kadavy did two numbers, one with the Bryson/O'Hara live singing going on (to "Beauty and the Beast"), the other to some panting singer's version of "Climb Every Mountain." This was not a good night for me in terms of music. In both numbers, Caryn did a great triple loop, lots of speed and attack into it, no problem, but then in the first number she fell out of a double flip from a walley (on a lean) and then over-rotated a double axel and stepped out of it in the second number. I finally figured out what bugs me about Caryn Kadavy, I mean, besides the music she always chooses to skate to. She always looks sort of "floppy" to me and I think it's because she always does everything in the most "feminine" way. She never does anything rigid, or powerful, or at all in contrast to ultra-girly. Well, just a thought.
Barbara Underhill & Paul Martini did two numbers as well, one to "Unchained Melody" and the other to... I forget. Oops. Well, they skated well, good speed, very stylised choreo. Throw single axel in both programs, first had a BO death spiral and I think also a FI, second just a FI. Carry lifts, you know the rest. Very fluid skaters.
Scott Williams did one number to "Baby I'm a Star" by Prince, which didn't suit his skating style in the slightest as far as I was concerned. I made a patented bitchy comment while watching... "Scott skates just as fast as Michelle Kwan." (Pause, to allow people to think that was the diss). "But Michelle can do a triple lutz." His second program was to "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen, which I quite enjoyed. The music and choreography and his skating all came together in a far more successful package. He did triple toe, triple sal, and double axel. Actually, I think he missed the triple sal in the second number, which I seem to recall he did out of a difficult entrance, but he didn't do a retake. I guess that means the first one, which I didn't like, will be the one that gets shown? Scott also deserves mention for being among the few men who can actually do a good sit spin.
Peggy Fleming did a solo number to "Moon River." Peggy left the ice! She did split falling leaves in this and in the second number, a number she did with Robin. Very "pretty" skating, but zero power and shaky camel spins. I find it interesting to see her skate in comparison to Dorothy Hamill, but knowing how much less she skates than Dorothy, I don't think it's fair to judge them on what they both are skating like now. Anyway, Robin and Peggy also did an ensemble number to "Chariots of Fire" in burgundy costumes. No lifts, just a pairs spiral move, and lots of "you skate... now I skate!" kind of choreography. Well, I enjoyed it.
Robin and Caryn did retakes at the end of the night. Robin announced that he was going backstage to change (back into the white costume) and to try to figure out how to do a double loop. Meanwhile, since Caryn had to redo the Beauty and the Beast program, the singers had to come out and perform the entire song again! (Just what I needed to make sure that this song was implanted into my brain like a mind-control chip).