2010 marks the 20th year of the Stars on Ice tour in Canada, and the
20th year that Kurt Browning will have been a part of Stars on Ice.
In 2010, Kurt and the Canadian cast traveled to Japan to be part of
the Stars on Ice Japan tour, reaching appreciative audiences in a very
enthusiastic skating market. The cast for the Japanese tour was huge
and highly accomplished - the top three Japanese ladies, top three
Japanese men, the 2006 Olympic Ladies Gold Medalist, the junior men's
and ladies' champions, and the 2010 Olympic Pairs Gold Medalists all
joined the 2010 Olympic Dance Gold Medalists and Ladies Bronze
Medalist, among other luminaries, from the Canadian cast. Given the
gigantic cast and the lack of rehearsal time for the whole cast, the
show ended up having a minimum of group numbers, and only one solo per
cast member. The only two group numbers were the opening and closing
numbers of the Canadian tour, with only Canadian cast members
performing. The only exceptions were Shen & Zhao skating in place of
the absent Sale & Pelletier, and Takeshi Honda taking Shawn Sawyer's
place. There was a sort of mini-ensemble with Shizuka, Jeff Buttle,
and Scott Moir at the top of the second act, but otherwise the show
was largely comprised of solos. The skaters ended up alternating
programs between the shows in Tokyo and Osaka, so different audiences
saw different programs.
Returning to Canada, the much smaller Canadian cast launched the 20th
Canadian Stars on Ice tour. The Canadian show featured many more
ensembles, including the fun "Rock the Runway" act I closer, an
ensemble featuring Kurt, Jeff, Shawn, and Joannie to "War," and a
pairs/dance ensemble with Sale & Pelletier and Dubreuil & Lauzon to
"Brave." It closed with the energetic "I've Got the Music In Me." As
for Kurt, his first solo revived his 1996 classic tribute to movie
musicals "That's Entertainment," a program he loved and wanted to
bring back. The second, "Luck Be a Lady," was a smooth number
performed in hockey skates, choreographed for the "Battle of the
Blades" show. As in his 1998 "Moby Dick" number, Kurt proved his
ability to do astonishing footwork and even salchow and axel jumps in
hockey blades, and proved that it was possible to look smooth and
elegant in hockey skates.
Japanese tour:
Cast:
Mao Asada
Miki Ando
Akiko Suzuki
Daisuke Takahashi
Nobunari Oda
Takahiko Kozuka
Shizuka Arakawa
Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao
Takeshi Honda
Yuzuru Hanyu
Kanako Murakami
Kurt Browning
Jeff Buttle
Joannie Rochette
Cynthia Phaneuf
Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir
Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon
Kathy & Chris Reed
Kurt Programs & Group Numbers/Video Downloads: Please right-click and download, do not play directly off my site
Kurt's magnetism affects everyone he encounters. Many know and love
the funny child like innocence of our kurt. But last month at Worlds I
asked him to meet a friend of mine from Torino who happens to be a
skating coach. I've know her for some time and believe her to be the
biggest kurt fan I know. She's a great person but travels with her
I-phone with hundreds of KURT programs on it. I can't tell you how
many times I have seen the guy skate! Some have dogs and cats to keep
them company...she has kurt videos!!!!
Anyway, at worlds in Torino Kurt was really busy doing commentary for
CBC and just being Kurt at Worlds. I asked if he had time if I could
introduce him to my friend. He was of course more than willing to meet
a new person in life...that's Kurt! He walked up behind her and gave a
big hug and kiss on the cheek...she was a bit startled until she saw
who was hugging her.....KURT! She screamed out and was shaking a
little too. They said hello and at that point I had to step a
way. Later, I saw my friend and asked how the quick little chat went
with kurt. She told me they had about a half hour long conversation. I
could see in her eyes how satisfied she was. I think Kurt to her was
one of the seven wonders of the world and that "wonder" got to know my
friend for a little while. This meeting will stay with my friend
forever...believe me! Kurt is a great person and is married to an
amazingly beautiful wife sonia, who makes kurt even better!
Jz
Jennifer Robinson speaks...
I can't believe that Kurt has now 20 years of road stories under his
belt. There are probably so many great ones that are told time and
time again and the others that have become lore and legend within the
underbelly of many an arena. I can't pin point one story that stands
out as the best one, but my favourite thing about Kurt is his
willingness to participate in any surprise party, costumed event and
game that we find ourselves playing on the road. I am so happy that
Kurt has been a part of Stars for so many years because he is the link
that keeps the traditions alive and brings life to the new ones that
are yet to be made.
Congratulations on a career that has probably been more fun than work!
It is something that so many people long for, and so few ever have the
chance to experience.
Love you and keep the good times going,
Jro
John Brunton (Executive Producer, Battle of the Blades, Tall in the Saddle, You Must Remember This) speaks...
I've had the great honour of producing groundbreaking television with
Kurt Browning. We collaborated on his first special Tall in the
Saddle and a few years later on You Must Remember This with the
extraordinary Singing in the Rain performance. Both shows pushed the
envelope in the skating/variety genre. Kurt was the first rock star
of figure skating. Shows like Stars on Ice appealed to a middle aged
female audience but when Kurt arrived on the scene he started skating
to contemporary music, rock & hip-hop amongst other genres and started
wearing funky/sexy wardrobe and behaving like the frontman of a rock
n' roll band. Not only was he a dynamic jumper and had phenomenal
footwork and original edges, he could also just dance his ass off! He
had that magic ability to make people in the last row of the arena
feel that he was performing especially for them, something that
Springsteen's got, Jagger's got and Kurt Browning has that when he
steps onto the ice in the arena. He drew such a frenzy of young girls
to the ice that they had to add extra security, police had to escort
him to his van outside the building. His fans would scream like they
were at a Beatles concert and the autograph hounds were rabid, I'd
never seen anything like it before in the world of figure skating. My
family and I are truly honoured to have Kurt and his family as such
terrific long-term friends. That same electricity that he brought to
Stars on Ice all those years ago at Maple Leaf Gardens was
demonstrated when he once again brought the house down at Maple Leaf
Gardens on Battle of the Blades last year with his absolutely perfect
& kick ass performance of Brickhouse. The over 2 million people who
saw it on television across Canada were reminded that Kurt is one of
the greatest artists/athletes this country has ever produced.
