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Canadian Stars on Ice Review - Hamilton & Toronto, ON - Apr 26 & 27, 2013
Written by Tina
Going to the Toronto and Hamilton Canadian Stars on Ice show has
become a bit of an annual tradition for me. It's always fun to go to
the TV taping with its retakes, and it's always fun to see the
Canadian version of the show after seeing the US version.
I always shoot the shows, and this year I had the very best shooting
location ever at the Toronto show - center ice, on ice. Luckily for
me, I was sitting next to two avid skating fans who were familiar with
my photos, so they didn't mind me clicking away with my big lens next
to them. Luckily for them, many skaters love to mug for cameras, so we
got some amusing facial expressions directed our way. In Hamilton, due
to the TV cameras, I shot from my seat up in the 15th row, which was a
much different perspective.
ACT I
Opening - Somebody That I Used to Know - Cast
The show opens with a SNL-style opening video (complete with
time-lapse city lights rushing by, and "music by...") which is cute,
but honestly doesn't fit at all with the tone of the show that
follows. In particular, it doesn't fit with the very quirky, stylized,
and cool opening number. There have been complaints about the lighting
for this number - it's very low for the whole first part - and as a
photographer, I sympathize since it's very difficult to shoot. But as
an audience member, I do think that the low lights and lone spots add
a very interesting atmosphere to what is already offbeat
choreography. Jeffrey Buttle and Renee Roca did an exceptional job
with the group choreography of this year's show, IMO. There is
interesting work with unusual body shapes and stylized movement, and
the quirky costuming fits in well. There is also a lot going on with
different groups of skaters on the ice - no matter where you look,
something is happening, but it all fits together.
I Need a Dollar - Patrick Chan
The show wastes no time in bringing its newest star front and center -
Patrick Chan, the three time World Champion who somehow has never
skated in Stars on Ice before. The screens show "2011 World
Champion. 2012 World Champion. 2013 World Champion" before the lights
come up on a grinning Patrick Chan, who is warmly greeted by the
audience. This number, a hip-hoppy props number that centers on a
baseball cap, was choreographed by Christopher Dean, and it shows. By
which I mean, Christopher Dean has now choreographed many numbers
using a hat (for Kurt Browning, Ilia Kulik, etc) and there's a certain
similarity to the choreography of all these numbers. Patrick is deft
with the hat (except in Hamilton, where it got away from him a few
times), and pulls off the choreography with charm, but I think I would
have enjoyed the number more if I hadn't seen the previous Christopher
Dean hat numbers. Patrick put together a smooth performance in
Toronto, but had more mishaps in Hamilton with both the hat and jumps,
and had to do retakes. It's a cute number that plays on the begging
for a dollar (to put in his hat), though, and a nice way to start
things off.
Vienna - Ashley Wagner
From the Canadian champ to the US champ - Ashley Wagner took the ice
next for a soulful, pretty performance to "Vienna" by Billy
Joel. Ashley has a wonderfully confident presence on the ice, and
clearly enjoys performing in front of an audience. She connects well
with the audience, and I like that there's something about her
movement and style that isn't generic pretty female skater. She's got
a bit of an edge to her, an apparent spark, even in a pretty number
like this.
Mad World - Sinead & John Kerr
There was a small transition here, as the opening strains of "Mad
World" played and Sinead and John skated onto the ice while Ashley
skated off. Sinead and John did this program in the US as well, and it
was as striking in Canada as in the US. They commit passionately to
the melancholic feel and solemn wistfulness of the song, and the
choreography is full of interesting little moments, like when Sinead
lies down on the ice and John skates up to her, spraying her with
ice. It's a gorgeous performance to beautiful music, and I enjoyed it
very much.
Carmina Burana - Shawn Sawyer
If the Kerrs' program was a lovely, serious, solemn performance,
Shawn's was a showcase of how to push that seriousness a degree too
far into absurdity, making a comic program out of an ostensibly
serious piece of music. Admittedly, the costuming made it rather
obvious that Shawn wasn't going for a serious-minded interpretation -
he starts off in a fuzzy caterpillar suit, inching his way across the
ice and occasionally wiggling his antenna, before shedding the
caterpillar to morph into a butterfly with full colorful butterfly
wings attached to his black costume. At the same time, even without
the visual effect of the costume, his manner perfectly balances at
that level of self-seriousness that is just a notch too extreme and is
therefore hilarious. The visual effect worked well with Shawn's
flexibility though, adding flair to his already impressive spins and
spirals. Shawn is clearly a born entertainer, and the audience adored
him.
Piano Guys - Joannie Rochette & Jeffrey Buttle
It would appear that both of the musicians whose music is used in this
number passed away this year - before the number started, the screens
showed birth/death stats for both Dave Brubeck and Van Cliburn. This
number was a cute, lighthearted, and light-footed tribute to those
jazzy pianists. It started with Joannie skating alone, taking a more
balletic approach to a smooth piano number, before Jeff zipped out to
join her with a more aggressive, footwork-filled style to a jazzier
number. The two then skated together, at times alternating in
counterpoint, at times skating together. They, especially Jeffrey,
looked like they were having a wonderful time skating together, which
added to the sense of fun. It does seem that some audience members in
Hamilton were confused though - I heard someone say "I don't know who
this pair is!" I have to say, they did not at all look like a pair
team to me - they skated too far apart and not quite in unison - but
they did look like a pair of friends having a great time.
Kurt's Song - Kurt Browning
Before Kurt comes out for his number, a screen comes up listing all
the numbers he's skated to over the years in Stars on Ice, along with
images of many of his previous programs. It's a nice little walk down
memory lane and a showcase of some of the classic numbers he's done
for Stars on Ice. As the lights come up on Kurt standing alone on the
ice, the audience is thus already primed to receive him warmly and
enthusiastically, and he does not disappoint. In both Toronto and
Hamilton, he pulled off clean, beautiful performances of this number,
self-choreographed to a song the Tragically Hip wrote for him. Many
may recall Antares, the previous song the Tragically Hip wrote
especially for him, but this number has a very different feel. It's
much more of a pretty piano piece, with strings and lovely
instrumentals than the more spacey, spare-feeling
Antares. Choreographically, IMO it recalls "Downstream" and maybe
"Triptico" (which he never did in SOI) more than Antares as well. It's
just a beautiful piece of skating - edgework, footwork, quick changes
of direction in response to the music. Nothing flashy or comedic, just
nice, pure skating which the audience responded really well to. In
fact, I seem to recall in Toronto he got a partial standing O for
it.
Stay - Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir
This number opens sensually, with Tessa and Scott lying side by side
on the ice, before Tessa rolls over on top of Scott, and then Scott
rolls over on top of Tessa. These two do passion very, very well -
it's in their faces, their body lines, their energy together. They
also do incredible, intricate lifts that somehow still hold all the
passion and character of the number. It's amazing to me that even in
the transitions between lifts (and they go through a whole series)
they never look awkward or out of place. Their skating is absolutely
gorgeous and spellbinding.
Just in Time - Jeffrey Buttle
Jeff Buttle seems to be on a jazz kick this year. Between the him &
Joannie number and this one, it seems like he spent some time in that
section of the record shop (how archaic! of iTunes?). It seems to suit
him as well - the grin on his face, the cocky angle to his hat, and
the joyous body language just speaks to his having fun with this
number. It's a nice, upbeat number - a fun change of pace for both
Jeff and the audience.
Is It a Crime - Joannie Rochette
Joannie is a fantastic skater who's kept up her technical side while
really developing as a performer, so it seems wrong to talk about her
hair. But I have to say, she has the best hair for a sultry sexy
number like this Sade number. Those flowing blonde locks are perfect
for accentuating the angsty sensual feel of this number. Coupled with
her committed performance, lovely lines, and spot on jumps and spins,
she created a great interpretation of this song.
Wonder - Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, Kurt Browning, Jeffrey Buttle,
Patrick Chan
With so many great world champions in the cast, it was almost
inevitable that the show would have a number highlighting them. The
opening spots and introductions highlighted them individually - "World
Champion Kurt Browning. "World Champion Jeffrey Buttle"...etc. But the
number brought them together wonderfully, highlighting how
charismastic each of the skaters are, and how well they dance, but
also showcasing their ability to skate so well together. The number
showcased Tessa to a certain extent, placing her in the center of the
group, being lifted by 2-4 of the guys. However, it also took turns
putting other skaters at the center as their friends skated around
them. At the end, all four guy skaters lifted Tessa to an umbrella
suspended above, and turned slowly so they faced everyone, which was
both a cool image and a nice tie-in to the ongoing umbrella theme in
the show.
The first act ended with a video making an appeal for World Vision,
and then Jeff Buttle coming out to ask people to contribute. This went
a bit better than past appeals, since Jeff didn't tell people to take
a child home with them ;).
ACT II
The second act opened with Tessa and Scott coming out to shill for
Lindt. I actually kind of love that Lindt is a sponsor of Stars on
Ice, not least because they handed out free chocolate at the end of
Tessa and Scott's bit in Hamilton.
Come Together - Cast
The group numbers of this year's show were wonderful, and this number
is no exception. Come Together's got a kind of cool rolling vibe to
it, and the choreography really taps into that.The skaters really seem
to get into it as well, especially the guys, looking all cool with
their hands on their belts. The number separates out the guys and
girls at first, and then brings them together in fun pairings. It also
has a bit of audience interaction, breaking with Stars on Ice
tradition of only having the skaters break out at the end of the
finale to shake hands with the audience. At one point in this number,
the skaters all break out to slap hands with the on-ice audience.
Overall, it's just a fun, cool group number, and a great way to start
the second act.
Seven Nation Army - Shawn Sawyer
I was a bit puzzled by Shawn's costume for this number - was it meant
to be a literal interpretation of band name? (White Stripes) A kind of
virtual straight jacket holding him in? He used it quite effectively,
though, along with his crazy eye makeup and slightly insane intense
glare. Shawn's got that degree of crazy insanity required to pull off
a White Stripes figure skating number the way it needs to be pulled
off. Shawn is *there* on the ice in a way very few skaters are -
amazing presence and performance quality.
Aerobics Class - Javier Fernandez (special guest performance in
Toronto)
In Toronto, the audience had a special treat in the form of World
bronze medalist Javier Fernandez, performing the exhibition number
Kurt Browning choreographed for him. The number is a comedic gem -
Javier plays an 1980's style aerobics instructor, complete with
sweats, boombox, and gym bag. The program heavily features Javier in
voiceover, teaching his class over a mix of 80s classics that are
often used in gym classes. The instructor is obviously very full of
himself, eventually stripping off his sweats to reveal a "Super Javi"
costume, complete with "J" on his chest and a red cape. He flirts with
various members of the audience, even going so far as to doing
one-footed pushup and dancing around. Eventually, he collapses from
exhaustion, only to have Kurt come out with a bucket of water and
douse him to get him going again. Javier fully commits to the
character, and he pulls it off beautifully. He had the audience fully
along for the ride - I haven't heard that much laughter from an
audience in a while at a skating performance.
True Colors - Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford
The only pairs team in the cast were the two-time Canadian champs
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford. They brought a sense of excitement
with their lifts and throws, as well as a heartfelt performance of
"True Colors" that effectively used a flowing scarf to accentuate
their moves. That scarf was passed off from Eric to Meagan and back
again, wrapping around Meagan while she spun, or flowing out of Eric's
hand during a death spiral. Duhamel and Radford draw from the vast
bag of Canadian pairs tricks, evoking Brasseur & Eisler, Sale &
Pelletier, and others at various points. It's nice to see.
Sweet Dreams - Ashley Wagner
While Joannie Rochette evoked angsty sensuality in her Sade number,
Ashley Wagner goes for a more aggressively sexy and in-your-face
approach with "Sweet Dreams". She does it well - the girl is not shy,
at least not on the ice, and her facial expressions are challenging
and intense. And she can move - she shimmies her entire body, getting
the whole thing into the choreography. I loved the choice of music and
thought she did a great job interpreting it.
In This Shirt - Jeffrey Buttle
I have to confess that when I saw this program, I thought "Jeff Buttle
does a great job with programs like this but they're a little bit too
similar". Imagine how stupid I felt when I realized I *had* seen this
program before, it wasn't just another similarly-styled
program. Oops. It is a style that suits Jeff particularly well,
though. The long lines, interesting body shapes, uniquely felt
musicality, and well-placed jumps and spins - it's no wonder Jeff won
the Medal Winners Open with this number.
Coronach - Sinead & John Kerr
I guess as the Scottish members of the cast, the Kerrs are uniquely
suited to perform such a Scottish number as this, but I have to say,
they not only pulled it off, they took it over the top. The sheer
energy level and nonstop movement was both exhausting and energizing
to watch. It blows me away how they can keep moving like that and yet
not fall out of sync with each other or forget to engage with the
audience. Programs like this really show why the Kerrs are such great
cast members in Stars on Ice - they bring a unique, audience-engaging,
entertaining energy all their own. John in a kilt is not such a bad
thing either.
That Man - Joannie Rochette
Stars on Ice is a great chance for skaters to show their versatility,
and it's definitely been a great showcase for Joannie Rochette. "That
Man" has an entirely different feel from "Is It a Crime" or other
programs that Joannie has done in recent years. It's a more stylized,
kind of older vaudeville-ish (?) style, and she pulls it off
well. When I first saw this number in the US tour, I thought Joannie
seemed to take a page out of Shawn's book, from his "We Speak No
Americano" number. There's a bit of that, but she does make it her own.
It's a very cute number.
Mannish Boy - Patrick Chan
The transition to Patrick's number worked a bit better in Canada than
it did with Ilia Kulik in the US. Joannie throws herself into
Patrick/Ilia's arms and tries to get him to dip her, but he just drops
her on the ice. In the US, Ilia just looked confused, and it was kind
of weird. Patrick's got this wide-eyed oblivious look and big grin
that kind of just works. He's ready to come out and skate his number,
and he's not really taking notice of this random girl who's trying to
ingratiate herself with him. I liked this number for Patrick - it's
got a loose feel to it, echoed in the simple white t-shirt he wears,
which he pulled off quite well. He seemed to really enjoy engaging
with and flirting with the audience, and the audience fully gave the
love back.
Carmen - Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir
I just saw Carmen at the Sydney opera, so it was particularly
interesting to watch Tessa and Scott's performance to music from
Carmen. All I can say is wow, just wow. Tessa really embodied the
tempestuous, passionate Carmen with all her inconsistencies and
shifting emotions. Pushing Scott away, passionately embracing him,
pulling him along, and everything in between - she just really
captured the character. And Scott matched her in the passion and
movement, really helping to bring the level of performance up even
more.
Singing in the Rain - Kurt Browning
In Canada, Ashley Wagner played the blonde girl whose kiss on the
cheek sets Kurt joyfully Singing in the Rain. Singing in the Rain is a
special program to begin with, and Kurt performs it awesomely, of
course (he has gotten particularly deft at handling that
umbrella). But there's a particularly special feeling to be in an
arena with an audience that recognizes the magic and is caught up in
the performance. There's just this feeling of excitement and love in
the air that's awesome. In Hamilton, this was particularly palpable
when Kurt's legs more or less gave out on him partway through. As a
Kurt fan, it was rather painful to watch as he fell and struggled to
keep going. Then there was the moment of realization that he couldn't
finish the program with the mistakes intact - at the end of the
program, rain falls from the rafters, and Kurt gets rather thoroughly
wet. If they had gone through with that part, then retakes would have
rather bad continuity errors with his wet suit and the wet
ice. However, since this is the last program of the evening before the
finale, and the rain falls into the beginning of the finale, Kurt had
no opportunity to rest - he had to immediately try to retake the
program with his tired legs. This took several tries and several stops
and starts, but the audience was with him the entire time. And Kurt
being Kurt, despite being tired and frustrated, he was still very
charming and funny and self-deprecating about it all.
Finale - Marching On - Cast
The TV broadcast of the finale is going to look a bit different than
what most cities see - most of the time Kurt stays on the ice as the
finale begins, the skaters skate around him, and at some point he
peels off and goes backstage. When he finally got all the way through
"Singing in the Rain" in Hamilton, he just left the ice after his
bows. Either way, this is a thoroughly enjoyable finale that uses the
umbrella theme (put in place in honor of Singing in the Rain) really
effectively. The skaters essentially use the umbrellas as marching
batons half the time, marching in rhythm and spinning them around. The
number really utilizes the ensemble part of an ensemble number,
creating nice patterns and images of the entire group moving together
in unison down the ice. There are great breakout moments too, such as
Scott and Tessa doing their signature goose lift, with umbrellas open,
and Kurt breaking out from nowhere to do some fast and furious
footwork down the ice. Overall, it's just a wonderful finale, and a
great way to end the show.
Retakes - Cast
Typically, the skaters take their bows, wave a lot, and leave the
ice. In Hamilton, of course, they had to do retakes of any mistakes
for the TV broadcast. In order to ensure that the audience sticks
around while the skaters get ready, they usually send one of them out
with a microphone. Most Kurt fans hope for Kurt, of course, since he's
usually reliably funny and engaging. And we weren't disappointed - to
his own dismay (he looked like he'd rather be resting backstage), Kurt
was handed the microphone and sent back out to talk to the
audience. He talked about Singing in the Rain, saying how he'd waited
20 years to do that program live, but forgot to tell his legs. The
sound engineer played a clip of Brickhouse, to his surprise, so he
tried to remember some of the choreography. He searched for ways to
kill time, complaining humorously that "it's just a zipper - it goes
up and down. How hard is it??" when the first skater took a long time
to emerge. When Jeff Buttle finally emerged (for "Just in Time", aptly
enough), Kurt seized the opportunity and disappeared immediately. The
subsequent retakes (Jeff, Patrick, Ashley, and Joannie) went smoothly
enough. But then, it was time to retake the "Wonder" five world
champons group number, since Patrick had randomly fallen during the
number. There was a great deal of ribbing of Patrick as the skaters
took the ice, with Patrick making fun of his own stumble. When Kurt
finally dragged himself on the ice, hunched over, and slowly
pretending to use a cane to get into place, he took his place and
yelled "Come on, Patrick!", and then straightened himself up. Retaking
group numbers is always interesting, since there are so many
opportunities for problems, and of course things didn't go smoothly
here. First, Tessa messed up and stopped dead, looking sheepish. Kurt
immediately made a beeline for some empty on-ice seats nearby, lying
down and putting his head in an audience member's lap, who pet his
head. Then, they started over and *Kurt* messed up, stepping right
instead of left, and immediately put his head down and headed off the
ice, stepping behind the camera like "ok, I'll do this job instead."
By this time, the skaters were barely holding it together. The
previous retakes had started with the individual skater introductions,
but this time around, they just jumped into "Tessa Virtue" and then
started the music. This startled Tessa, who had to quickly compose
herself and get into place. Luckily, this run through went without
incident, and the skaters were able to finish the retake (to Kurt's
relief). This time around, Kurt refused to take the microphone,
handing it to Patrick and kicking him out there, and then chucking ice
balls at his head as he ducked. Patrick chose the simple route, saying
that clearly they were all human, and thanking the audience for their
support. He also said that he, Tessa, and Scott were looking forward
to representing their country in Sochi in 2014, and then wished
everyone a safe drive home and said goodnight.
With that, another year of Canadian Stars on Ice was over for me. I
really enjoyed the show this year - the group choreography, as I
already mentioned, was stellar - very unique and different. The
individual skater performances were also wonderful, and overall it was
just a great show with a very high level of skating. I'm looking
forward to seeing what next year has to offer, and highly recommend
people to catch this year's show if they can!
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