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Stars on Ice Review - Seattle, WA & Portland, OR - Feb. 25-26, 2011
Written by Sachi
I attended two US SOI shows in Seattle and Portland (OR).
When we were waiting for the show in our seats in Seattle, I saw a
piece of confetti falling down and landed on the ice, so I asked a
guard by the tunnel to get rid of it. He did not look happy but went
to check with someone anyway, and later removed the piece by
himself.
Also in Seattle the SOI concessions were in confusion because none of
them can accept credit cards due to network trouble.
In Portland in the concourse, there were panels of SOI histories, and
panels like these.
I tried one of them ;) I also loved watching the history panels but I
did not have enough time to look very closely, so I took pictures of
every panel so I can enjoy them again later.
The attendance to the Seattle show was like 85%. In Portland it was
like 40% but the capacity was huge and the audience were louder than
in Seattle. In either show The top tier was closed and the ice seats
looked full.
In Seattle it was freezing outside, and in Portland it was freezing
inside.
Now finally the shows begin... I will skip the programs which I have
nothing new to add to many other reviews on the tour. I just wanted to
say most of the solo programs were way better than in Japan Tour.
[Opening I Like It - Cast]
They cut out the part Evan saying a few words in the beginning of the
opening. Instead, Kurt and four other boys just jumped out of the
tunnel with the music right after the "dream-full-filled" video.
I had seen the program for six times in Japan Tour, and I did not
think the opening this year was very good. It was like most of them
did not know how to interpret the music. The Lake Placid was a bit
better but still not very impressive.
Then in this weekend, things looked like finally working and I
actually loved the program!! Though I am not sure if it is the cast or
me who got changed.
[SOI talk - Kurt and Scott (on video)]
Usually I do not like when they spend time without really skating, but
this video-interaction was fun.
[Cinema Italiano - Katia Gordeeva]
This was a new program to me. She let you know she can dance. She really can.
[Use Somebody - Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto]
In Seattle when Ben took out the scarf, another piece of confetti fell
on the ice. What's wrong with this place??
[On the Golden Pond - Katia, Evan, Sale, Mike, & David]
Another new program to me. It was quiet and beautiful. Katia's
posture was again really outstanding in the group.
[Steppin' Out of My Mind - Kurt Browning]
I saw this program in Holiday Festival On Ice, and both the lyrics and
the voice-overs there were awfully muffled and very hard to catch. Then
in Japan both were really clear, and he had changed some of the words.
In Seattle and Portland, it was almost the same as the version I heard
in Japan, only there was additional part during the bow. (In Japan he
was quiet during the bow ;). In HFOI there was something after the bow
but I could not catch the words there.
Some were talking about the line "that was better!" sounds sarcastic. In
Seattle Kurt fell on the triple toe before the line. It was one of
biggest falls, with which he really lay straight on the ice, facing up
(though he may have done it on purpose after he fell). Then he got up,
listening to the words "that was better!" and gave a laugh wryly.
Anyway it is a fun program and his feet move like I had never seen
before... Love it.
[The Climb - Evan Lysacek]
The music really suits him and moves me when he skates to it. In
Portland I noticed Kurt was watching this program by the tunnel.
[Knock, Knock - Cast]
In Seattle the piano was blocking a big part of my view, and I could
not see Kurt and many others AT ALL when they were sitting in front of
the piano (for a too long time!), and I could not even watch some part
of skating. When you spent 150USD on a ticket, you would not expect
that your view would be like
this.
Believe or not, there are 7 skaters within the angle of the
picture.
In Portland the view was better but still annoyingly blocked. I wish
they change it to a shorter piano or a transparent one before CSOI.
As a side-note, there are some common moves between this program and
the Studz. When I saw a cowboy program by boys they did in Japan tour,
I thought that they took some moves from the Studz program. Then I
watched this program and noticed that most of the moves were taken
from the first part of this Knock-Knock number, really.
[Intermission]
During the intermission, they were giving us some quiz about past
SOI. One of them was like this: "which one of them never fell from the
ceiling?" The correct answer was confetti, but I just saw some fell in
the Seattle show.... :p
[Who's There? - Cast]
Evan looks really good in the leather jacket. I think he should do a
solo in those outfit.
[Show Me How You Burlesque - Joannie Rochette]
Love it, and now it is my favorite program of Joannie.
[Party in the Park - Kurt Browning, Sasha Cohen, & Todd Eldredge]
I am amazed at how they do it slightly differently every time, here
and there . I love how Todd performs a clown, what he does to the
finger-gun, the way Sasha escapes from Kurt by eagle, how he tries her
to reconcile with him, and how he fell by the kite... and on and on.
In Seattle, at the end of the program, Kurt tried to give Katia a
balloon, but Todd snatched it and gave it to Katia by himself.
Then in Portland Kurt and Todd just argued each other and left Katia
without giving her anything. Katia's expression to it was hilarious,
like a pouting small girl. It was very, very cute.
[I Believe in You and Me - Katia Gordeeva]
She let you know she has amazing edges. Just stunning.
[Beatbox Harmonica - Michael Weiss]
The program starts when a crew guy tries to fix one of the lights. I
saw that in Seattle, then in Portland before the show begins, I saw
the same guy was really working with a light. So... perhaps he really
is the light crew, or did he start acting before the show??
[(something like Charleston) - Tanith and Ben]
I love when they do like this light-hearted piece. I would not mind
if they do it longer. I also love how Ben introduce Sasha in fake
German accent LOL.
BTW they did not do the Bust A Move program by Tanith, Ben and Michael
anymore. They did it in Lake Placid and in some shows in Japan. It was
a short, refreshing program, in which Tanith was very charming.
[Mein Herr - Sasha Cohen]
This is my favorite program from Sasha, and my respect for her got
really raised high when I learned she choreographed it by herself.
In Portland the hat fell off from the blade she held up high, but
later she picked it up as if it had been choreographed so.
[Downstream - Kurt Browning]
My favorite program of Kurt is Triptico and this piece comes very close.
Simply beautiful.
In Seattle during this program, there was a moment which looks like he
had a problem, maybe with the ice, the blade or the leg, but I do not
know what it really was. Later he told me that the ice was not very
good. I was wondering if there were more pieces of confetti on the
ice...
In Portland, Downstream finished in laughter. This is how that happened:
Kurt was performing the program very beautifully as usual, then right
before the final glide, suddenly he fell. He looked like he could not
believe it. He got up soon but the beauty of this quiet program was
already ruined. He tried to continue but soon he gave bows with making
faces and arm gestures. Then he waved the index finger toward the PA
desk, saying "once more, once more" and tried to start the final glide
again... but no audio came out and it did not work anyway as the
audience kept laughing and cheering since the first bow. He soon gave
up and bowed again, then retreated from the ice.
[Introducing Alumni by Kurt]
Perhaps Kurt might have turned the accident into one of the most
entertaining moments in the show if there had been a microphone for
Kurt to pick up in Portland. Unfortunately there was not.
In Seattle there was, and Kurt introduced two skaters who were in the
audience. Kurt was still out of breath when he picked up the
microphone and he had to say some lines twice.
Kurt told us that when they are on tour local alumni often visit them
and they hug and kiss in the backstage. Since this is 25th
anniversary, they will try something different: hug and kiss in front
of the audience.
Then he introduced Rosalynn Sumners and Linda Fratianne (according to
the introduction, perhaps Linda is not a SOI alumnus but since she was
there), and they hugged and kissed.
[El Tango de Roxanne - Evan Lysacek]
They stopped doing the short tango-dance in the dark before Evan's
Roxane, that I saw in Lake Placid video.
[The Best - Cast]
Back in January in Japan Tour, I thought the finale this year was too
simple. I thought It would have been good enough for any other shows
but SOI. The finale last year was fabulous and I found this years
a bit dull.
But then in these shows it did not bug me as it did in January. Also I
noticed they did add some choreography. I am glad they did.
The part Todd and Kurt doing 2T was changed to Russian splits, and I
think the splits are better.
In Lake Placid video there was a part when the cast scattered to the
ice seats and shake hands with the audience... I did not notice the
part in either show I attended.
I was trying to take some photos but my camera is not a very good
one. The best focus I managed on the cast was this.
To sum up, I really enjoyed the shows =)
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