Stars on Ice Canada Tour April 22-May 14

[Treblenoi]

Blade1 your pictures are great. You really got some wonderful shots. After taking a second look it struck me that I have never seen David like you captured him....he is usually smiling...he has a great smile, but looks so unhappy here...what music did they skate too? (glad to see him smiling in the group numbers though!)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=223033&id=508943271&l=7fc77a09fa#!/photo.php?pid=5517588&id=508943271

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=223033&id=508943271&l=7fc77a09fa#!/photo.php?pid=5517593&id=508943271&fbid=42

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=223033&id=508943271&l=7fc77a09fa#!/photo.php?pid=5517596&id=508943271&fbid=429252273271

True - interesting to see the difference in those photos between Jamie/David and Marie-France/Patrice.

[Rosietwo]

Obviously not skating fans. They may have seen the CSOI advertisement on CTV during the Olympics, and decided to attend because they wanted to see Joannie (heard about her ordeal on the news) and perhaps Tessa & Scott. They have no clue who anybody else was. :lol:

Similar experience in Toronto - the family behind me were obviously not regular skating fans as they only seemed to know the recent Olympic skaters and Kurt. The father was totally gob-smacked during Kurt's hockey-skate number and kept up a running commentary to his wife...."how can he do that...that's impossible...holy cow!!!" etc. It was quite funny listing to him.

And still on the subject of advance order forms....anyone know if they are available from another source? I e-mailed the CSOI general information contact but didn't get a response.

[jenji124]

My thoughts from the Hamilton show(a little late), I'm from the United Sates so it was interesting to see Canadians skate on their 'home' ice. Overall my friend and I had a great time, we thought it was a great show better than the US version we saw the night before. The crowd was much more receptive to the skaters overall it was a really great crowd to be a part of.

-I was :lol: at the lady in front of us knitting before the show started. I thought about comments from here
-Joannie is loved. There was a standing ovation before she even started skating her program.
-there seemed to be something missing between Jamie and David, I've been a fan of theirs for a long time and they seemed tense. I loved their second program, amazing tricks. They did have to come back out a retape part of the program and their banter with each other was very funny.
-Marie-France and Patrice are :smokin:
-Kurt is funny, love watching him skate
-Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison loved the song they skated to :swoon: They are a beautiful couple to watch.
-Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir loved the hockey/ballerina it's cute and fun. So glad I saw their FD live it's gorgeous in person. They are wonderful to watch I got completely sucked into them.
-The group numbers are fantastic. I love the music they use in each number. I know someone mentioned this farther up thread but Tessa knows how to move, she was the one I was drawn too watching and she looked so happy really great to see.

The show was taped so if anyone is able to let me know when it will be on tv and how I can get a copy of it I would be very appreciated. If you get a chance to go I would recommend going it's a great show.

[lenac03]

Definitely agree with you about Marie-France and Patrice. The show was barely family-friendly after they skated. Smokin'!

And when Jessica and Bryce are good, they're lovely to watch. Can't stop listening to that song.

One of my favorite moments was the nice lady from Canada asking me why I don't have an accent (I'm from Texas).

[quebecoise]

The show was taped so if anyone is able to let me know when it will be on tv and how I can get a copy of it I would be very appreciated. If you get a chance to go I would recommend going it's a great show.

It is normally aired each year in November. Someone will say the exact date and time on this board during the automn.

[TalentedButHumble]

Does it air as "early" as the fall? It seems like it's always been the following spring. (Maybe those were repeats?) Either way, it's not soon enough. :P

And is it going to be on CBC?

[quebecoise]

Does it air as "early" as the fall? It seems like it's always been the following spring. (Maybe those were repeats?) Either way, it's not soon enough. :P

And is it going to be on CBC?

I checked to be sure and the last few years, they showed it a first time somewhere in December and in repeat during winter(normally in March), except for the 2008 Tour that they showed it first in March 2009, not in the spring. I guess it will also be on CBC like it used to.

[jenji124]

Thanks for letting me know. I'll be on the look out for it and then try to get my hands on it. :lol:

[shutterbug]

Wheeeeeee, just found out our club got passes for today’s practice at the MTS Centre! Totally excited. :rollin:

[WildRose]

Live coverage of the cast warming up before the show in Winnipeg:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/LIVE-at-5-pm-Stars-on-Ice-preview-from-MTS-Centre-92985069.html

[AragornElessar]

why cant you go in cheap seats ? are those all taken?

Because I'm legally blind and need those seats to be able to see the show properly. Anything past Row 5 is a waste of my money, but trying to get those seats is a Royal Pain and a half.

I did manage to get a First Row Seat, but it was right beside the tunnel to and from the ice and I wouldn't have gotten that if I didn't know that any Sponsor Tickets that aren't used go on sale to the General Public the day of the show. So I had the seat I needed, but was in the worst possible posistion to see the show this year.

I still had a great time and it was a much better show this year compared to last year's beyond a shadow of a doubt. I went into the ACC w/my heart in my throat after that hot horrible mess that was last year's show, but was sooooo happy to see a much improved show this year.

Did anyone else that went to the Toronto show see the four girls dressed up like Tessa and Scott for their Ballerina/Hip Hop number? Two of them had on the Cdn Olympic Hockey Jersey and jeans and the other two were wearing sparkly white tops and white tutus. They also had a sign and I saw them trying to get backstage to meet up w/Tessa and Scott. The usher wasn't going for it though. Still...In all my years of attending skating events, I've never seen anyone show up in replicas of a skater's/teams costumes before.

I do have to give them a bit of credit, as it was indeed a decent try, but it wasn't happening.

Hope those of you seeing the show out West have as great a time as I did last Friday. :)

[WildRose]

Hi-lights from the first part of tonight's show in Winnipeg:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/LIVE-at-5-pm-Stars-on-Ice-preview-from-MTS-Centre-92985069.html

[Bailey_]

Just home from the Winnipeg show. I have to say, the best show I've seen in years. Music was upbeat, fun, and the show went so fast. It was so nice to have lighting again. A few thoughts -

Everyone skated really well. There were no falls that I remember aside from a slip by Jamie while stroking during "Try."

Adam Rippon was cuter in person than on tv. He has some development to do before he becomes a real show skater.

Shawn Sawyer skated very well and got big applause for his flexibility and back flips.

I loved Cynthia Phaneuf - a wonderful addition to the show.

Jeff Buttle - nice programs, good skates.

Joannie Rochette - Unbelievably beautiful. There's not much more to say, she has grown into a beautiful young woman and an absolutely fantastic skater. She skated to Summertime for her second program

Kurt Browning - LOVED both numbers this year. Especially loved seeing That's Entertainment. Back in the day, it was not my favorite program but watching it again I was struck by how magical it was when he did all the triples and was skating at his best.

Sale and Pelletier - I have to agree with some of the things that have been said - they did not have their usual spark. Their performance to Try was shaky at best - he looked like he was going through the motions and she looked like she would have rather been anywhere else. Her smile usually beams through the arena but not tonight. They hardly seemed to make eye contact through the whole number. They got a LONG standing ovation for their second number to Scream and they both seemed quite touched by the response of the crowd.

Virtue and Moir - Fabulous!! There was a little girl sitting behind us who giggled through their first number and it was so sweet. I personally was disappointed with Mahler - it was the program I was most looking forward to seeing and they cut half of the program out. I was skating each step with them and was totally distracted when the music and choreography changed. It felt short and was very disappointing for me.

But, overall a wonderful show!! It was nice to see a big crowd and a great production. Well done.

[Skate Talker]

So I was also at the Winnipeg show. It was really a great show. Did is it just seem short, or was it really short compared to other years? It was a pretty full crowd from my viewpoint - which surprised me as I bought my ticket as a walk-up.

As already mentioned, Jamie did have the slip and it looked like they left out a throw, but they had one later in the number and I don't think they do more than one per number now, do they? More likely some kind of lift. Try is one of my favorite songs and I really enjoyed them. Too bad I inadvertently read the rumours just a few days ago - that was a bit distracting and something I would rather not hear about. I absolutely loved the 4's number with Marie and Patch. And David and Jamie looked like they were having all kinds of fun with their second number - as Bailey mentioned they looked touched by the audience reaction. Along with Kurt they certainly seemed to be the crowd favourites.

Marie and Patch were beautiful and breathtaking and SSSSSSSizzling. Show skating certainly seems to agree with these two.

I don't want to end my review on a down note so I will turn to Scott and Tessa next. I was surprisingly entertained by their first number. I thought having seen it so many many times I would be a bit bored but two things made it work - the reaction of the crowd - especially the small fry - and the give-it-all-you've-got way that they performed the number. As many have mentioned - Tessa really shines out in the group numbers - I thought more-so than in their individual numbers.

Now the disappointment - Mahler. I was so looking forward to getting lost in the magic of their skating. What happened was that a number of people in a close-by section decided to wait until they started skating to get up and leave! They were given place of honour to be the highlight of the show and people started to leave - SPEECHLESS! Unfortunately my seats that were so great to see all of the action were on a corner and therefore these yahoos were too much in my field of vision - too distracting. They took forever to get out. A very small number in my own section left and being on the aisle that was un-good, but at least they were quick about it. Unfortunately another family aborted their plan to leave early but already had their preschooler geared up to go quickly so she wiggled up and down a few steps beside me flashing her bright boots through the whole number making it impossible to concentrate on the magic. I was so disappointed. I tried holding my hand up to that side of my face but then she just wiggled down more and back into my field of vision again. Grudgingly I admit I am thankful she was not also being noisy. In fact, all of the little ones in my section behaved very well indeed. I understand it is a long evening for these tykes and I don't begrudge them the chance to see such a magical skating show at their age - just that for me the timing was bad. If it had of been a peppy number - or I hadn't been so looking forward to this specific performance I probably wouldn't have really noticed. I am jealous of the "could have heard a pin drop" comments from other shows. Strangely enough, only this one family left during the finale - everyone else stayed put.

Poor Kurt was struggling a bit and I thought I could sense some frustration on his part, especially during Lady Luck and the finale. Nothing really bad though and it seemed to me he had plenty of gas for That's Entertainment, which even in this form is a very demanding number. I still love love love the footwork in the "Off to see the Wizard" part and the "how did he do that" part where he does the scarecrow collapsing down onto the ice and popping up again. For me it once again proves he is an absolute skating genius and we are so fortunate to have been able to see him live in our lifetime.

Jeff Buttle - well someone must have found his jumps and sent them to him because I thought he was absolutely ON last night. His skating skills and musicality really shone in both his numbers. It was magical to me. He was definitely one of the big highlights of the evening for me.

Adam Rippon - okay this is my overheard "duh". When Adam was introduced a couple of ladies behind me said "Who" in chorus. Of all the skaters, I was most surprised by Adam. I really expected to be more wowed by him. He comes across well on the tube, usually, with such smooth skating and lovely line - and lots of personality. I saw only brief flashes of it - don't know if it is the music he chose not being a good fit or if it was that he doesn't skate "big" enough yet to reach the cheap seats where I was seated. (They may have been cheap but it was a perfect spot to see everything well - and situated just below the uber-expensive private boxes.)

Okay now, on to Shawn Sawyer. This is my first time seeing him live, I think. (Did he compete at 2001 Canadians?) He didn't look as slow to me as I thought he would. I enjoyed his musical selections and his uniqueness. Not the best jumper last night but not bad for Shawn. Was he actually late for the start of the second half, or is that part of the shtick they do everywhere? (Big roar from the crowd to hear that Montreal had won their game as announced by Kurt while supposedly trying to fill in time waiting for Shawn.)

I think there are only the two ladies left to talk about now.

Joannie was, in-a-word, beautiful. Slight hand down on her first jump, else very consistently good. She is very elegant and though I so enjoy getting to see new numbers from all skaters I have to say that Summertime in the second half was by far the more impressive of her two numbers, so thanks for bringing that one back again. I still remember the first time I saw that and being so blown away - it is even better now imho.

Actually, it was seeing Joannie perform in Stars on Ice years ago that first let me see that she truly had the goods to be a World medalist. She was my surprise of the show the first time she toured. Obviously the show atmosphere suited her more than the competitive one because she was so much freer in her movements and expression. It took a couple of years of touring and very hard work for her to let that come out in her competitive numbers imho. At first I found it frustrating not to see it when I knew she was so capable, then when it started to show, it was frustrating that it took the judges a while to catch on to her improvements and basic skating quality. I'm sure glad everything finally came together for her skating these past 2 years - she certainly deserves it.

Cynthia Phaneuf might have been my biggest surprise, but having read other reviews on this board I was already prepared to see some serious show magic from her - and she didn't disappoint. I am glad I got to see her in person at this stage of her career because I can clearly see now why the judges reward her skating skills. I had not been able to see this so well on tv broadcasts.

We are so blessed to have such great Canadian skaters and this was a great blend of styles and ages. Although I would have liked to see a larger international component, I would not have wanted to "trade in" any of the Canadian skaters we had last night. I think another pairs team would have been really nice to add into the mix. I always enjoy them so much in show skating.

One final audience note - the young lady (teenager?) in the seat below me was so wound up, even just in finding her seat before the show that I was worried she would be jumping up and down all night. No worries - she remained wound up but managed to confine it to her seat and keep it down to a quiet roar :lol: which added more to the excitement of the night rather than causing a distraction.

I hope everyone yet to go this year will get as good a show as we did in Winnipeg. If you haven't got your tickets yet and are still thinking about it - well having seen it I am so glad I decided to go. I only bought the least expensive ticket and was well pleased with it. (Of course that could be due to the arena and which seat I lucked into.)

[lise]

Thanks for the reviews!

I was wondering; what are these rumors about Jamie and David? I haven't heard anything.