Stars on Ice Looks to 2025 For Next U.S. Tour

[Debbie S]

He said he would consider ice shows in 2025. His pre med program starts in June. The program is very challenging given similar programs would take two years to finish.

They're either 1 or 2 years. Nathan may have already taken some of the required courses (in his book, he mentioned that he took chemistry during his first 2 years in college), so he might need less time than others. If he's planning on shows in 2025, that may indicate that he won't have academic commitments then.

(Typically, students take the MCAT at the end of the program and start the application process the following year, so there is effectively a year break.)

 

[Theatregirl1122]

What kind of premed program is Nathan doing? Most doctors I know just got a relevant degree and hit the pre-reqs in undergrad

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Didn't SOI start up partially because of the old ice Capades and Ice Follies were no longer catering to modern tastes? Maybe it's time for an ice show format that's of interest to the Tim Tok generation?

 

[skatingguy]

Didn't SOI start up partially because of the old ice Capades and Ice Follies were no longer catering to modern tastes? Maybe it's time for an ice show format that's of interest to the Tim Tok generation?

Scott Hamilton, and his manager, started Stars on Ice when Hamilton's contract with Ice Capades wasn't renewed.

P.S. Tim Tok generation?

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Scott Hamilton, and his manager, started Stars on Ice when Hamilton's contract with Ice Capades wasn't renewed.

P.S. Tim Tok generation?

Ducking autocorrect!

 

[Debbie S]

What kind of premed program is Nathan doing? Most doctors I know just got a relevant degree and hit the pre-reqs in undergrad

A number of colleges/universities offer a post-bacc pre-med program, for students who weren't able to complete the pre-med reqs in undergrad (decided on med school too late in their college career, or in Nathan's case, traveling a lot). It's a 1-2 year intensive program where they just take the pre-med req courses. At the end, they take the MCAT and apply, so typically they have a gap year between finishing the program and starting med school.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Didn't SOI start up partially because of the old ice Capades and Ice Follies were no longer catering to modern tastes? Maybe it's time for an ice show format that's of interest to the Tim Tok generation?

The Ice Follies/Ice Capades model that I remember from my childhood -- I didn't see it when Dorothy Hamill tried to revive one of them -- was more like the TV variety shows that came after the heyday of vaudeville and maybe even radio variety shows: a bunch of everything. In skating terms that's from the chorus kick lines to the skating fruit and dancing bears on skates to props programs to the solo and Pairs programs, serious and comic. Something for everyone in the family, as they used to say.

And going to one of those shows was an occasion. When I lived in the Boston area after college in the early '80's, I went to a used clothing store and bought a tuxedo. I wore it to a Bruins game, and when I put hand into the jacket pocket absent-mindedly, I pulled out two ticket stubs from the 1958 Ice Capades.

Those shows on mainstream media died out long ago, so it's not surprising that their skating counterparts did too, and that skating shows mostly morphed into the COI/SOI model having exhibition programs with an intro and finale, and then with SOI, group numbers, since people saw the same on TV during the boom. If something is going to be pretty disconnected despite the attempts to hang a theme on things, why would you want to have to sit through things that don't grab you, when you're used to moving on to something else on your phone when that happens? If you really like skater X, why go to see them on SOI when you can pull up a zillion vidoes of them skating the same thing, even if it takes a VPN? It's not like back-in-the-day where if you lived in a smaller city or market, your choice was to see what decided to come your way on the day it did. Now, you whip out your phone.

 

[overedge]

FWIW the most successful touring ice shows right now are the Disney on Ice shows, where the "stars" are the Disney characters. Not star skaters.

ETA from Scott H's autobiography: "Though champion skaters may draw their own audience, that's not why families come to [shows like Ice Capades]. They come for pleasure and entertainment. But I always believed there was an untapped market for a skating production to entertain more diverse audiences: the hardcore skating fans and the general show-going public."

 

[kwanfan1818]

FWIW the most successful touring ice shows right now are the Disney on Ice shows, where the "stars" are the Disney characters. Not star skaters.

Similarly with the Cirque ice shows, where the stars are the characters and the overall, almost uninterrupted motion of the production. While there are well-known skaters in it, even short solos further the story line and don't pull you out of the experience. Plus they've got people doing aerials and skaters are flying off ramps etc. and everything transitions seamlessly.

 

[Judy]

Perhaps, but I'm curious how CSOI will do without Kurt Browning.

He’s directing and choreographing but who knows.

 

[kalamalka]

I've never been much into skating shows, which are a whole lot of money for not much skating compared with competitions. I do enjoy the group numbers at SOI - just about anything other than straight exhibition-type numbers. OTOH, some of the SOIs I've been to (have been going for several years to take Rosaleen - I usually passed on them before) have been really enjoyable, like last year's CSOI. And probably the best skating show I remember was the combination of dance and skating that was done in Vancouver in the early 2000s (Gotta Skate). To me it makes a difference when there's a thoughtfully put together program/show, especially with numbers that were developed just for that show and involving combinations of skaters (or skaters and other performers) that one wouldn't otherwise see.

 

[zee703]

I think they ought to use the Champions on Ice format: pro skaters, and a few amateurs (skating their current competitive programs). I attended two COI shows, a year apart, and saw a wonderful mix of Olympic medalists and some current competitors. No silly skits...just outstanding figure skating. This was back before sad, whispery ballads, though.

 

[Carolla5501]

I think they ought to use the Champions on Ice format: pro skaters, and a few amateurs (skating their current competitive programs). I attended two COI shows, a year apart, and saw a wonderful mix of Olympic medalists and some current competitors. No silly skits...just outstanding figure skating. This was back before sad, whispery ballads, though.

Well, that model didn’t work either which is why COI is out of Business.

Unfortunately, the diehard skating fans on here are not going to keep a skating show in business, they’re not enough of us

 

[mtnskater]

I did fly from Denver to Anaheim last year for the SOI show mainly to see Nathan because I was no longer seeing him at U.S. Nationals and I really missed him. But I also wanted to see Kurt Browning’s last SOI. We also included Disneyland and Laguna Beach and stayed for a week. Great trip! Was hoping to do it all again this year. Hopefully next year. Would love to see Samuel Mindra added to the cast. And of course Amber should be invited next year!

 

[KCC]

I went to the last SOI because I liked the entire group. They really seemed to enjoy being together and it was a very happy, uplifting event. At the meet & greet, you could tell that they genuinely enjoyed their time together. If there was any tension, they hid it well. I've had individual favorites before, but as a whole group, this was my favorite cast by far.