48th "An Evening with Champions" (Harvard's annual Jimmy Fund benefit), Sept. 14 & 15, 2018

[Sylvia]

https://www.aneveningwithchampions.org
https://www.aneveningwithchampions.org/cast.html

The 2018 Cast

SPECIAL GUEST
Oleg Protopopov: 1964 and 1968 Olympic Champion, 4-time World Champion, 4-time European Champion with late wife Ludmila Belousova

HOSTS
Emily Hughes: 2006 Olympian, Harvard Class of 2011, 2007 US Silver Medalist
Paul Wylie: 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist, Harvard Class of 1991, 2008 US Figure Skating Hall of Fame Inductee, 1981 Junior World Champion

LADIES
Kimmie Meissner: 2006 Olympian, 2006 World Champion, 2007 US National Champion, 2007 Four Continents Champion
Kailani Craine: 2018 Olympian, 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy Champion, 4-time Australian National Champion, 2015 Lombardia Trophy Junior Champion
Angela Wang: 2017 Bavarian Open Champion, 3-time ISU Challenger Series Medalist, 2018 Four Continents Competitor
Selena Zhao: Harvard Class of 2020 (Cabot House), Canadian Junior National Champion, World Junior Championship Competitor
Sharita Taylor: 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games Bronze Medalist, 2017 Honorary ESPY Award Recipient
Molly Malone: Member of North Shore Skating Club, Former Dana Farber Cancer Institute Patient
Tiffany Lau: Harvard Class of 2019 (Eliot House), 6-time Hong Kong National Medalist and international competitor, 2014 Skate Down Under Bronze Medalist

MEN
Vincent Zhou: 2018 Olympian, 2-time US National Medalist, 2017 World Junior Champion, 2013 US Junior Champion
Ross Miner: 4-time US National Medalist, 2012 Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 3-time ISU Grand Prix medalist, 2009 US Junior Champion
Alex Johnson: 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy Silver Medalist, 2013 International Challenge Cup Silver Medalist, 2009 US Junior Mens Bronze Medalist
Elladj Baldé: 2015 Nebelhorn Trophy Champion, 3-time Four Continents Competitor, 2008 Canadian Junior Champion
Kevin Shum: MIT Class of 2019, Beta Theta Pi, 2-time U.S. Junior Mens Silver Medalist, World Junior Championship Competitor
Kelvin Li: Harvard Class of 2021 (Leverett House), 2-time US National Competitor, 2015 Midwestern Sectional Champion

PAIRS
Melanie Lambert and Fred Palascak: 1995 US Junior Pairs Pewter Medalists (Lambert: Torvill and Dean’s Dancing On Ice Series 2 Champion; Palascak: ABC’s Skating with the Stars Champion)
Cate Fleming and Jedidiah Isbell: 2018 US Intermediate Pairs Silver Medalist, 2016 US Juvenile Pairs Bronze Medalist

GROUPS
Haydenettes: 5-time World Championships Bronze Medalist, 26-time US National Champions
Team Excel Junior: 2018 US National Competitors
Encore of Boston: 4-time Theatre On Ice National Medalist
HUFSC: Harvard Figure Skating Team, US Collegiate Skating Chapter

SKATING WITH CHAMPIONS WINNER
Dayoon Chang: 2018 New England Regional Junior Ladies Champion, 4-time Eastern Sectional Competitor
Erica Biner: 2018 New England Regional Competitor

 

[maureenfarone]

Great cast. Hope we see some fan cams since the event usually is not on tv.

 

[Sylvia]

Just a note that Vincent Zhou currently is scheduled to compete in the ISU Challenger in Salt Lake City (Men's SP is on 9/13 and FS on 9/14) so his appearance here is yet to be confirmed.

 

[tamms]

Yay for the full cast list! I bought the tickets when the list wasn’t posted so I had no idea who I’d get to watch.

Great to see Oleg as a special guest but I’ll miss watching him and Ludmila on the ice. They are so magical to watch in person. RIP, Ludmila.

Love that they invited Kailani Crane and Elladj Balde!

 

[Sylvia]

Tarah Kayne and Danny O’Shea have been added and will perform at the Saturday show only; Vincent Zhou is now listed as Saturday only as well (flying in from SLC).

 

[snoopysnake]

Damn. I picked Friday for the tickets and now find out that two major acts are only skating on Saturday. I hope they have something extra for Friday, then. This pattern is getting worse.

 

[Frau Muller]

Oleg Protopopov! A potential new partner for Stolbova?

 

[Sylvia]

Alex Johnson tweeted: https://twitter.com/Alex_M_Johnson/status/1039651211904012290

Super excited to announce that I have a new SP to “Don’t Stop the Music” by Jamie Cullum - choreographed by the one and only Shae Lynn! I’ll be debuting it this weekend at Evening with Champions! If you’re in the Boston area, come support a great cause! @eveningwchamps

 

[snoopysnake]

The organizers said that the only substitute we'll get on Friday tickets is the Harvard Skating Club. I wish someone with some experience like Ross Miner or Kimmie Meissner will skate a second number in the show.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

I wish Ashley Wagner was there. Thinking of going on Saturday.

 

[snoopysnake]

Very entertaining show. The highlight for me was the tribute to Ludmila Protopopov (a film on the videotron featuring excerpts from many of the Protopopovs' EWC performances, all to the music of "Fascination.") Oleg then skated a solo to "Fascination" which he dedicated to his late wife and to all the women watching. It was so moving - and it seemed like her spirit was right there skating with him. Fred and Melanie dedicated their performance to them, and then presented a promising novice team (Fleming/Isbell) who they are coaching.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

I was at the show on Saturday it was indeed very moving to see Oleg skate. His arm movements towards the sky made us all cry. I remember seeing him in that pink outfit with Ludmila years ago.

 

[tamms]

I also watched the Saturday show and enjoyed it so much. Definitely had tears in my eyes when they started showing Oleg and Ludmila’s video and then it was just so moving to see him skate.

I hope they invite Elladj more often. Loved his program and his energy! Those back flips are always appreciated from me. Same goes for Kailani. She seems like a very sweet person.

Also great to watch Vincent in person!

 

[clairecloutier]

So I attended the show on Saturday and spoke with some of the skaters afterward. Here's my article about the show for Figure Skaters Online. Included are some updates on Angela Wang, Tarah Kayne/Danny O'Shea, Vincent Zhou, Ross Miner, and Marissa Castelli:

http://figureskatersonline.com/news...pays-tribute-to-ludmila-belousova-protopopov/

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks so much for your uplifting report, Claire!

 

[Bonita]

Thanks for the great review. I was wondering what had happened to Marissa.

It sounds like it was a great show and I regret not going. I wouldn't have made it through Oleg's performance without a box of tissues, though.