Apologies for the length of this post. I meant to write this a couple days ago but didn’t quite have the desire to retype everything that disappeared the first time I tried to write my review. So this will be an abridged version of that (and trust me, that’s a good thing) as there’s not a whole lot that I can add that hasn’t already been said.
First, I’m glad people appreciate the videos. In truth, I took some of them as a way for me to see better. As
@Poptarts mentioned, the VIP seats weren’t the greatest if you weren’t in Row A. I’m actually a little annoyed at myself for picking the seats that I did. When I bought them, Row A was sold out. I debated between Row B or D. I ended up choosing D thinking that it might be easier to stand up, or kneel in my seat, without bothering anyone behind me. But ultimately, I think B would have been the better choice.
The VIP seats are one of my two complaints. There were 4 rows, but all on the same level. Which might not be a problem for tall people, but if you’re short like me then it was really hard to see. To be fair, they were set up in a way that allowed for people to move them around a bit in order to get a better line of sight. But if they do this again, I’d like to see them put the seats behind Row A on a bit of elevation. If they added even 2 inches to the height of Row D it would have helped. And I don’t think it would obstruct the view of the seats in the stands behind the VIP section any more than it was already obstructed.
So the videos - The first few I took with my arms raised uncomfortably high so I could actually see what was happening through the screen. Eventually, my husband and I got up and stood at the back left side of the section. There were a couple other people who stood for the whole show, and eventually a few more people stood where we were standing.
And that brings me to my second complaint: the sound system. The people speaking, and the music were really muffled. At first I just assumed that it’s a smaller rink and chalked it up to just not having the technology for a good audio system. But when my husband and I decided to stand, I worried that we were blocking someone’s line of sight behind us. I sent my husband out to gauge if we were standing in a spot that was blocking anyone’s view. At which point he discovered that the audio was only muffled inside the hockey glass. Apparently outside the glass everything sounded clear. I’m not sure if there’s ultimately anything that can be done about that, but it seemed like if they raised the speakers above the hockey glass it may have made the audio clear both inside and out.
In the end though, we had a great time and I have zero regrets about going. The atmosphere of the event was different from Stars On Ice. I don’t think it was just because of the smaller venue. There was a different energy. And it was a positive thing. I think bringing in performers other than just the stars helped with that atmosphere. I’ve been to quite a few SOI shows over the years. But I’ve also been to 2 exhibition shows in Europe (Music on Ice in Switzerland and the Europeans Gala from this past January). I think the easiest way to describe what I’m struggling to put into words is that this show had a more European vibe to it. With the theater on ice group, the fire guy, the young skaters - it just worked. I think it felt fresh, compared to what feels like a bit of stagnancy with SOI. Plus the audience was so enthusiastic. I was surprised at how loud the audience was! I definitely think a show like this could be successful if they make it an annual thing. It was truly an amazing lineup for such a small scale production. The skaters all looked like they were happy to be there which was nice to see.
I’ve seen people saying here and on other forums that the meet and greet was chaotic. I honestly didn’t think it was too bad. It was no more chaotic than some of the SOI meet and greets I’ve been to. Could it have been more organized? Probably. But it worked out fine in the end. Plus, all the VIPs were given free programs and we could take a free poster to get signed if we wanted to. The skaters were all chatty and super friendly. I had met some of them before, but this was the first time I got to meet Deanna & Maxime, Isabeau, and Ilia. And Donovan! I was so happy to see Donovan there. I’ll say this for the organizers: they knew who fans wanted to see. I also got Gracie Gold to autograph her book for me which made my night. I felt a bit awkward asking her to sign it since I didn’t notice anyone else with the book or anyone else getting anything other than a poster or program signed. But she was so sweet and kind, and now I just love her even more than I already did.
The price point for everything was perfect in my opinion. $120+fees for on ice seats, early entry to the arena, meet and greet, free program, and access to the bar & grill was an extremely good deal. Hopefully if the show does become an annual thing the price point won’t get much higher.
So all in all it was a great time!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6AwPEzrfDA/ (Insta story recaps - opening clip from/credited to @Brooklet!)
youtube.com
to the audience, and Philip Warren is in the accompanying group photo. 
, per his own Instastories and a supportive one from Ari. Philip is holding his crutches in the photo.
Hope to see him in a future show…just so they also bring back THE Fire Guy!
). And thanks for all of the reviews and behind the scenes info, etc!
? I was chatting with some of the Theater skaters and they were chowing on Chipolte. Right before the show ended I saw some skaters with loaded plates that looked so good .
#priorities 
