Loved the show knew I should have taped it. Also liked the lloyd and Scott routine. tharrtell if you've got the chance to see the show go for it, your lucky there in your area. Not getting to see any this year due to the fact that neither show will be in my area.
Since I've seen most of what was presented on SOI last night, it was double joy. Especially I loved G&G and Paul Wylie. It's going to take some truly excellent skaters with total integrety to replace them - or, probably I should say - match their excellence. No one can replace them. Especially G&G.
I'm so pleased Katia and Kulik are together. they did a couple of steamy skates on SOI a few years back. SOI showed one clip of them together which pleased me greatly.
All in all, it was a good show. I liked the chair number because I watched the different personalities take charge and compared them to others doing the same thing. Kulik and Sur were the best by far. Their minds are brilliant.
I just would like to have seen some of the new numbers that are for 2004. I know it was a teaser to get more people to get out and buy tickets; I think it worked. I just can't do that anymore and the SOI on TV is something I looked forward to each year.
I have come to two of their shows in Orlando; I came to one competition in Daytona Beach. I wish I could do more. Good figure skating really is beautiful and is one of my passions.
sh
I really enjoyed this lengthy commercial, but sure hope they are going to show the real show down the line. For those of us here in the wilderness (Butte, MT) , seeing SOI live is not much of an option--I think the closest place this year is Denver, and that's a "fur piece" to travel. For its first 3 years in business, SOI started its tour here, and always had standing room only crowds. I always wonder if sold-out crowds in smaller arenas aren't better than poor sales in big ones, but apparently not. :(
I LOVE SOI and I only started going in '93 to see Paul Wylie. From '93 to '98 I saw both SOI and COI every year, but then they stopped bringing COI to NYC. They are different kinds of shows and different people tend to like one more than the other. I started off like both equally, but as time went on, I came to prefer SOI. I like the continuity of having a theme from beginning to end, seeing skaters do more than one number, the creativity, and especially the group pieces, whether they be a trio or the entire cast. One of the best pieces of choreography I've ever scene in dance or figure skating was Sandra Bezic's "Four Corners" in '99.
I love "Chairmen" (big surprise, lol). I once did a dance on rolling typewriter chairs and let me tell you, the specific strength you need in your thighs is killer. Of course I understand that some people wouldn't like it, but from a skating standpoint, it's HARD!
I too wished they'd shown more Ilia, but at least we got to see him in "Chairmen." Besides, with him being conspicuously absent from the tour, for whatever reason, SOI isn't exactly going to advertise, "And here is Ilia Kulik doing one of our Top 8 Great Skates--but he's not with SOI anymore even though he's still skating." I won't kvetch; for all I know it's Ilia's decision not to do SOI. I sure wish he would though. He was the star of the show from '99 through '02 and that's not opinion, it's fact--because my "cool guy, wouldn't be caught dead at a skating show" cousin said, "I say that guy's stealin' the show!"I do hope he skates with SOI again someday--soon.
Paul Wylie, Kristi, and Ilia--consistently the most brilliant skaters I've ever seen and they could do ANYTHING, from drama to comedy. Paul's dramatic routines are the ones most people remember him for and what he mostly did, but you wouldn't believe how funny he could be. I even didn't hate the clown numbers, lol. I also keep going back because I found I really enjoyed seeing the skaters evolve and grow each year. Kristi started out as an excellent performer, but after 10 years, she was the consummate performer/skater. Really a master. Kurt too, and Paul. Scott, of course, is in a class by himself.
I agree Piel, Lloyd Eisler should get a special medal for his drag routines. Now that is panache! There were times I wished I could have seen the Canadian SOI live just to see Herbie and Fred.
Am I going back this year? You betcha. I'm curious to see how the change in artistic direction will manifest itself. The reviews I've heard have been good
Rgirl
I forgot that they were broadcasting SOI that day, which I though was the 2004 tour, so I missed the first 20 minutes of the program. I was pleasantly surprised to see the old routines. It was sad to see Sergei because I loved G&G and it was such a loss to the skating world, let alone what Katia and Daria had to go through. I am happy for Katia that she was able to rebuild her life. All in all, I enjoyed it very much. Seeing Paul Wylie skate to JFK - that was great. I hope they televise the SOI 2004 because I can never go to live shows because of my finances.
I'd also like to see the SOI show in totality on TV and for the same monetary reason.
For me, SOI is the best on TV.
sh
This was a great tribute to SOI. It ended way too soon with me wanting more. I wish they could have shown one of G and G's numbers in it's entirety, though................Just a comment about Torville and Dean. I know that their "Bolero" was great and ground-breaking, but, I thought the number they showcased on the SOI tribute was wonderful........my new fav of theirs. (Am I imagining, or has Chris Dean all but lost his British accent?) 42
I agree with everyone who wanted to see more of the 2004 tour. But I also realize that this was a pre-tour hype job so I just enjoyed what I did see.
As for picking "best" -- I wanted to see more of last years Studz number. And if asked, I would have said "show the number the cast did with Torville and Dean and the hat." One of my all-time favs.
If A&E won't be showing SOI until March, I might have a chance to actually see these programs live first, as Cleveland stop is beginning of February. (Hope my son-in-law remembers to get those freebies. Last year my daughter and I sat center ice and close enough to see facial expressions. I loved it. My daughter loved the Studz number. She's not really a figure skating fan, but she went with me cuz I wanted to go. This year, she'll probably pass, as she is expecting in early April and starting to make ever-more-frequent bathroom trips!)
Wait, maybe we have already seen some of these new programs, especially since Sale and Pelletier and Ber. and Sik and Ino and Zimmerman all did new programs on that team challenge program last month.
Show, I was thinking the same thing. He and Jill (Trenary, now Mrs. Dean) have been living in Colorado for about eight years now, and since '84 Chris had a very international life.Originally posted by show 42
(Am I imagining, or has Chris Dean all but lost his British accent?) 42
For others, SOI is definitely planning on telecasting their 2004 show--or most of it, they never show every single number. Probably sometime in April or May.
Rgirl
LLoyd's routine is an old one - at least he did it with Isabelle at COI a year or two ago. Ditto Scott's Hair one.
Welcome to the forum, smclamar, and thanks for posting!
I didn't think they meant that those old programs are part of this year's show, they just were showing some of the great SOI programs of the past on this TV special. (?)
Mathman
I missed it. I realized I forgot to set the VCR up before I went to see Return of the King. Fortunately, I have several past seasons of SOI on tape.
I'm glad SOI will be broadcast in March because I'll be seeing it live in Trenton in February (Great seats are more available than in NYC or Philadelphia and it's closer than both). Yeah - I get to be surprised for once. Paul and Kristi are the special guests, too.
I, too, prefer SOI to COI. The ensemble numbers are always fun and I like how they transition into each other's numbers. Also, you get to see everyone mutliple times. On COI, they usually only skate one number and have bitty parts in the opening and closing.
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