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Stars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was originally conceived in 1986 as a vehicle for IMG client Scott Hamilton, who had been released from his contract with Ice Capades, after being told that male skaters do not sell tickets. Hamilton now has retired from regular touring with the show, but remains actively involved as a producer.
Stars on Ice was originally conceived as an ice show for adults, without the skating Smurfs or Disney cartoon characters typical of other commercial ice shows of the period, such as Disney on Ice. Another concept that has carried through the show from the beginning is that of a small cast of elite skaters who perform together in ensembles as well as solo numbers. In 1991, the Canadian branch of the show, Canadian Stars On Ice, began.
The tour started on a shoestring budget, playing only a few dates in small-town arenas. 1986-1987 was Stars on Ice's first year. In 1992, IMG bought out the rival "Skating" tour from Bill Graham Presents and merged its resources with that of Stars on Ice. Among the acquisitions from the "Skating" tour was Sandra Bezic, who took over as choreographer and director of Stars on Ice for several years. In recent years, Christopher Dean has taken over choreography duties for the show.
Stars on Ice primarily tours in the United States and Canada, although shows have also been staged in locations in Europe and Japan. The 2010 tour will be its 24th season.
Current cast
The cast for the 2010 tour includes:
More skaters to be announced after the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.
Former cast members
The original cast was Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, Toller Cranston, Rosalynn Sumners, Brian Pockar, Lea Ann Miller, Bill Fauver, Lisa Carey and Chris Harrison.
Skaters who have previously toured with the show include:
- Natalia Annenko & Genrich Stretenski
- Elena Bechke & Denis Petrov
- Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze
- Isabelle Brasseur & Lloyd Eisler
- Kurt Browning
- Kitty Carruthers & Peter Carruthers
- Steven Cousins
- Jason Dungjen
- Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov
- Christine Hough & Doug Ladret
- Sarah Hughes
- Kyoko Ina
- Radka Kovarikova & Rene Novotny
- Anjelika Krylova & Oleg Ovsiannikov
- Ilia Kulik
- Tara Lipinski
- Chen Lu
- Jenni Meno & Todd Sand
- Brian Orser
- Susanna Rahkamo & Petri Kokko
- Jennifer Robinson
- Renée Roca & Gorsha Sur
- Lucinda Ruh
- Jamie Salé & David Pelletier
- Rosalynn Sumners
- Debi Thomas
- Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean
- Jill Trenary
- Tracy Wilson & Rob McCall
- Katarina Witt
- Paul Wylie
- Kristi Yamaguchi
- Alexei Yagudin
- John Zimmerman
Other ice shows named "Stars on Ice"
- "Stars on Ice" was also the name of an ice show put on at the Center Theatre in New York City in the early 1940s. The show was produced by Arthur Wirtz and Sonja Henie.
- Stars on Ice was also a television series, broadcast from 1976 to 1981 on the CTV Television Network in Canada, hosted by Alex Trebek (1976-1980) and later, Doug Crosley (1980-1981).
References
- Hamilton, Scott (1999). Landing It, ISBN 1-57566-466-6.
External links
- US Stars on Ice web site
- Canadian Stars on Ice web site
- Japan Stars on Ice web site
- Official Stars on Ice Facebook Fan Page
- Official Stars on Ice Twitter Page
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stars on Ice