Dayton March 26, 1998
The Dayton show was very emotional, since it was the first stop Scott missed last year. Sold out, of course. He looked so strong and confident, and never stopped smiling! He must have done a bazillion backflips. He got several standing O's. And at the end of the show, when he says, "We'll see you next year!" you couldn't hear him because there was so much cheering. And the sound system in the Nutter Center is fabulous, so it should have carried. The show was *the best* SOI I've ever seen! The cast was so upbeat, and really energized by the warm reception. The only fall was Paul's (and *almost* Katia), but he seemed so determined to make the rest of the program excellent, the crowd stood for his bow. The judging number was so hysterical--we didn't know where to look! The entire cast seemed determined to make it a great show (last year's was pretty depressing, since they'd just found out about Scott.) My friends and I had wonderful seats--8 rows from the ice. We had a wonderful time--I'm still smiling!
Madison, March 28, 1998
Got to see SOI a second time in the new Kohl Arena in Madison. One stupid thing about the Kohl center was that they sent me something saying if I wanted parking I had to buy a permit for $5 3 days before the show IN PERSON. Oh year right. Like I'm going to drive 6 hours round trip to buy a parking permit. Anyway we found a ramp 3 blocks away where the parking was only $1.
It was funny because the original plan was that I was going by myself--but at the last minute my husband decided to come along. I had wonderful seats in row D--about as close as you can get without having ice seats--but by the time he decided to go it was literally nose bleed--he was WAY up there--in the third tier! I didn't think those seats would be filled up and kind of wanted to go up and sit with him after intermission to see how the show looked from that high up--but this show was nearly sold out--and those seats were all filled--only the corner and end seats in the 3rd tier were empty. Scott said at the end of the show it was the biggest audience in Madison ever.
It was a great audience--lots of standing Os--cheers and clapping along to music.
It was nice to get to see the opening--they don't show much of it on television and in Milwaukee there was some fool people who decided to come in right when the show started and take their merry time walking over me so that I missed it. Oh all those men in tight leather pants--it is too wonderful!
Instead of another play by play of the entire show--some things that stood out:
Scott - 3 standing ovations again! Once when he came out for heartbreaker. It was like dejavou when he doubled the toe loop because he did the exact same thing in Milwaukee. And just like in Milwaukee he hit the 3 lutz and the salchow in "With One More Look at You" I was just thrilled. I know that lutz has been a bit inconsistent for him and I feel so lucky to have been there twice when he hit it. As my husband noted, there is no doubt as to who the star of this show is.
Paul - He hit the 3 lutz in Go the Distance! He put his hand down on the landing--but he fought for it...I was so happy for him. People around me probably wondered why I shouted yes and applauded wildly with a flawed landing--but I know how much he has struggled with that jump this year and was very pleased for him. He also hit the 3 toe in Sleepers but I think he doubled the flip.
I was just mesmerized by "Sleepers" I've been a bit put off by this program by all the elaborate explanations of the plot and *meaning* of this program by various enthusiastic fans. My thinking is if you have to have a several page thesis to explain your program, well something is wrong. But from what I understand all Paul has ever said about the program is that it is about "redemption" But I just forgot about any deeper meanings and enjoyed the dramatic way he interpreted the music with his skating. It was truly wonderful and gave me goose bumps. He got a standing ovation for "Go the Distance" but I thought he deserved one for "Sleepers."
Brian - This was another program that just took my breath away. As I have watched him do "The Story of My Life" over the past year I have been a bit concerned about how raw the grief and emotion seems for him when he is skating this program. But I first noticed at the Great Skate Debate and in Madison that the mood of this program has changed. He now skates it with a note of triumph like a man who has finally emerged from the valley of the shadow of death and come out stronger for the journey. I have observed that the 87 version of this program was a more extroverted program directed at the audience, whereas the new one is so inward directed that there have been times when I watched it when I felt I was intruding upon his private grief. But now it seems he has opened up and invites the audience into the program with him more. I think the exuberance of the back flip at the end is symbolic of that change in the mood. He also got a well-deserved standing ovation.
Roca & Sur - I've already said I don't care for this program. I just do not get the gymnastic gyrations on the ice and the way he holds her upside down with her crotch pointing at the audience so much. It is just not attractive. But because I was seeing so many programs in a new light--I determined to find something I like about this program. They do skate it well. They really are wonderful together. But this was the most positive thing I could find about the program. Gorsha kneels on the ice and points his butt toward my side of the audience. He has a very nice one. :-)
Honorable Mention for Roz Sumners - She hit the double axel (which she popped in Milwaukee) and was very *on*--really connected with the audience. Lots of cheers for her.
I laughed at Torvill & Dean's Tango as though I had never seen it before-and really enjoyed their "Crazy after all these Years"--another one that I saw again in a new light and so appreciated them after all these years. Love the gray and peach costumes.
Everyone else--Kurt, Kristi, Bechke & Petrov and Katia were all as good as usual. Katia took a hard fall in 3 Preludes that led to a collective groan of sympathy from the audience. I think it knocked the wind out of her and took her a minute to recover. But she got up, flashed that brilliant smile of hers at us and all was well again.
During the "Whole Enchilada" I laughed as much as if I were seeing it for the first time. Much of it was the pleasure I got from the audience's enjoyment of the skit. I still love that judges dance--such a shame it wasn't televised--the expressions on all their faces is just priceless.
In my section during Gorky & Park's dance you could hear whispers of "Look at Paul" and pretty soon everyone was watching him. He definitely stole the show. That is the nice thing about seeing the show live more than once--is you can pay more attention to the things going on the sidelines.
As a fan of precision skating--I noticed that the closing line of the cast was really bad. Precision skating is not easy. I was recently in a group adult number and we had a terrible time getting our line straight and we only had a few rehearsals--I felt better seeing they didn't have much more luck after all this time. :-)
Joelle
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