Skaters
First half:
Tonia Kwiatkowski | Michael Weiss | Punsalan & Swallow | Nicole Bobek | Usova & Zhulin | Alexei Urmanov | Woetzel & Steuer | Rudy Galindo | Klimova & Ponamarenko | Surya Bonaly | Philippe Candeloro
Second half:
Tim Goebel | Laurent Tobel | Lu Chen | Berezhnaia & Sikharulidze | Todd Eldredge | Krylova & Ovsiannikov | Victor Petrenko | Kazakova & Dmitriev | Gritschuk & Platov | Michelle Kwan | Ilya Kulik | Tara Lipinski
Note: photos are courtesy of my friend Krista, who somehow took some great pictures despite sitting with me just a few rows down from the very top of the United Center. :) You can click on each photo to view a larger version.
The opening number was nice and set the tone for the rest of the show. The only obvious problem was Surya Bonaly’s fall at the end of a double axel-triple toe (!) combo.
Tonia Kwiatkowski started things off with her "Are You Ready for This" routine, which she did the last time I saw COI/TOC in 1996 (except this time she wore a hot pink costume instead of black). Hit a nice triple toe and a so-so triple lutz. Her spins weren’t as crisp as they looked on tv, but her footwork was good!
Michael Weiss skated next to music by The Doors. It wasn’t an especially memorable performance, but it did feature a nice backflip.
Punsalan & Swallow skated a cute routine to some Sinatra (?) song. They are a very attractive couple and have nice flow across the ice.
Nicole Bobek
Nicole Bobek was next and was definitely "on"... Skating to "I Will Survive"/"Natural Woman"/"Respect" the local girl lit up the arena. Hit two big triple toes and two huge double axels. Did a very long cannonball sit spin and her trademark spiral. A very fun routine.
Usova & Zhulin skated next, to a slow song by Sting. Smooth, but I didn't get too into their routine.
Alexei Urmanov did a routine that used his gloves as props. :) Hit a nice triple axel! But stumbled a bit on a triple toe.
Woetzel & Steuer skated to "Mandy" by Barry Manilow and did a nice job. She put a hand down on a big throw double axel.
Rudy Galindo
Rudy Galindo really got the crowd going with his Village People program! Nice jumps and creative spins held together with some very flamboyant choreography. :) He got one of the biggest crowd receptions of the evening.
Klimova & Ponamarenko
Klimova & Ponamarenko skated a soft, flowy, romantic routine. It's true, her hair is now dull brown. :)
Surya Bonaly was next. This was the first time I've seen her skate live, and I'd have to say she is a very charismatic performer. Her routine was to an interesting Sarah Brightman song. Did jumps galore, including an awesome walley-walley-split-triple toe, as well as a backflip-triple sal. Threw some forward flips during her bows :)
Philippe Candeloro
Philippe Candeloro's disco program closed the first half on a high note. Like Rudy, he really got the crowd into his routine. He jumped into the stands at one point and took off his jacket in front of some very happy ladies.
After intermission, Tim Goebel (who is from the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows) came out and did a program to "Grease"... he skates very "young" but has a lot of potential.
Laurent Tobel
Laurent Tobel was hilarious in his ballerina getup, complete with tutu. Hit a big triple flip.
Lu Chen skated to "Peel Me a Grape" and hit a nice triple toe, then fell on a double axel. It was a nice routine but it didn't have a whole lot of spark.
Berezhnaia & Sikharulidze did their "Barcelona" program. They have awesome speed over the ice, and did a huge throw triple (loop?)...
Todd Eldredge skated his Andrea Bocelli program and hit everything, including a big triple axel. Also skated with all kinds of speed and flow. Big ovation.
Krylova & Ovsiannikov did their very enthusiastic "Malaguena"... good speed and tons of expression.
Victor Petrenko did his pianist number which I didn't really care for. Nice jumps though.
Kazakova & Dmitriev were next and did very well. I forget their music, but they skated with a lot of flair.
Gritschuk & Platov skated to "Frozen" by Madonna. Weird red costumes! I think I liked their "You'll See" program better. They skate very fast but didn't do a whole lot of footwork.
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan was next (woohoo!) and skated to "Reflections" from Mulan. The version she used was sung by Lea Salonga but was different than the one in the movie/soundtrack. She hit a triple toe and triple sal, then stumbled a bit on a tilted triple lutz. I have to say, as beautiful as her change of edge spiral sequence is on tv, it's absolutely breathtaking in person! The speed and the ice coverage are awesome. She has some interesting footwork and spins as well. The program as a whole wasn't as captivating as I imagine "Dante's Prayer" would have been live, but still nice. Big ovation.
Ilya Kulik skated his "Rhapsody in Blue" program, complete with yellow cow shirt. :) His skating is very smooth, with effortless jumps. Landed a nice triple axel and several other triples.
Tara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski closed the show with her "Gliding"/"Believe in Yourself" program. She certainly skates with a lot of speed and covers the ice very well. She doubled her first lutz then tried a triple and landed it fine. Also hit a triple loop, triple sal, and I think a triple toe as well. There are some nice moments in this program, like the back spiral/attitude move, but she still has a little ways to go before she reaches the performance level of Nicole or Michelle, for me at least.
Highlights of the closing number included simultaneous double axels by Urmanov and Galindo; Bonaly's back flip-triple sal; and Kwan's edge-change spiral.
Overall I was impressed by the show and had a great time. If I go next season I'm going to definitely try to get better seats!! Thank goodness for binoculars (and for Krista's zoom lens and photography skills)!
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