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Smucker's Stars on Ice Captures Moments Frozen in Time

by Ara Content
February 28, 2004

Smucker's Stars on Ice Captures Moments Frozen in Time

Tickets to Smucker's Stars on Ice 2004 are on sale now at ticket outlets throughout the country.
For specific information on the purchase of tickets, you can log onto www.starsonice.com.
The site will direct you to the city of your choice and also allow you to purchase tickets online.

By ARA Content
February 28, 2004

The Emmy Award-winning Smucker's Stars on Ice is bringing its 2004 tour, a new theatrical adventure on ice, to 60 cities across the United States in 2004.

"This is not like the ice shows people may remember when they were a child. It's not an exhibition, or a competition," says Olympic Champion and figure skating icon Scott Hamilton, the show's co-creator and producer. "This is a slick, sophisticated state of the art production comparable to something you'd see on Broadway. Our stars have a story to tell—with a beginning, middle and end."

In this year's show, they tell the story of "time," both figuratively and literally. The show begins at sunrise with the skaters moving to beautiful, lyrical classical music. Extraordinary, original music has also been specially composed and orchestrated for the opening and closing of the production and transitional pieces throughout, as well as familiar music which assists transitions to a piece—such as when the performers carry around clubs that represent the hands on a clock and move to the music of "Time" by Pink Floyd.

"There are also numbers with lively acrobatics, and a lot of humor. It's all about maturity and aging," says Hamilton.

Changes in his own life inspired Hamilton to come up with and develop the theme for this year's show, his 18th with Stars on Ice. Not only is Hamilton recently married, he's a new father. Hamilton's wife, Tracie, whom he met back-stage at a Stars on Ice show almost 3 years ago, just gave birth to their son, Aidan McIntosh, this past September.

"In addition to worrying about whether we've forgotten anything, and if the skaters have everything they need, I find myself wondering if Aidan is hungry at various times throughout the day. Having a new baby gives you a whole new perspective on things," says Hamilton.

That new perspective is evident in the show he has produced for the 2004 season. "When we sat down to start talking about what to do for this year's show, well before Aidan was born, I'd been thinking a lot about time and how things change during the course of its passing," says Hamilton. "It's really all about balance, precision, and memories; all concepts that are beautifully brought to life on the ice."

Hamilton has brought that vision to life with the help of the show's director and choreographer, Olympic ice dancing champion Christopher Dean (of Torvill & Dean). "Time is such a wonderful concept to illustrate," says Dean. "It naturally allows you to create a mood, a feel. We've done that through the use of music, lighting, and beautiful projections on the ice. The task has been challenging and exciting at the same time."

Headlining the 2004 season are 11 of figure skating's most revered stars: 2002 Olympic Gold medalist and skating phenom Alexei Yagudin, 2002 Olympic Pair Champions Jamie Salé and David Pelletier of Canada, 2002 Olympic Pair Champions Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia (who shared the gold with Salé & Pelletier), World Champion and six-time U.S. National Champion Todd Eldredge, World Champion Yuka Sato, World Silver medalists and three-time U.S. National Pair Champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, World Bronze medalists and three-time U.S. National Pair Champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman.

Hamilton, Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi, two-time Olympic Champion Ekaterina Gordeeva, Olympic Champion Oksana Baiul, Olympic Silver medalist Paul Wylie and four-time World Champion Kurt Browning are special guest performers in select cities. For Yamaguchi, Baiul and Wylie, the occasion marks their much-anticipated return to skating on tour.

"I love everything about being on tour. Every city has its own identity, memories come flowing back the minute I skate onto the ice," says Hamilton. "Madison Square Garden is the first place I worked as a network commentator, Detroit is about as close as I ever come to my hometown of Bowling Green; and when I skate in Florida, I think about my late grandparents and late father who lived in St. Petersburg and Lake Placid, Florida (respectively) and who would never miss a performance."

"It's a wonderful, wonderful show. Not just for the skating fans, but for patrons of the arts—young and old alike," says Hamilton. "It's theatre, it's dance. It's really quite breathtaking. In fact, it's everything figure skating should be."





Smucker's Stars on Ice - The cast
Photo courtesy of Heinz Kluetemeir



Smucker's Stars on Ice - The cast
Photo courtesy of Heinz Kluetemeir



Smucker's Stars on Ice - Kristi Yamaguchi
Photo courtesy of Heinz Kluetemeir



Smucker's Stars on Ice - Oksana Baiul
Photo courtesy of Heinz Kluetemeir



Smucker's Stars on Ice - Scott Hamilton
Photo courtesy of Heinz Kluetemeir





Tour Dates



Tour dates have been set for Smucker’s Stars on Ice 2004. The show is coming to 60 U.S. Cities between November 29, 2003, and April 10, 2004.
























































































































































































































































Date


City


Venue


Guest


11/29/2003


Lake Placid, NY


Olympic Center


Hamilton/Baiul


1/2/2004


Spokane, WA


Spokane Arena


Browning/Baiul


1/3/2004


Portland, OR


Rose Garden


Browning/Baiul


1/4/2004


Seattle, WA


Key Arena at Seattle Center


Browning/Baiul


1/7/2004


Fresno, CA


Save Mart Center at Fresno State


Browning/Baiul


1/9/2004


Bakersfield, CA


Centennial Garden


Browning/Baiul


1/10/2004


Sacramento, CA


ARCO Arena


Browning/Baiul


1/11/2004


San Jose, CA


HP Pavilion at San Jose


Browning/Baiul


1/15/2004


Phoenix, AZ


America West Arena


Browning/Baiul


1/16/2004


San Diego, CA


San Diego Sports Arena


Hamilton/Baiul


1/17/2004


Anaheim, CA


Arrowhead Pond


Hamilton/Baiul


1/18/2004


Los Angeles, CA


STAPLES Center


Hamilton/Baiul


1/20/2004


Denver, CO


Pepsi Center


Hamilton/Gordeeva


1/21/2004


Albuquerque, NM


Tingley Coliseum


Hamilton/Gordeeva


1/23/2004


Houston, TX


Toyota Center


Hamilton/Gordeeva


1/24/2004


Dallas, TX


American Airlines Center


Hamilton/Gordeeva


1/27/2004


Omaha, NE


Qwest Center Omaha


Hamilton/Gordeeva


1/28/2004


St. Paul, MN


Xcel Energy Center


Hamilton/Gordeeva


1/30/2004


St. Louis, MO


Savvis Center


Hamilton/Gordeeva


1/31/2004


Chicago, IL


Allstate Arena


Hamilton/Gordeeva


2/2/2004


Sioux City, IA


Tyson Events Center


Hamilton/Gordeeva


2/4/2004


Indianapolis, IN


Conseco Fieldhouse


Hamilton/Gordeeva


2/6/2004


Cleveland, OH


Gund Arena


Hamilton/Gordeeva


2/7/2004


Moline, IL


MARK of the Quad Cities


Hamilton/Gordeeva


2/8/2004


Milwaukee, WI


Bradley Center


Hamilton/Gordeeva


2/10/2004


Jacksonville, FL


Veterans Memorial Arena


Baiul/Wylie


2/13/2004


Fort Lauderdale, FL


Office Depot Center


Baiul/Wylie


2/14/2004


Orlando, FL


TD Waterhouse Centre


Baiul/Wylie


2/15/2004


Tampa, FL


St. Pete Times Forum


Baiul/Wylie


2/16/2004


Fort Myers, FL


TECO Arena


Baiul/Wylie


2/19/2004


Trenton, NJ


Sovereign Bank Arena


Yamaguchi/Wylie


2/20/2004


Philadelphia, PA


Wachovia Center


Yamaguchi/Wylie


2/21/2004


Atlantic City, NJ


Boardwalk Hall


Yamaguchi/Wylie


2/22/2004


Rochester, NY


Blue Cross Arena


Yamaguchi/Wylie


2/27/2004


Hartford, CT


Hartford Civic Center


Gordeeva/Wylie


2/28/2004


Worcester, MA


Worcester's Centrum Centre


Yamaguchi/Wylie


2/29/2004


Bridgeport, CT


Arena at Harbor Yard


Yamaguchi/Wylie


3/3/2004


Providence, RI


Dunkin' Donuts Center


Yamaguchi/Wylie


3/4/2004


New York, NY


Madison Square Garden


Baiul/Hamilton/Four-Time Grammy Award Nominee & Recording Artist Michael Feinstein


3/5/2004


Long Island, NY


Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum


Yamaguchi/Hamilton/Popular Cabaret Star and Recording Artist Joan Ryan


3/6/2004


Syracuse, NY


War Memorial at Oncenter


Wylie/Baiul


3/12/2004


Albany, NY


Pepsi Arena


Browning/Baiul


3/13/2004


Pittsburgh, PA


Mellon Arena


Browning/Baiul


3/14/2004


Toledo, OH


Toledo Sports Arena


Browning/Baiul


3/16/2004


Ames, IA


Hilton Coliseum


Browning/Baiul


3/17/2004


Green Bay, WI


Resch Center


Browning/Baiul


3/18/2004


East Lansing, MI


Munn Ice Arena - MSU


Browning/Baiul


3/20/2004


Detroit, MI


The Palace of Auburn Hills


Browning/Baiul


3/21/2004


Peoria, IL


Peoria Civic Center


Browning/Baiul


3/26/2004


Raleigh, NC


RBC Center


Yamaguchi/Browning


3/27/2004


Baltimore, MD


1st Mariner Arena


Browning/Baiul


3/28/2004


Columbus, OH


Value City Arena


Browning/Baiul


3/30/2004


Fort Wayne, IN


Allen County War Memorial Coliseum


Gordeeva/Wylie


4/2/2004


Cincinnati, OH


U.S. Bank Arena


Gordeeva/Wylie


4/3/2004


Grand Rapids, MI


Van Andel Arena


Gordeeva/Wylie


4/4/2004


Erie, PA


Erie Civic Center


Gordeeva/Wylie


4/7/2004


Hershey, PA


GIANT Center


Gordeeva/Wylie


4/8/2004


Wilkes-Barre, PA


Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza


Gordeeva/Wylie


4/9/2004


Manchester, NH


Verizon Wireless Arena


Gordeeva/Wylie


4/10/2004


Portland, ME


Cumberland County Civic Center


Gordeeva/Wylie



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