An Olympians' Patriotic Field Trip

When you’re an Olympic figure skater or Olympic gymnast in Rapid City, South Dakota the week before Christmas, what is the first thing you do? (Hint: it has nothing to do with figure skating or gymnastics…)

Throw on your warmest socks and boots and head to Mt. Rushmore of course! And I do mean WARMEST clothes – it’s been between minus six degrees and 18 degrees all weekend. And don’t even get me started on the broken thermostat in my room, or how I forgot to pack pajama pants and had to borrow someone else’s long underwear to sleep in, or how I forgot deodorant, and had to buy Old Spice men’s deodorant to use from the gift shop. It’s all part of life on the road – or as sound guy/production manager and all-around go-to guy Eric puts it, “There ain’t nothin’ like show business.” He of course, was talking about more than just forgotten clothes – he was talking about travel troubles that plagued the show from the very beginning, but that is for another post.

Anyhow, three vans full of Olympic, world and national champions loaded up today for a field trip to Mt. Rushmore before kicking off a day of rehearsals at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. There was U.S. champion Evan Lysacek cuddling with his girlfriend, ice dancing champion Tanith Belbin in one car while friends Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and Samantha Peszek giggled in the backseat of another car. Their names should sound familiar but in case they don’t, think back on this summer’s 2008 Olympics:

Nastia Liukin: 2008 Olympic individual all-around gold medalist, 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars. She is tied with Shannon Miller as the American gymnast having won the most World Championship medals.

Shawn Johnson: 2008 Olympic women’s balance beam gold medalist, individual all-around silver medalist, the 2007 all-around World Champion and the 2007 and 2008 U.S. all-around champion.

Samantha Peszek: an American national team gymnast and member of the U.S. 2008 Olympic women’s gymnastics team.

The gymnast list is decorated with many top male and female athletes, too many to describe here. The figure skating list is equally as long and decorated. 2008 U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang makes her first appearance in a Disson show, and she is working her tail off to nail her routines. She and her mom joined our Mt. Rushmore excursion and I couldn’t help but wonder how she wasn’t freezing in her thin – yet adorable! – little coat. She’s only 15, not much younger than many of the gymnasts, and I can usually find her playing games or texting friends on her Iphone.

The trip to Mt. Rushmore included a lot fewer historical facts, and a ton more fun. Everyone giggled in the cold as we made the trek to the viewing area. The gymnasts hopped up on the wall and did hand stands for the cameras in front of the monument. Lucky bystanders who got to see these inspiring Olympic champions strike goofy poses in front of the monument snapped pictures of their own. As the group headed back to the cars, I lagged behind for a moment to appreciate the wintry forest and rolling hills around me, wishing I knew a little more about the monument. I couldn’t help but appreciate a rare, proud patriotic moment – it seemed perfect to picture the chiseled faces of some of our country’s most influential leaders looking over some of our country’s most inspiring athletes.

A bitter breeze brings me back, and I head down with some of the crew to get rehearsal started for what is going to be the best show of the season: “Progressive presents Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular” tomorrow night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center! There are just a few tickets left and you can visit www.gotmine.com to purchase them!

A champion figure skater's embarrassing moment

How does it feel to moon 1,000 Canucks? There’s only one person that would know the answer to this and that’s eight-time British champion Steven Cousins. Video camera in hand, Rockne Brubaker filmed for icenetwork.com this morning while his partner, Keauna McLaughlin, posed the question to Steven. He laughed a little sheepishly (as I imagine he did when the incident happened) and sarcastically said he was glad Keauna asked.

The performance was Skate Canada. Steven was out on the ice and slipped during his routine, falling to the ice. “I got up, finished the routine, and did my bows,” he said. “I bowed to one side of the arena and they all clapped, while the crowd behind me laughed and I couldn’t figure out why… so I turned around, bowed to the other side and they clapped while the people behind me started laughing.” It wasn’t until Steven left the ice that he found out he had torn his pants during his fall and when he bowed, he mooned the arena full of fans. Not knowing what to do, he ran into quick change and asked around to see if anyone had something he could wear for his next routine. He was in luck, Kurt Browning had one, but it had a maple leaf on it. “That’s okay, I live in Canada now,” Steven said he thought to himself. He donned the outfit and headed back to the ice.

It was a rough night for Steven and he missed another landing, falling to the ice. And once again, split Kurt’s outfit down the back, exposing his backside. Steven quickly changed and headed back to the hotel, ready for that night to be over.

“Thankfully it happened before YouTube was around,” Steven said, and I’ll admit I was a little bummed because I wouldn’t be able to see the incident myself on my computer.

Steven had a great sense of humor about it and Keauna, Rockne, Viktor Petrenko, Jozef Sabovcik and Jeffrey Buttle laughed nearly the whole way to the Nutter Center. Jeffrey admitted he’d had a similar experience. He fell back on his blade once and cut his outfit along with his thigh. “I still have the scar on my thigh,” he said, but never realized he cut himself “because of the adrenaline.”

“Wow, you’re flexible,” Keauna said to Jeffrey, which made ME laugh because just the day before I’d watched Keauna and Rockne rehearse, and thought exactly that – “wow, you guys are flexible.”

It’s getting close to go-time here at the Nutter Center in Dayton, OH, so I’ll wrap this post up before I miss the show! Tonight’s “Skate for the Heart” show with the music of Kenny G promises to be an amazing one! I caught a glimpse of the steamy tango routine with Shae-Lynn Bourne, Steven Cousins, Jeffrey Buttle and Viktor Petrenko and can’t wait to see what’s in store…

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

(Nancy Kerrigan skates and poses with excited kids from Easter Seals in Las Vegas)

...I'm talking about the holidays of course! There is nothing that says "it's Christmas!" like a figure skating show with headliner Amy Grant and two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan in the middle of a desert. Okay, that is going to need a little bit of explaining I think.

On Tuesday, 11/11, some of the greatest figure skaters (and most well-loved!) descended upon the city of sin, Las Vegas, to bring a little holiday cheer for "Amway presents Holiday Tribute on Ice." The show took place at The Orleans and while it was a toasty 70 - 80 degrees outside, the cast, crew and sponsors bundled up inside to set up Christmas trees, rehearse for the show and make sure everything was in working order for a fabulous show! And it was well worth it... the show came together magically! Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith performed Christmas classics flawlessly and the skaters did amazing. If you missed the live show, fear not, you can enjoy it on NBC Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008 from 4 - 6 p.m. EST. It will also be aired on the Style Network on the following dates:

December 21, 2008
10 - 11 a.m. EST
December 22, 2008
4 - 5 p.m. EST
December 24, 2008
2 - 3 p.m. EST

Part of what made this show so great, had nothing to do with the actual show and everything to do with holiday spirit. On Monday morning, the skaters were honored to serve lunch to and spend time with troops and their families from Nellis Air Force Base to show them how much they appreciate their dedication to our country. Kentucky Fried Chicken provided the food and the skaters provided the waitstaff... themselves! After lunch, the skaters returned to the ice while the troops and their families took front-row seats to watch the dress rehearsal and returned Tuesday to watch the show!

Later in the day, Easter Seals rounded up a group of kids and brought them to the arena to meet the skaters and get the opportunity to skate out on the ice with them! Hand-in-hand with some and holding others, the skaters shared their love of skating with each child. Kids bounded off the ice with big smiles and excited eyes to tell their friends and parents what it's like to ice skate with a champion... as I laced up skates for the kids, I couldn't help but smile myself as each one gave me different reasons for being so excited to try it out. There were plenty of cameras and media there to document the special day... and I think it's safe to say that everyone left the rink a little happier than when they arrived.

What's next on the list? Looks like I'll be headed to Dayton, OH for "Skate for the Heart" with Kenny G. This exciting show is aiming to raise awareness for heart disease. What am I most excited about? Well, it looks like Kenny G was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards for his newest CD and there is nothing that makes a skating routine hotter (or more fun) than a Latin groove... check back and I'll keep you updated!

Legends on Ice!

I can’t wait to tell you about this week’s show and this time, I get to tell you about it from a whole new perspective… as an assistant stage manager! When Todd, the stage manager, asked me if I’d like to help him out for “Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute on Ice,” my answer was a nonchalant, “sure – whatever you need.” Excited because it would be something new to try, but a little nervous because I wasn’t sure I knew what the heck a stage manager even does, I masked it all with nonchalance. But I vowed to do my best and see what happened!

I arrived at the Sears Center donned in black (so the cameras and audience couldn’t see me behind the performers) Todd handed me a headset and showed me how to use it. A voice, fuzzy with static, came across his walkie-talkie and he quickly turned and said...”15 minutes ‘til Act One… call 15 mins.” Uhhh – call who? How? On the headset? Wait, where did Todd go? I thought, okay – who would need to know… the performers, duh. So, I headed to Frankie’s headquarters to let them know we’d be rehearsing in 15 minutes followed by the skaters’ dressing rooms. Rehearsal went great – choreographer Lea Ann Miller kept a close eye on the details and directed everyone over the headset. My job was pretty easy – do whatever Todd tells me to do. This included hunting down skaters if they weren’t in their places, getting the zamboni ready for intermission and helping skaters on and off the ice before and after their routines. The bonus part of my job was seeing how a show comes together. Between choreography, lights, cameras, sound, cueing, performing, the band, Frankie, the Four Seasons and hosts Peggy Fleming and Craig Hummer, it’s amazing the shows come together at all – that’s a lot of people that have to be on the same page!

But the show came together beautifully. Before the band and singers went on stage, they all circled up for a prayer. And although Frankie’s getting up there in years, he was still witty and when he cracked jokes and I could imagine the decades of charisma and talent that made him the legend he is today. The crowd showed up and seemed to know every word to every song that played. I was astonished that Lea Ann could run a whole show over a headset from whatever booth she was in.

It was a toss up who the crowd loved more – Frankie or Brian Boitano. Every time he slid onto the ice, fans went wild for Brian. Watching him skate to one of Frankie’s biggest hits “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” I looked around me and the beaming fans and couldn’t help but lean over to Frankie’s assistant tour manager and say with a smile, “Brian Boitano skating to ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You?’ There are a lot of dreams coming true in that audience right now.” He laughed with me. It’s been 20 years since Brian took home his Olympic medal, but you’d think it was yesterday by the cheering from fans.

Michael Weiss also delivered an unstoppable performance – eliciting a standing ovation from the crowd more than once. As I ran back and forth from dressing room to dressing room, letting people know when and where they needed to be, I noticed Michael diligently practicing his routine on foot, stretching and warming up to whatever he was listening to on his IPHONE. My next goal is to find out what he listens to as he warms up. Other skaters like Yuka Sato, Silvia Fontana, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon, Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev, Steven Cousins and more were incredible and I can’t wait to see how it turns out on NBC. The show will be aired Sunday, Nov. 2 from 4 – 6 p.m. EST – don’t miss it!

The show wrapped up and everyone headed to the after party in the club section of the arena. Fleming Jenkins Winery supplied some amazing wine and fans took the opportunity to get their favorite skaters’ autographs. A couple of ladies even stopped me and asked for my autograph and I laughed out loud as I told them I wasn’t a skater. Two didn’t believe me and thought I was lying just so I wouldn’t have to sign autographs. That’s even funnier – I’ve never been asked to sign an autograph and if I was, I certainly wouldn’t say no.  It was another unbelievable show!

Gettin' real with Shae-Lynn

On a spur-of-the-moment errand trip with Shae-Lynn Bourne yesterday, I had some time to get a Canadian’s perspective on an American situation… the economy.

Our conversation flip-flopped from serious ponderings along the lines of, “Canada isn’t hurting yet, but I’m sure we’ll feel it soon” and about how powerful the U.S. is and how we didn’t see how any country could escape the ripple effects of our declining economy. Shae-Lynn dropped a little Suze Orman financial advice on me and asked if Suze’s statement that Americans grow up hearing “bigger is better whether you can afford it or not” was true or not. I tried to explain the depths of American materialism by describing my need for retail therapy and how, after a bad day, sometimes just walking into a Target makes everything better, whether I buy anything or not. Things got very real on the way to the bank.

On the lighter side of things, we talked about the kind of music Shae-Lynn likes to dance to on the ice. As a very-decorated champion - we’re talking World Ice Dance Champion, ten-time Canadian Champion, four-time World Bronze Medalist and World Silver Medalist – she has probably danced to nearly every genre of music. She mentioned that she likes to dance to a wide variety of music, especially fun, pop music and sometimes has a hard time getting into routines to elevator-ish music. After watching her at the “Smucker’s presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds” show in Ohio, it seems to me that she could dance to ANYTHING. One of my favorite routines was her cowgirl routine, where she lasso-ed a guy sitting in the front row. (I later heard he was spotted taking pictures with the rope she tangled him up in). As we speak, the gals (and by gals, I mean the star-studded, champion female cast for tomorrow’s show) are rehearsing a routine to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons’ “Grease” that I think will be super fun to watch and maybe one of the ones that Shae-Lynn likes to do. I believe the guys will also be in the routine.

Back to things getting real, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these skaters aren’t just amazing athletes, but amazing PEOPLE too. What I'm about to say is super cheesy but if this blog was a magazine, it would have the “Celebs are just like us…” section where stars are caught on camera doing really normal things. There would be photos of the girls shopping and the guys reading the paper in the hotel lobby. You’d see pictures of them towing their luggage around, running errands and grabbing a bit to eat. There would be a photo of our “just-this-once” Starbucks run before rehearsal (which is turning into a regular morning trip) or pictures of them on their phones and Blackberries. They'd have bed-head and be wearing workout clothes most of the time. They are just very down to earth people.

A little history about a lot of legend: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

I know what you’re thinking.

“For a figure skating blog, you sure write a lot about music.”

Well, today is going to be no different but I promise that tomorrow, I will focus on figure skating. It’s just that today, I haven’t spent any time with the skaters – they’ve been out on the ice since 9:30am at the Sears Center rehearsing for the “Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute on Ice,” in Chicago so I can’t exactly report back on their antics.

Wait – I’ve got a little tidbit about figure skating!! I did sit down with costume designer Denis Pizzacalla and ask him a question that’s been on my mind – “What happens with all those stunning figure skating outfits when the show is over?” (and most importantly, is there any way I could get one in a size 4? I feel that it would be great to have one in my costume box in case of an emergency – is that weird?) Denis said that he takes them home with him and tries to recycle them or make other costumes out of them. It felt wrong to ask if I could get one, so I didn’t. But it’s good to know where they end up. It’s great that they make more than one appearance out on the ice.

Since Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons are headlining the upcoming show this weekend, I’m going to fill you in on a few fun facts about Frankie. Tickets can still be purchased by clicking here. Again, this makes for great pub trivia game questions, so don’t miss this:

Frankie’s real name (it’s a mouthful!): Francis Stephen Castelluccio

Frankie’s real age: When The Four Seasons finally made it, their age was something of an embarrassment. They were a good ten years older than The Beach Boys. The record companies thought no teenagers would listen to a band in their thirties. Valli was 28 when "Sherry" became a hit, and the record company thought it would be better if he were considered 25, so his age was changed. (The Internet Movie Database)

There are about a million hits to go over starting with 29 Top 40 hits and five number one hits with the Four Seasons including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Rag Doll,” and “December, 1963 (oh, What a Night).” As a solo artist, Frankie had nine Top 40 hits and two number one hits, “My Eyes Adored You,” and “Grease.” His best known solo recording maxed out at number two in 1967, “Can’t Take My Eyes of You” which confuses me a little bit. How can you have number one hits, yet your best known recording top out at number two? Hmmm....(Wikipedia)

More recently, Frankie and his music made appearances on The Sopranos. His Web site says, “The characters often spout their admiration for Frankie Valli. Tony Soprano bragged that he used the same florist as Frankie. And Frankie himself, in an acting role, guest-starred in Seasons 5 and 6 of The Sopranos as mobster Rusty Millio – until Rusty’s unfortunate demise in a hail of bullets.”

Frankie grew up in a public housing project—Stephen Crane Village—on the tough streets of Newark, New Jersey. As the character of Tommy DeVito, Frankie’s friend and fellow Four Season, says in Jersey Boys: “If you’re from my neighborhood, you got three ways out: You could join the army. You could get mobbed up. Or—you could become a star.” At an early age, Frankie chose Door No. 3. When he was seven, his mother took him to New York City’s Paramount Theater to see Frank Sinatra. “I saw Sinatra coming out on stage,” Frankie recalls, “and the way he was lit up, it was like he had an aura around him. I decided then and there that’s what I was going to do—be a successful singer.”

If you consider five decades of timeless hits and cameo invitations on popular tv shows 'success,' than yes, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons have 'made it.' Now let's see if they can deliver the kind of show that we have come to expect from our favorite figure skaters!