Skating Strong cast sparkles in Stars on Ice

Copyright 2001 Little Rock Newspapers, Inc.

Skater Scott Hamilton left two distinct impressions Sunday night at the Target Stars on Ice show at Alltel Arena.

One: He's easily the crowd favorite and will be missed when he doesn't tour with the show after this season.

And two: He's leaving his almost 15-year-old show in excellent shape, with the most talented and interesting skaters on ice.

The show, lasting more than two hours, was peppered with references -- some maybe just a tad on the melodramatic side -- that built to a final crescendo of Hamilton's solo performance and a group tribute to him.

Hamilton hardly gave a flawless performance, but the audience didn't seem to mind. The first time he almost fell during a difficult jump, the crowd kept clapping for his effort, as if to will him through the stumble. He had several more bobbles and one actual fall before finishing so strongly, with so many jumps so late in the performance, it seemed as though he kept adding jumps to make up for his earlier trouble. Planned or not, they were impressive.

Kurt Browning, the heir apparent to the show, was another favorite. But there should be an heiress apparent, too, in Kristi Yamaguchi. Technically, Yamaguchi and tour newcomer Yuka Sato were the most proficient. Yamaguchi also has the personality and fan base to be a leader in the show. Her solo performance to Sting's "Desert Rose" was entrancing.

Music was a powerful force in the show, from the group opening with Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," which featured a dreamlike dance in the dark, to the more spirited "Let 'Er Rip" and "Sin Wagon" by the Dixie Chicks, which featured something of a hoedown on ice with several cast members. There even was a techno-pop moment that seemed straight out of Mission Impossible or perhaps a forthcoming MI:3 with futuristic fighters in dark shades making their way about town by gliding over the ice on chairs. You'd just have to see it.

Tara Lipinski and Ilia Kulik were popular with the crowd, though Lipinski didn't seem at her strongest due to recent surgery. Pair skaters Todd Sand and Jenni Meno skated their dependable, beautiful best, while the audience seemed to appreciate Steven Cousins merely for being beautiful. Denis Petrov, Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur rounded out the cast nicely. There were no weak components in the show.