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singing in the rain


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News Clippings
Updated: 5/25/10

5/25/10: Kurt Browning will be co-hosting "Shall We Dance on Ice" with Shae-Lynn Bourne on Sep. 22, 2010 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, ON. The show will feature a cast of ice dancers combined with dance stars from the Broadway stage, along with the musical talents of The Canadian Tenors. Kurt and Shae will be performing a special number together, on top of their hosting duties. The show will air on Nov. 7, 2010 on NBC. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, Shall We Dance on Ice Event Page.



5/10/09: This fall, the CBC will air a new reality competition called "Battle of the Blades," pairing hockey players and figure skaters in a "Dancing with the Stars"-style competition. The show was created by Kevin Albrecht and developed with Insight Productions by Sandra Bezic, with input from Kurt Browning and others. Kurt will play a host-type role, interviewing people in the kiss 'n cry, and occasionally skating in the show. The taping of this show will be open to the public. More information to come.

More tidbits of news: Kurt will be working with Tugba Karademir, Kevin Alves, and Vaughn Chipeur again next season in a choreographic capacity. He also choreographed Patrick Chan's new Coldplay exhibition number to "Viva La Vida".



4/9/08: Kurt Browning skated at the Skating Club of Boston's Ice Chips 2008 show this past weekend, performing to Ain't No Sunshine and Papa Was a Rollin' Stone. "The inside edge with Sarah Brannen and Drew Meekins" blog on IceNetwork has a long entry about the Ice Chips show, and talks to several of the skaters including Kurt: Behind the scenes at Ice Chips.



3/15/08: Another video interview with Kurt about Pedigree is up: Breakfast Television in Calgary, March 11, 2008. Thanks Sherry!

3/12/08: Kurt Browning has been making media appearances promoting the Pedigree Pet Adoption Campaign. I've added photos sent to me by Pedigree to the Photo Gallery and a new article to the articles page. There's also a video of Kurt talking about the drive from Canoe.



1/18/08: Watch Kurt Browning's appearance on The Hour Monday night via CBC's website: Kurt Browning on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos.



12/12/07: The Toronto Sun had video of Kurt practicing his rollerblading tricks at the local skatepark back in September, and talking about practicing for Peter Pan: Kurt Browning at the skate park.



10/13/07:Exciting news for European Kurt Browning fans! For the first time in years, Kurt will be skating on tour in Europe. Kurt will be touring with Art on Ice in early February, and will likely be performing his Rag-GIDON-Time number. The tour visits Zurich and Lausanne, and tickets are on sale now. Visit the Art on Ice website for more information.



10/13/07: Kurt will be behind the microphone again this year, commentating at Skate Canada and Canadians for CBC. Skate Canada takes place Nov. 1-4 in Quebec, and will be broadcast on CBC Nov. 2-4, with the exhibition broadcast Nov. 17. Canadians takes place Jan. 16-20 in Vancouver.



10/11/07: Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate took place last night in Mississauga, ON with musical performers the Temptations and Boyz II Men. He skated a fantastic duet with Shae-Lynn Bourne to "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner, a hilarious program to "Papa was a Rolling Stone" by James Brown, and a Shae-Lynn-choreographed program to "Motown Philly." For more information, check out my brief post-show review on the Kurt Files' bb.



10/1/07: Kurt Browning as listed as a featured performer in Frosted Pink, a breast cancer awareness event featuring some of the top figure skaters, plus a whole slew of entertainers that will be broadcast on ABC on Oct. 14, 2007 from 4-6PM EST. According to IFS Magazine, Kurt has self-choreographed a number for this event. The show will also be rebroadcast on the Style Network.

Updated 10/13/07: The Frosted Pink website has extensive behind the scenes videos from the "Frosted Pink" show, including a bunch of footage of Kurt, particularly in the day 2 and day 5 videos. You have to register to view them, or you can view the videos on YouTube. There are also photos up on Getty Images: Arrivals, Show Images, and Backstage



9/22/07: Kurt Browning visited the EZRock Stu and Colleen morning show to promote Gotta Skate. You can listen to or download the interview here. Listen to a rather giddy, sleep-deprived Kurt and find out more about this year's Gotta Skate (a duet with Shae-Lynn!). Thanks Sherry!



9/4/07: Kurt appeared on Breakfast Television this morning promoting Gotta Skate. He skated for 3 hours with the Port Credit Figure Skating Club, teaching them moves. There's a short video up on the Breakfast Television blog talking to Kurt. Thanks for the info, Reggie!



8/19/07: Congratulations to Kurt, Sonia and Gabe, and welcome to the world baby Dillon! Kurt and Sonia's second son was born Aug. 17, 2007, and was 7 lbs. Read the official announcement from IMG.



6/24/07: According to a post on FSUniverse, Kurt Browning choreographed Brandon Mroz's 2007-08 SP to "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky. Brandon debuted the program at the Broadmoor Open club competition this past weekend.



6/14/07: According to TurkishPress.com, Kurt Browning is choreographing Tugba Karademir's SP for the upcoming season.



6/7/07: According to Jeremy Abbott's Official Website, Kurt choreographed Jeremy Abbott's SP for the 2007-2008 season, to Treat by Carlos Santana. Also, according to IFS Magazine, Brian Joubert was in Toronto for two weeks at the end of May to work on new programs with Kurt.



3/27/07: Congratulations to Kurt Browning and Sonia Rodriguez! According to this article in the Globe and Mail - The National Ballet's baby boomlet - Sonia is expecting the couple's second child sometime this summer.



3/27/07: NBC and Disson Skating have extended their contract through 2011. This means that Disson will continue producing skating shows for NBC for the next four years. This includes ten shows for the 2007-08 season, including Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate. Dates and locations are still being set for these shows, but the airdates have already been announced in this article in broadcastbuyer.tv. These are:

  • Sat. Oct. 27, 2007 - 4PM - Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular
  • Sun. Nov. 11, 2007 - 4PM - Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate
  • Sun. Nov. 25, 2007 - 4PM - Kristi Yamaguchi's Friends & Family
  • Sat. Dec. 22, 2007 - 4PM - Country on Ice
  • Sun. Dec. 23, 2007 - 4PM - Wynonna Tribute on Ice
  • Tue. Dec. 25, 2007 - 2:30PM - Holiday Celebration on Ice
  • Tue. Jan. 1, 2008 - 3PM - Brian Boitano's Skating Spectacular
  • Sun. Jan. 6, 2008 - 4PM - Latin on Ice
  • Sun. Jan. 13, 2008 - 4PM - Skate for the Heart
  • Sun. Jan. 20, 2008 - 4PM - Fashion on Ice



3/8/07: Kurt Browning will be doing a book signing of A is for Axel at the Joseph Beth Booksellers store in Cleveland, OH on Thursday, March 15 at 6:30PM. Check out the store's website for more information.



1/21/07: Chatelaine magazine has an awesome contest running for five lucky fans (and a friend) to "win a date with Kurt Browning and Brian Orser." Awesome as that sounds, the contest prize includes much, much more. This is the best skating-related contest I've heard of so far! Go to the Kurt Files Bulletin Board for more information! (it's a sticky topic in "The Bulletin Board")



12/5/06: Kurt Browning will be starring in "Peter Pan, the Family Musical That Won't Grow Up" next year, a Ross Petty panto at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, ON from Nov. 22, 2007 - Jan. 6, 2008. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, here's a Toronto Sun article (Browning signs on for next year's Petty panto) and the Ross Petty website (with press release, show dates, and a show poster). Thanks for the Ross Petty link, Donna!



11/10/06: Kurt Browning will be performing in a charity event in Toronto tomorrow night, the Teddy Bear Affair. Read the press release.

Kurt will be teaching a "Boys Only Seminar" for 75 participants at the Sport Seneca facility on Nov. 28, 2006 from 12:30-4:30PM. For more information, go here.



11/9/06: Gretchen Wilson Country on Ice was held last night in Philadelphia. Kurt Browning performed to Rebel Child with Gretchen Wilson singing live, and Expectation and the Blues by Corb Lund. Read reviews on the Todd Eldredge Message Board. The show will air on Dec. 23, 2006 from 4-6PM EST and then reair on Style Network on Jan. 5, 2007 from 5-7PM and again Jan. 7, 2007 from 10AM-noon.



11/3/06: Ice Wars was held tonight at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL. Kurt Browning skated to Easy by the Barenaked Ladies and Expectation and the Blues by Corb Lund. Read a review that will spoil the results or check out the photos. Ice Wars will air on Dec. 1, 2006 from 8-10PM EST on CBS.



10/31/06: Tickets for the Celebration on Ice tour go on sale today. The cast is Kurt Browning, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Josef Sabovcik, Violetta & Pete Dack, Cynthia Phaneuf, Shawn Sawyer, Elizabeth Putnam & Sean Wirtz, and Vladmir Polischuk & Alexei Besedin, with special musical guest Braided.



10/28/06: Kurt Browning will be doing a book signing at lululemon athletica at 2558 Yonge Street in Toronto on Nov. 17, 2006 at 4PM. Visit lululemon.com for more information.



10/14/06: Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate 6.0 was held tonight in Toronto. The Barenaked Ladies were the musical guest, and performed 11 songs. Kurt's two programs were to Triptico by the Gotan Project, and Easy by BNL. Read a review or check out the photos. Gotta Skate will be broadcast on NBC on Dec. 17, 2006 from 4-6PM EST, and then rebroadcast on the Style Network Dec. 22, 2006 from 5-7PM EST and again Dec. 24, 2006 from 10AM-noon.



10/9/06: Kurt Browning will be commentating the men's event for four events this season:

  • Skate America (airing 10/29-11/5 on ABC and ESPN)
  • Marshall's US Figure Skating Challenge (airing live 12/10 from 1-3PM EST on ABC)
  • US Nationals (airing 1/25/07-2/4/07 on ESPN2 and ABC)
  • Worlds (airing 3/22/07-4/2/07 on ESPN)




10/8/06: Halloween on Ice was held tonight in Springfield, MA. All the skaters played a character, and stayed in character throughout the show. Kurt Browning skated as the character "Scarecrow" and skated to two numbers - If I Only Had a Brain and Hall of the Mountain King. The show will be broadcast on NBC on Oct. 28 from 4:30-6PM EST. Read a review or check out the photos.


10/6/06: There are a number of video clips online from French TV of Brian Joubert and Kurt Browning talking about the new LP that Kurt choreographed for Brian, as well as showing the two working together. The original links were here and here. The videos have also been put up on YouTube here and here. Thanks to Sherry and the people at FSU!



9/21/06: Kurt Browning will guest star for six stops on the Stars on Ice tour: Albany (3/8/07), Hartford (3/9/07), Providence (3/10/07), Wilkes-Barre, PA (3/11/07), Youngstown, OH (3/14/07), and Cleveland (3/16/07). Tickets go on sale via an Internet presale on 11/8. Visit the Stars on Ice site for more details.



9/11/06: Kurt Browning has some new choreography work lined up for the 2006-07 season, working with some of the top skaters in the world. According to Blades on Ice, Kurt will be travelling to France in mid-September to work with Brian Joubert on his choreography to a program to Metallica and music from Romeo & Juliet. And according to Evan Lysacek's Journal, Kurt Browning will be choreographing his SP for the upcoming season.


1/26/06: (Updated 3/17) Kurt Browning has been doing a series of book signings for his new children's book A is for Axel as he travels around the country for Stars on Ice. Apologies for the ones I've already missed, but I will try to add locations and dates as I find them here.

Mon. Jan. 23, 2006 at 6:30PM
Full Circle Bookstore in Oklahoma City, OK

Sat. Jan. 28, 2006 at 2PM
Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, MN

Sat. Feb. 4, 2006 at 12 noon
Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL

Sat. Feb. 25, 2006 at 12noon-2PM
Eaton Centre Indigo in Toronto, ON

Wed. Mar. 29, 2006 at 12:30PM
Borders in York, PA
3000 Whiteford Road
York, PA 17402

Wed. Mar. 29, 2006 from 4-5:30PM
Hersheypark Arena with the Hershey Figure Skating Club, in Hershey, PA

Sat. Apr. 1, 2006 at 1:00PM
Borders in Rochester, NY
1000 Hylan Drive
Rochester, NY 14623

Sat. Apr. 8, 2006 at 2:00PM
Barnes and Noble in Rochester Hills, MI
2800 S. Rochester Road
Rochester Hills, MI 48307

Some reviews of the book:



1/15/06: Kurt Browning will be a prime-time figure skating analyst, along with Jennifer Robinson, for CBC during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. This will be part of CBC's Torino 2006 - The Olympic Winter Games prime time coverage, hosted by Brian Williams, and airing nightly 6-11PM EST (delayed on the West Coast) starting Feb. 10 or 11. For more information, read the press release from CBC.


1/13/06: (Updated 1/18/06) Skating with Celebrities is premiering Monday Jan. 18, 9-10PM EST, on FOX. Here are some articles on the show:

There are many other articles out there today on the show - search Google News for "Skating with Celebrities".

The 1/16-22 issue of TV Guide and the 1/23 issue of People both have multi-page articles on the show mostly consisting of photos of the participants. The TV Guide article features quotes from Scott Hamilton giving the "Inside View" on each couple while Brian Boitano handicaps their chances. The People magazine has a quote from each skater and celebrity.



1/5/06: Kurt Browning's new children's book, A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet, is available for sale today at your local bookstore, or online through Amazon.com for $12.21 USD, and Chapters.indigo.ca for $23.95 CAD. Here's a blurb from the publisher's website:

Four-time World Champion and professional figure skater Kurt Browning replaces his boots and blades with pen and paper in A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet. From holding an edge to laces and hooks, Kurt glides and dances through the alphabet explaining the history, techniques, and memorable moments of the sport. Spirited illustrator Melanie Rose captures the excitement visually with her colorful, playful illustrations. With the Winter Olympics spinning our way in 2006, this book will have fans young and old dreaming of gold.

The book is illustrated by Melanie Rose, published by Sleeping Bear Press. Pick up your copy today!



12/5/05: The World Team Challenge was held in London, ON last night. The format was a team competition, with a man, a lady, and a pair on each team. The competition will be aired on TSN in Canada on Dec. 10, 2005 - technical programs air 1-3PM EST, and artistic programs air 7-9PM EST. It will air on Oxygen in the US on Dec. 17, 2005 at 8PM EST. I will be posting a review and photos later. To avoid spoilers, I'm posting the results on a separate page.



11/23/05: Kurt Browning will be performing in the White Ice Gala at the Granite Club in Toronto to benefit the See You in Torino Fund. The fund provides direct financial support to Canadian Athletes training for the Olympics in Torino in 2006. You can adopt an athlete for $6000, and in return, receive an invitation to the White Ice Gala on Dec. 1, 2005.

"There will be Italian-inspired hors d'oevres and aperitifs followed by incredible cuisine and fine wine, silent and live auctions and much more. The evening will include an intimate skating performance by Kurt Browning (four-time World Champion), Brian Orser (two-time Olympic silver medalist), Donald Jackson (first male skater in the world to successfully complete a triple Lutz jump and first Male Canadian to win a World Championship in 1962) and more. Dinner will be served in the Grand Ballroom with an Olympian at your table."

For information on individual ticket, table, or sponsorship information, please contact John Rishworth at 647-438-2155 or email John at john@thewowgroup.com. For more information, read the press release.



11/18/05: Ice Wars: Battle of the Sexes was held in Peoria, IL last night. The format was a team competition, men versus women. The competition will be aired on CBS on Dec. 10, 2005 from 8-10PM EST (check local listings). I will be posting a review and photos when I've had time to write the review and process the photos, but here are the results, for now. To avoid spoilers, I'm posting the results on a separate page. Click on the link for details.

You can also find reviews and articles at the following links:



11/11/05: Kurt Browning has signed on with Team Visa to serve as a mentor to eight aspiring Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, including Canadian champion Jeff Buttle. The athletes and mentors were chosen based on their sporting achievements and the work they do to improve their community or their sport. Team Visa is designed to provide the athletes with a support network via each other and their mentors, as well as to provide direct financial support as the athletes prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The mentors will be available to the athletes via phone, email, and in-person to help answer their questions and help them prepare for the challenges they face ahead. The members and mentors of Team Visa met at the Olympic Spirit Center in Toronto for two days (11/9-11/10) for a team-building orientation session.

Some articles/press releases:



11/8/05: Kurt Browning has been announced as a guest star on the Stars on Ice tour for 15 cities. The cities are: Denver, Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Des Moines, St. Paul, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Chicago, Youngstown, Hershey, Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany. Tickets go on sale through an Internet presale on 11/9, and on sale to the general public on 11/21. Visit the 2005-2006 Tour Schedule for more details.



11/4/05: Kurt Browning will host the Marshall's Showcase on Dec. 11, 2005 in Boston. This is a live competition featuring some of the top US eligible skaters, where the audience can vote on the winner. The competition will be aired live on ABC from 1-3PM EST on ABC. Kurt may also skate an exhibition number during the broadcast.



10/26/05: Kurt Browning skated to Rag-GIDON-Time and a number to children's music at Kristi Yamaguchi's Friends and Family show Tuesday night in Albany, NY. The show will air Dec. 31 from 4-6PM ET on NBC. Read a brief review on the Stars on Ice boards by Suzie. Thanks Suzie!



10/20/05: Kurt Browning has finished his children's book "A is for Axel", and the book will be available in 2006. You can pre-order it now at Chapters.indigo.ca.



10/18/05: Kurt Browning has signed on with ABC as a regular commentator for two years, and will be commentating at Skate America, US Nationals, and Worlds. Other events TBA. Check the US Figure Skating website for airdates and times.



10/18/05: Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate took place tonight at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and will be airing on NBC Dec. 18, 2005 from 4-6PM EST (and on CBC March 7, 2006). It was a fantastic show, featuring Andrea Bocelli and Hayley Westenra as musical guest stars. Kurt skated to Andrea singing "Can't Help Falling in Love" live, as well as "I Did It" by the Dave Matthews Band. He also did a cute group number with Silvia Fontana and Carolina Kostner, starring as an Italian waiter flirting with the girls. Watch this site for more reviews later. For now, the music list:

Act I:

  • Cast - Opening - "Volari" (Richie Cole)
  • Silvia Fontana w/ Andrea Bocelli - "Te Extrana"
  • Brian Orser w/ Andrea Bocelli - "Voglio Restare Cosi"
  • Carolina Kostner - "Ave Maria" (Filippa Giordano)
  • Elvis Stojko - "Alla Luce Del Sol" (Josh Groban)
  • Yuka Sato & Jason Dungjen - "Burn it Blue" (Freda Soundtrack)
  • Shae-Lynn Bourne - "Caruso" (Lara Fabian)
  • Steven Cousins - "Tender Trap"
  • Jamie Sale & David Pelletier w/ Andrea Bocelli & Hayley Westenra - "Vivo Per Lei"
  • Kurt Browning w/ Andrea Bocelli - "Can't Help Falling in Love"

Act II:

  • Kurt Browning, Silvia Fontana, Carolina Kostner (Italian Restaurant group number) - "That's Amore" (Dean Martin)
  • Steven Cousins w/ Andrea Bocelli - "It's Impossible"
  • Silvia Fontana, Carolina Kostner - "Come to Italy"
  • Elvis Stojko - "Fin, Fan"
  • Shae-Lynn Bourne - "La Cumparsita" (Rodriguez Stanley Black)
  • Yuka Sato & Jason Dungjen - "Both Sides Now" (Hayley Westenra)
  • Silvia Fontana - "Short Program"
  • Brian Orser - "Steppin' Out" (Dean Martin)
  • Carolina Kostner - "Gabriel's Oboe"
  • Jamie Sale & David Pelletier - "I Wanna Know What Love Is" (Wynonna)
  • Kurt Browning - "I Did It" (Dave Matthews)
  • Cast w/ Andrea Bocelli and Hayley Westenra - "Time to Say Goodbye"



9/21/05: According to this Stars on Ice message board post, the skaters for Ice Wars this year will be:
Ladies: Oksana Baiul, Katarina Witt, Nancy Kerrigan, Nicole Bobek
Men: Kurt Browning, Brian Boitano, Elvis Stojko, Alexei Yagudin.
I have not yet confirmed this cast list with the arena or Clear Channel.

The competition will be taking place at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, OL on Nov. 17, 2005 at 7PM. Tickets go on sale 9/26. Check the Ice Wars event page for more details. Thanks Sue!



9/21/05: According to this article in the Oakville Beaver, the Celebration on Ice 2005-2006 tour will kick off Dec. 15 in Kingston and will feature Brian Orser, Josee Chouinard, Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Vladimir Besedin and Oleksiy Polishchuk. Thanks Sherry!



9/6/05: (updated 9/8) Kurt Browning will be one of the skaters paired up with celebrities in the fall FOX reality show "Skating with Celebrities". The six-week show pairs skaters with celebrities (who already have some skating skill) in a competition similar to the ABC reality show "Dancing with the Stars", except that this competition will be judged, without audience participation in the process. Scott Hamilton will host, and Dorothy Hamill is one of the judges, who will mark the skaters based on skill and artistic merit.

The pairings are:

Pre-productions and rehearsals have begun, and the show will begin taping in LA later this month. You can get tickets to the tapings on this site: On Camera Audiences. Tapings are scheduled for Sept. 14, 20, 25, and 30, and Oct. 6 at 4PM in LA.

Information taken from this Variety article: Olympians skate to fall skein. The full press release lists Michael Seibert, Randy Gardner, and Renee Roca as choreographers.



8/5/05: Some more information on the Alberta Centennial Celebration that Kurt will be co-hosting. Kurt will be the host of the "Party of the Century" event at the Alberta Legislature Grounds, which will serve as the "headquarters" for the TV broadcast. The "Party of the Century" starts at 5:30PM and features the following:

  • Legislature will be headquarters of province-wide broadcast
  • Entertainment includes: The Emeralds, Barrage, Adam Gregory, Bobby Curtola, the Kupalo Dancers
  • Children's area with face painters; play area; craft tent; magic show; balloons; interactive environmental display area
  • Celebrate Alberta Team
  • Food area, sponsored by Northlands Park. Many menu items at the Centennial price of 100 cents
  • On site displays
  • Alberta Centennial Time Capsule
Citytv, ACCESS, and Canadian Learning Television will broadcast a live, 2-hour province-wide TV special from 8-10PM. The special will feature footage from 10 locations around Alberta, including gala concerts in Edmonton and Calgary.

For more information, visit these links:

Thanks to Sherry, Donna, and everyone else who has found information on this event and forward the links on to me!



6/23/05: The Skate Canada website has a write-up of the Skate Canada ACGM in Winnipeg June 9-11, including a mention of Kurt's lunch speech (he got a standing ovation) and a few pictures of Kurt, as well as Sonia and Aleksandar Antonijevic's performance to Swan Lake. Check it out. Thanks Marjorie!



6/23/05: Kurt Browning was chosen as one of the athletes to get his portrait painted as part of a project by the Canadian Sport Centre to raise money for amateur athletes. Read about this project in more detail here and here. When the collection is complete, it is expected to tour Canada, and will hopefully be featured at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Thanks, Sherry!



6/16/05: Kurt will be one of the hosts for a 2-hour CBC special called "Alberta-Bound" airing Aug. 25. The special will feature Corb Lund and his band, Paul Brandt, Ian Tyson, k.d. lang, Terri Clark, Jann Arden, Tommy Banks, Oscar Lopez and the Alberta Ballet, P.J. Parry, Karla Anderson and Alex Wells. Kurt will be hosting part of the show and interviewing six of the artists. For more information, read this article. Thanks, Sherry!



5/30/05: Can you find Kurt? Check out the Alberta/Saskatchewan Centennial Mural, which was unveiled for the queen at the Provincial Museum in Edmonton as part of the Alberta & Saskatchewan 100th Anniversary celebrations. For more information on the mural, Queen pays tribute to Alberta's past. Thanks, Sherry!



5/30/05: Kurt Browning will co-host the Alberta Centennial TV gala, on Sept 1, 2005. The live, two hour gala will be broadcast from four stages: the Calgary and Edmonton Jubilee auditoriums, the Legislature, and Banff, as well as seven smaller locations around Alberta. The gala will be produced by Aquila Productions, which also produced a couple of Kurt's older TV specials. More information can be found here: Television-Savvy Centennial Party Producer. Thanks, Sherry!



5/30/05: According to this article: Great Scott: Legend to headline Worlds, Kurt Browning has been invited by Skate Canada to Worlds 2006 in Calgary, AB from March 20-26, 2006 as part of their celebration of past champions. Barbara Ann Scott is honorary chair, and will be headlining the event, and Brian Orser, Tracy Wilson, and Liz Manley have all been invited as well. Thanks, Sherry!



5/30/05: Kurt Browning is choreographing Carolina Kostner's 2005-2006 season LP. They are currently working on it with the help of Lori Nichol in Canada. Carolina's Official Website appears to have some updates on her current status. Thanks to Sherry and Reggie for the heads-up and information!



5/21/05: There are reviews and comments on the Superstars on Ice show in Skokie on May 17 in this FSU thread. Kurt skated to Rag-GIDON-Time and Mr. Bojangles, as well as a cute bit to "Moses Supposes" with Evan Lysacek after Evan skated to Singing in the Rain. Apparently, this show was recorded and the videotape will be available for purchase. Call the Skokie Skatium at 847-674-1510 for information.

9/10/05: Update: The video is available for order from Main Event Video Productions. It is $39 for the VHS or $54 for DVD. Contact information:
David Benjamin's
Main Event Video Productions
A Vidcom Inc. Company
269 Seabrook Drive
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

The phone number is: 1-800-924-8375

Information from Emanuel Sandhu Message Board.



5/4/05: Kurt Browning will be the guest speaker at the 2005 Skate Canada ACGM in Winnipeg on June 10. His wife Sonia Rodriguez and Aleksandar Antonijevic of the National Ballet of Canada will perform at the gala that night. Read the details: Special guests promise to make 2005 Skate Canada ACGM an unforgettable weekend. Thanks Hazel, Sherry, and Donna!



3/28/05: Kurt Browning and Jeff Buttle had a media day at the Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto last week, promoting the Canadian HSBC Stars on Ice tour (Jeff is now a full cast member, skating all 12 stops). A number of articles were produced as a result. They also appeared on a number of radio and TV shows. Apologies for not posting notifications of those appearances - I was out of the country all last week. Thanks to the members of the Kurt List for keeping me up to date with these appearances while I was away!

Other appearances or articles, not online:

  • Toronto Star - Mar. 25, 2005 (photo of Jeff and Kurt)
  • Toronto Sun - Mar. 25, 2005 (photo of Jeff and Kurt)
  • Kurt and Jeff on Off the Record (Mar. 25, 2005)
  • Kurt and Jeff on EZ Rock Radio (Mar. 24, 2005)
  • Kurt and Jeff on CFRB (Toronto radio) (Mar. 24, 2005)



12/18/04: The Celebration on Ice December tour has begun. Kurt is skating to Time in a Bottle and Green Christmas. Check out the tour blog, which is updated daily. I'll be updating here with reviews as I find them:



12/14/04: Thanks to Cynthia for sending me this cute little blurb from the National Ballet of Canada email newsletter, where the dancers talk about their Christmas plans:

Sonia Rodriguez: We have Christmas dinner on the 24th with family there are 18 of us at the dinner table, so its a huge production. Its my sons Gabriels second Christmas so it should be fun. We will also head out to our cottage in Haliburton to introduce him to games in the snow!



12/14/04: Kurt apparently just taped a segment for a Bravo special on Roberto Campanella (ballet dancer and choreographer of Nyah, Play That Funky Music, Elevation, etc...). I have no information right now as to when this will air, but it's something to keep an eye out for. Thanks Susan!



12/11/04: As with Ice Wars, Laurie (aka Skatesand) on the Alexei Yagudin Discussion Group has been phoning the results of the World Team Challenge to Mary Lally, who's been posting them on the above-linked thread.

Kurt skated to Time in a Bottle for the technical program, tying for first among the men with Alexei Yagudin with a score of 49.1. He then debuted a new program to The Feeling Begins for his artistic program, scoring a 99.4, placing 2nd among the men to Alexei. Unless he's changed things significantly, this should be the program Kurt choreographed two summers ago with Spanish dancer Louis Oya in Spain but hasn't used until now. The final results were:

  1. Team Canada - 443.1
  2. Team Russia - 438.9
  3. Team USA - 436.4
  4. Team Europe - 433.8

Some articles on the competition:

More reviews (spoilers):

The competition will air in Canada tomorrow, Saturday Dec. 11 on TSN from 1-3PM EST and 7-9PM EST (check local listings - it seems to air from 10AM-12PM PST/4-6PM EST on the West Coast, and an article lists it as airing at noon and 6PM in Winnipeg).

The competition will air in the US on Friday Dec. 18 from 7-11PM EST on the Oxygen Network. It also airs in the UK several times on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 2, Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 (check local listings, or the World Team Challenge Event Info page for specific times, as well as rerun times in the US.



12/5/04: Kurt skated to Time in a Bottle and Green Christmas Friday night at the Holiday Festival on Ice show in Kelowna, BC (thanks Brett!). Here are some relevant links (reviews/photos/articles):

Reminder: Holiday Festival on Ice will be airing Dec. 15, 2004 from 9-10PM EST on CBC in Canada, and in syndication through the month of December in the US (check local listings).



11/27/04: Check out a lovely series of photos taken by Debi at the Today Show on Friday of Kurt practicing and skating on the Rockefeller rink: Kurt Browning on the Today Show. Thanks Debi!



11/18/04: Laurie (Aka Skatesand) over on the Alexei Yagudin Discussion Group board has been phoning the results to Mary Lally, who's been posting them as they come in on that thread. Final results for the competition have come in. :

Kurt apparently skated to a 2-part program named "Leaky Pipes", the 2nd part of which was done to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (sp? =)), possibly by Harry Connick, Jr. He wore a "Number 1 Dad" t-shirt as part of his costume for both numbers. The 2nd program apparently was done with props, while the first was probably funny, since the crowd was laughing. He lost the artistic matchup with Brian Boitano by 0.2 points - 98.8 to 99.0. He tied for 2nd among the men in the technical program with Todd Eldredge - 48.6 to 48.6. And he was apparently landing a whole slew of jumps cleanly, including a 3-toe/2-toe combination in the technical, a 3-toe/3-toe combination in the artistic, a whole slew of 2-axels, 3-toe, 3-sal, and 3-loop.

The World Team won - 587.4 to 585.4

11/19/04: Laurie has posted a full review of Ice Wars.

A reminder - Ice Wars will be airing Dec. 3 from 9-11PM EST on CBS.



11/8/04: Kurt skated to How Do I Live (by LeAnn Rimes) and Don't Fence Me In at An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends on Saturday night. Here are some reviews:

Also, some photos:



11/7/04: Kurt skated to Time in a Bottle and Don't Fence Me In at Kristi Yamaguchi's Salute to American Music show on Friday night. Here are some reviews:



10/8/04: Kurt skated to Antares and Slippery Side Up at the Isabelle & Lloyd Farewell Show in Kitchener last night. Here are some photos from the show, courtesy of Janet.

Also, got a quick report from a fan out there kind enough to write up a few initial impressions late after the show last night and nice enough to let me put them up:

Just got back from Lloyd & Isabelle's Farewell show in Kitchener. Great show! Kurt skated to Antares - one of my all time faves. Suffice it to say, I'm happy :-)

As usual, I'm going to make this a brief report - so just a few notes. This was Isabelle and Lloyd's night and we loved them. I am so going to miss these guys. Not too emotional and sappy, just a lot of great skaters out there helping to celebrate B&E's career - the whole thing had a real "down-home" genuine feel to it and I was really glad I was able to see it in person.

Kurt skated Antares in the first half and brought down the house. Major standing O. His second half program was Slippery Side Up. Not usually one of my faves, but the crowd was so into it, I really enjoyed it. He had some different stuff in there too. Another major standing O - crowd definitely loves Kurt :-)

Overall a good night for everyone. A few bobbles here and there, but nothing that wrecked anyone's program.

We got 3 programs from Lloyd & Isabelle and needless to say there was a heartfelt standing O after every one of them. Standing O's for S&P, Elvis, Brian, Kristi, and of course Kurt.

Only one program each from both Brian & Kristi. Brian skated to "Il Postino" by Josh Groban - a lovely, lovely program, skated like only Brian can. Nice to see the standing O for Kristi too - I so seldom get to see her anymore - this was a real treat.

Steven Cousins continues to skate well this year. Two programs for Steven: "Streets of Philadelphia" and "Are You Gonna Be My Girl". Lot's of catcalls - I love the way he always looks slightly embarrassed when that happens :-)

The show was choreographed by another one of my faves Doug Ladret. The opening number had everyone out there in a tribute to Lloyd & Isabelle - doing pairs moves. Kurt skated with Kristi, and if memory serves me correctly they did a pretty cool death spiral amongst other things. I'm really looking forward to seeing this on TV - so much going on I'm sure I missed lot's of stuff.

CBC was there taping, and Tracy Wilson was emceeing . All in all a good night of skating :-)



10/7/04: An update on the Halloween on Ice DVD now available for sale that I mentioned earlier. I've received the DVD in the mail today and Kurt fans should be warned - there's almost no Kurt on here at all. They've cut the original show down and haven't included any of Kurt's performances in the main show part of the DVD, and there's only a cut-down version of his "Monster Mash" included in the "additional performances" bonus feature. The DVD is only $10 on Amazon, but IMO it's not worth it if you're just buying it for Kurt. It's great if you're a fan of Nancy Kerrigan, Josef Sabovcik, Brasseur & Eisler, Philippe Candelero, Josee Chouinard, Liz Manley, Urbanski & Marval, or Hartshorn & Sweidling, who are all included in the main part of the DVD, but not if you're primarily a Kurt fan.



10/3/04: A nice comment from producers of "This is Daniel Cook" about working with Kurt: "We would definitely like to add that Kurt was a wonderful and charismatic guest who taught Daniel a lot in the short time they were together. He was a pleasure to work with, was very friendly, and brought a great energy to the show. I would certainly recommend trying to catch this episode if you get the chance."



8/8/04: More links to Mariposa Gala reviews and photos. Seems like Kurt was a highlight for many! Thanks Kirsten, Sherry, and Janet for the links!



8/5/04: Sherry was nice enough to send off a nice, quick report on the Kurt parts of the Mariposa Gala tonight for the Kurt fans out there itching to hear about it. Thanks Sherry!

Just a very quick "Kurt" report from tonight's show.

Even though it wasn't listed in the program, we got a bonus tonight - Kurt skated twice! Part way through the first half he did an impromptu number - skating while he talked to the audience. Using the music from an old short program, he choreographed it as he went along, all the while talking to the audience on a hand held microphone. It was Kurt just being Kurt. Packed full of every type of footwork you could imagine, (including a dead-on version of Yag's toepick footwork - only done faster :-) Interspersed with the footwork were jumps and spins, with Kurt making comments and joking throughout. Before Kurt skated he explained that he had been away on holidays so he didn't have a program ready. All I can say is that for someone who had been on holidays he looked to be in great shape, and oh those magic feet!

As I expected, he closed the show with "Ding Dong Daddy" - skated clean - no problems. Then he stayed out on the ice to take part in the cheque presentation for charity. (He tried to "steal" the oversized cheque after it was over :-) A half hour after the show was finished he was still out on the ice signing autographs. What a guy.

A good club show - I enjoyed it a lot. A nice new exhibition program from Ben that I thought really suited him. It's to western music, something I'm always a sucker for. A very good night for Steven - best I've seen him skate in a long time. Nailed all his jumps - it looks as though he's been training hard. A couple of nice programs from Jeff Buttle that I'm looking forward to seeing as the season progresses and he becomes more comfortable with them. And then there was Takeshi Honda. I'm told that all his programs this season have been choreographed by Kurt and that he was nervous about skating them tonight with Kurt there watching. The jumps weren't on tonight, but *Wow* the first program that he did, which looks as though it will be his new long program, was fantastic. Packed full of interesting moves - I loved the choreography. Honda's second program was an exhibition piece, and it too had Kurt written all over it.

For those of you who live in the Toronto area - local TV (CKVR) was there doing interviews. I turned on the news when I got home and at the very end they showed quite a bit of Kurt's impromptu first half program. It might be worth it to check out that channel tomorrow. Rogers was one of the sponsors, so there's always the possibility we may see something on cable too. And the Mariposa Club had someone taping so videos will be available.



2/8/04: The Celebration on Ice tour has started. Here are links to articles and reviews, as I (or others) find them. Thanks to Sherry for finding basically all of these!

Articles:



1/16/04: Kurt Browning and a number of other past and present Stars on Ice skaters will be appearing on Family Feud the week of Feb. 16-20. Other skaters include Alexei Yagudin, Todd Eldredge, Todd Sand, Scott Hamilton, Oksana Baiul, Jenni Meno, Jamie Sale, Kyoko Ina, David Pelletier, and John Zimmerman. Read a mini-review of the taping of two of these shows here: Family Feud taping with the skaters on the Discussions on Alexei Yagudin board. Thanks to Laurie for the information.



12/11/03: Holiday Festival on Ice was held last night at the RICOH Coliseum in Toronto. Due to the center score board coming loose and needing to be fixed, the show started 2 hours late. During the delay, Kurt came out to sign autographs. Kurt skated to "O Little Town of Bethlehem" by Jose Feliciano, which seems to be a different program than the one he did to Garth Brooks a couple years ago. I'm told this program was reminiscent of "Nyah", only with jumps and a holiday theme. He also skated to the Crash Test Dummies' "The First Noel", a program he originally did back in 1994 for a holiday show. Thanks to Sherry for this information!

Holiday Festival on Ice will be airing Dec. 16, 2003 from 9-10PM EST on CBC. In the US, it will be airing in syndication as it has the last couple years, so check your local listings.

Reviews:

Articles:



12/4/03: The World Team Challenge took place last night in Vancouver. Skaters were:
Team USA: Todd Eldredge, Nicole Bobek, Jenni Meno & Todd Sand
Team Canada: Kurt Browning, Josee Chouinard, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier
Team Russia: Alexei Yagudin, Maria Butyrskaya, Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze
Team Europe: Steven Cousins, Oksana Baiul, Radka Kovarikova & Rene Novotny

The World Team Challenge will air in the US on Oxygen on Dec. 13 and 14 from 8-10PM EST both nights. It will air in Canada primarily on A-Channel/Toronto-1 from 8-10PM EST on Dec. 6 and 9-11PM EST on Dec. 7, as well as Sportsnet East on Dec. 13 from 4-6PM EST. Check this page for specific schedules per city and check your local listings, since each region gets different broadcasts.

For just scores and results, visit this thread: World Team Challenge Results on the Alexei Yagudin Discussion Group.

Other links:

Articles:



11/26/03: Kurt Browning will be appearing on the Vicki Gabereau Show in Vancouver. The taping is on Dec. 2. Tickets are available for free by calling (604) 609-5766 or emailing gabereau@ctv.ca. His appearance will air on Dec. 4 on CTV. Check your local listings for the time. Here is the link to the Gabereau Show website's taping schedule, and the airting schedule.



11/13/03: Ice Wars was held at the Pepsi Arena in Albany tonight. Team members were:

Team North America: Kurt Browning, Brian Boitano, Nicole Bobek, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier
Team World: Ilia Kulik, Victor Petrenko, Oksana Baiul, Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze

Articles:

Spoiler results below (highlight text):

Initial report from Nancy (thanks Nancy!) tells me that Kurt apparently skated to his two Gotta Skate numbers (not 100% sure I understood her correctly on this). The first number, "Moondance", had some jump problems including a possible 2-footed 3-loop and a stumble out of the second jump on a 3toe-3toe combo. Scores were 9.8's, 9.7's, and one 9.6. His second program was clean, landing everything and getting the highest scores of the night for artistic - all 10's with one or two 9.9's. Also, he apparently wore his original costume from Gotta Skate for this program. Nancy says that the other skaters also skated well and that she thinks Brian B did a 3t-2t-1t combo. The World team won by 0.3 a point. And before anyone gets all excited, I should remind you like I had to remind myself that Kurt wasn't on the World Team this year! =) Also, from the Kulik's Krew report below, Ilia skated to "A House is Not A Home" and "Nutcracker". For more details, read Nicole's reports on skatingfanforum below - they're very detailed, with scores and everything!

Here are reports from other boards:

Photos:

Ice Wars will air on CBS on Nov. 29, 2003 from 9-11PM EST.



11/4/03: Kurt Browning skated to "Ding Dong Daddy" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight" at Kristi Yamaguchi's Salute to American Music tonight in Philadelphia. (Thanks Sue!) Here are some initial reviews:

Photos:



10/22/03: Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate 2003 was held on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, ON. Kurt skated to two programs in this show - "Moondance" with Michael Buble performing live, and "Ding Dong Daddy" - as well as a special duet with Brian Boitano that was the highlight of the evening, to "Hey Pachuco/Topsy" by the Royal Crown Revue. The show will be aired on NBC on Dec. 21, 2003 from 4-6PM EST. Here are links to reviews and photos of the show. Keep checking back for a special feature on this show from this site =).

Photos:

Reviews:



10/14/03: The Stars on Ice website has released a partial list of guest stars for cities up to Milwaukee. To see all the guest stars so far associated with their cities, you can go to the 2003-2004 Tour Schedule on this site. Kurt has been listed for Spokane, Portland, Seattle, Fresno, Bakersfield, Sacramento, San Jose, Phoenix, Albany, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Ames, Green Bay, East Lansing, Detroit, Peoria, Raleigh, Baltimore, and Columbus, along with Oksana Baiul.



9/23/03: Kurt Browning skated in the Ice Galaxie shows in Corner Brook, NF on Sep. 18 and St. John's, NF on Sep. 20. The programs he skated to at both shows were Rag-GIDON-Time, How Do You Keep The Music Playing, and Are You Lonesome Tonight. Here's an article promoting the show: Sharing the Spotlight from the Telegram.

Photos can be found at the following links on the Skate Canada Newfoundland & Labrador website:

Reviews of the show can be found on this thread over on skatingforums.com. There's also a very good, long, detailed review up at the Skate Blade.

I also got a nice email from a fan in NL, who wrote this about the shows:

I just wanted to let you know that the Corner Brook show with Kurt was fantastic. I have waited a long time to have Kurt Browning come to Newfoundland. My best friend and I had seats on the ice and he was close enough to touch. He did the same programs in Corner Brook as he did in St. John's. His Rag-GIDON-Time was as funny as always. I do have a few pictures and I will try to scan them some time soon. As always, Kurt showed the Corner Brook crowd why he people love him so. Shae and Vic were also fantastic. The whole line up was great. It was a great experience for the local skaters as well. They had the opportunity to show off their talent to the best talent in the country. Fedor Andreev is a real crowd pleaser. All in all, it was the best money I have spent to see a skating show. We were very happy he came and my dream of someday seeing him has come true.

Janet Spurrell
Corner Brook, NL
Thanks Janet!



9/12/03: The Sep/Oct 2003 edition of IFS Magazine has a quote from Brian Boitano about working with Kurt in Gotta Skate:

"Doing his show was contingent upon me getting to do a duet with Kurt. We've never done anything like that together, and I've always wanted to," offered Boitano. "When I told Kurt my condition, he was like, 'Absolutely!'"


10/7/03: An update on the Arrogant Worms TV special. The Arrogant Worms TV special will air on Oct. 25, 2003 at 7PM on Bravo in Canada. Unfortunately, Bravo was only interested in airing the music portion of the show, and therefore the aired special will not include Kurt's cameo. Still, check it out if you're an Arrogant Worms fan or enjoyed "Christmas is Almost Here."

4/15/02: On a fairly random note, Kurt will apparently be making a cameo in the Arrogant Worms' first TV special. The editing process on the show is nearly finished and it will be sent out to potential broadcasters soon, which means that it hasn't actually been picked up by a station yet. They speculate that the earliest it will be aired is this fall. This article from Vue Weekly gives more information about the special. Here's the relevant passage, however:

The premise of the show finds the Worms trying to convince famous people to appear on their special, all of whom decline. One segment finds them pursuing Kurt Browning, playing one of their songs on a portable stereo as the skater beats a hasty retreat.

9/28/02 update: A recent short blurb in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix (9/18/02) says that this will be a CBC TV special next spring. If I get any more information about this, I will post it here.