Hi Folks,

This will be shorter than my usual report (didn't take notes on jumps and had much too much to do since then to write it up since Saturday). My seats were actually in the second row (about 6 inches and 4 feet behind the on-ice seats.  But since I didn't buy them until Thursday, I'm not complaining.  The lower bowel was full, and the first few rows of the top section.

I enjoyed this show much more than last year's. I think the cast is jelling more now, and the interplay works for the most part. Tara is looking better and better, and I hope that by next year she'll have it down. I need to remember that she's a year younger than when Kristi first entered the Senior US Ladies Championships!

I liked the opening number, much less cheesy than last year. We didn't have trouble with lights in our eyes (maybe the angle we sat at) and the volume of the music was high but tolerable (or else I'm going deaf).  Kurt adds a lot as the clown, and I think he has a good time with it. At one point he was about 10 feet from us, trying on an audience member's pair of glasses -- what a hoot, and he talks to the audience too.  I liked the clown number, especially the parts that were new, since I didn't know what was coming.  Play the Funky Music was vintage Kurt, and really had the audience pumped.

With all the talk about the Kurt and Tara number, I was very curious. I thought the two of them do very well with a rather comic number. Somehow Chris Dean brings out the enjoyable child in both of them, and they looked like they were having fun. I had absolutely no problem with this number given the "tongue in cheek" aspect to it. Ditto to the part with Tara playing the young woman and the four guys; I'm sure the teenage girls in the audience were gaga over it.  Was so-so about the Genie number and thought the American Woman one was bad enough that they should just have cut it from the show.

Scotty is trying to get his triples back, he missed on a triple toe the You Can Call Me Al number, but then looked very determined and got the triple sal. I think he meant to go for a triple lutz in the Don Quixote program, but it was a large double. The intro to this number is now a bit different (no more talk about "feeling pretty") but instead an obvious sarcastic intro about the "ballet" company Scott is representing. Some of the moves have changed to be more obvious, and there's an obligatory venture into the audience as well. All for the good, I think. The lights came up at the end (the only skater for whom this is done -- a vanity gesture?), and he got a standing O, the only one of the night.

In our wonderful seats, we got to see Katia catch the ribbon stick up close and personal (she smiled when she got it), play with Kurt as noted above, and watch Ilia lift Katia in their number, as well as do that wonderful spread eagle lift at the end -- a full 360 degrees. Katia had a small stumble when they were across the ice just before a lift which got me a bit anxious, but they went on beautifully.

Kristi was spot-on with all of her numbers, and she really got music that works for her -- Bridge was terrific (no problem anywhere in the program) and the Smooth was hot (although the choreography I noticed is not especially latin that I can tell), and her dancing in the Club AC was very good.  She and Renee Roca are the best dancers of the women, while I think a lot of the guys are just as good (Ilia, Steven, Kurt). She also has exquisite line and posture, I think she's improving each year there.  I think she has three triples in the show:  lutz, flip, and toe.

Ilia looks much stronger than last year. His blues number had five triples in it, one that really cool triple loop into a spin, and a triple axel. His technique is so good that he doesn't look like he jumps, more like floating.  He looks in great form, and the hat number (which I was prepared to dislike because of reports that I've read) was more clever and fun than I thought it would be.   To me, it's a keeper.

LuLu stumbled on a triple toe but hung on to a double axel in her cold spot. While she looks like she's enjoying herself, she also looks out of shape compared to the other members of the cast.  Just not up to the caliber we knew when she was eligible.

Meno and Sand were on as well, although they landed only a throw axel (not a double) in the Baby number.  Todd really gets into it, I wish Jenny would loosen up now. The number they did with Roca and Sur was good, although the latter are so stunning that I didn't watch M&S unless they were doing a lift.

I'm so glad that Roca and Sur are still in the mix -- their Ghost number is again a winner, and I don't know if we'll see it on TV (maybe it was part of the chacked part of the Boitano special that's being rebroadcast?), but their line and expression is up there with the top ISU couples.  WOW!

The closing number is good -- a nice high energy number with nice brief solos by many skaters and great ensemble skating. The energy level they put out, as well as the speed is very noticeable when you are close. The only thing I missed was seeing all the beautiful lighting for the show, which isn't obvious low-down, but I like the tradeoff.

On the whole, I'm really glad that Torvill and Dean are choreographing, because their numbers were some of the most enjoyabe -- they seem to bring a light touch of humor to the show that is rather endearing.  I could do without the club aspect, but even there is stuff to enjoy.  I just hope it wasn't Scotty's last year!