by KAMA KORVELA
as Vegas is about to get a little glitzier and more glamorous. Skaters from across the globe will de- scend upon the city for the 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Cel- ebration of the Ice Capades. “Tere was just something
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so special about the Ice Capades,” Gloria Spoden, co-coordinator of the reunion, said. “We were so proud to be a part of it.” Te event will be held on June
22–24 at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Attendance for the reunion, held every five years, is expected to be around 500. Not only does the reunion include performers from Ice Capades, but it also draws skaters from other renowned pro- ductions such as Holiday on Ice, Disney on Ice and Ice Follies. Te reunion will include pool parties and
cocktail parties and will conclude with a gala ban- quet. In addition, there will be Ice Capades merchan- dise for sale, including print photographs and programs from several years of the show. Te event will also include, of course, lots of time for the skaters — as well as manage- ment, musicians, and crew members — to reminisce. “Getting to see old friends and making new ones is the best
part of the reunion events,” Sue Rodeghier, co-coordinator of the event, said. Ice Capades was founded in February 1940 in Hershey, Pennsylva- nia. Tough the world premiere of the show was in New Orleans, the first official Ice Capades performance was in Pittsburgh on Nov. 5, 1940. Tree tours — East, West and Continental — crisscrossed North America for several years. Te show was known for featuring well-known skaters, such as Peggy Fleming, Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, and Dorothy Hamill. Te show evolved to include other acts, including acrobats and jugglers. In lat-
er years, licensed characters like the Flintstones and Barbie joined the show, appealing to younger audience members. Spoden was a line skater in the East tour of the show from 1966 to 1971, and recalled what
made the show so distinct during a time when spectators had many shows to choose from. “Each of the ice shows had their own angle,” she said. “Ice Capades was known for its lavish pro- duction numbers, the costumes and the comedians that performed in the show. Tere was a classiness to our show.” Rehearsals for the tours would begin in February, Spoden explained. By July, the tours would begin and usually wrap up by April of the following year. Ice Capades was also a fixture in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the summer months and drew large crowds. Te East tour would travel to larger cities, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Tis tour would re-
ceive new choreographed material each season. Te West tour would perform in slightly smaller cities such as Boston, Minneapolis and Calgary, and would perform production numbers from the previous years’ East tour. After the West tour wrapped up the current year’s production, it was then handed over to the Continental tour for its use. Te Continen- tal tour spent time in small cities such as Des Moines, Iowa, and La Crosse, Wisconsin. Rodeghier spent time on each of the three tours, from 1980 to 1988. She was at first part of the chorus and then a
principal skater. “It was the best time of my life,” she said. Sadly, the popularity of Ice Capades began to wane in the late 1980s and 1990s. With the introduction of shows such
as Stars on Ice and Tom Collins’ Champions on Ice, skaters had more professional options to choose from. In addition, com- petitive skaters were encouraged to retain their amateur status, as they often received prize money for competing in high-level competitions such as the Grand Prix series. Bankruptcy and financial issues plagued Ice Capades as well, and the show ended its 60-year run in 2000. Many would
agree that Ice Capades provided inspiration for current productions in Europe and Asia. “I feel like Ice Capades really opened the door to other shows,” Spoden said. Te reign of Ice Capades was a unique time in skating history, and it’s a time that Rodeghier remembers with fondness. “Ice Capades was a top-notch show,” she said. “We had Olympic and World champions as stars — our caliber of skating with the cast at its best. We are a family and still are today.” To register for the reunion or to learn more about the event, visit:
http://icecapadesreunion2015.com/. Keri Pickett, producer and director of the documentary film titled Te Fabulous Ice Age, will be selling DVDs of her
movie at the reunion. 14 MAY 2015
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