ICE CAPADES
the company that originated the show that was eventually passed on to the other com- panies to perform. They rehearsed all summer in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Convention Hall.
“Putting the show together and being with all of the creative people was a lot of fun,” Shelley said. “And then you start doing the show and the tour. Those relationships and times with everyone are cherished memories as well. “We say that while most kids go off to col-
lege, we went off to the ice show. This is where we did our growing up.” “This is like our college reunion,” Starbuck
said. After their time in Ice Capades from 1972
to 1976, Starbuck and Shelley made a few guest appearances in the show, did a lot of television work and performed on Broadway: Starbuck in John Curry’s show and Shelley in Toller Cranston’s production. At the reunion, Starbuck and Shelley
spent every moment possible visiting with old friends and meeting new ones. “We reminisce about all those times and people in our lives, the people we toured with, the people we competed against, and it’s so in- terwoven,” Shelley said. “When you are a skater, whether you are
with Ice Capades or in the Olympics or just a skater who goes through their tests, skating is a special bond and brings people togeth- er,” Starbuck said. “For the rest of your life you have a very close, unique family that you love and understand. Even if you haven’t talked in 30 years, you get together and you have that wonderful bond.”
Johnson looks back fondly on skating career Lynn-Holly Johnson spent just a half sea-
son with Ice Capades in 1977–78, but the re- union made it feel like it was much longer. “What a great, tight group,” Johnson said
of the Ice Capades alums. “We are such a family, because 80 percent of us had this unusual upbringing as a skater and it keeps you close.” Johnson, the 1974 U.S. novice
silver medalist, grew up outside of Chicago and starred in dozens of commercials and movies as a child. She moved to Newport Beach, Cali- fornia, to continue her competitive career.
“I was a junior in high school
and packed my bags and went to train under John Nicks and Gary Visconti. It was a great move and I have never left there.” In 1977, Johnson joined Ice
Capades before embarking on an acting career. While still with the Ice Ca-
pades, the 19-year-old was being sought by producers to costar in
26 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
75 YEARS
Thank you for your donation at the reunion.
Janette Chechowski and Steve Williams Good luck and follow your dreams. The best sport in the world.
Jared R. Hoadley Thanks to the Memorial Fund I was able to keep skating.
Linda Landui Best of luck to all of you.
Dawn Wagner-Johnson Reach for the stars!
Michele Urbany-Puluti Never give up!
Liv Lunde Ramos I’m honored to be sharing the RISE video with my skating students. They need to know this story.
Chris and Dick Shedlowski Keep going!
Phil Taylor Follow your dreams.
a movie titled Ice Castles. After a successful screen test, she returned to the Ice Capades show, where she roomed with sisters Kitty and Heidi DeLio. “I said to Kitty and Heidi, ‘There’s nudity
in this script and I’m not doing that. I’m happy here doing Ice Capades.’ They were pretty dis- appointed and we talked about having to get the nudity out (of the script) and me pursuing the role. “I remember pretty specifi cally when Kit-
ty said, ‘There’s a pay phone downstairs, you go call the director and tell them you are doing it. You have to do this.’ So I remember where the pay phone was in Columbus, Ohio, in the Ra- mada. I called the director and said, ‘I’ll do it.’” Assured that there wouldn’t be any nu-
dity, Johnson was surprised to learn that half- way through shooting that the writers rewrote a scene, which included her taking off her blouse.
“I said, ‘No! I’m not doing that.’ They
couldn’t believe I was standing up to a Holly- wood production. The producer yelled at me, saying I was costing him $25,000 every couple hours because the director wouldn’t work. Two days later, they rewrote the scene and we fi n- ished the movie. “It makes me feel like a million bucks because when people compliment me on the movie now, they usually say it was a great fam- ily movie, and that’s because this little kid from Chicago stuck to her guns.” Johnson, today a wife and mother of
two, went on to star in dozens of movies and TV shows, including being one of James Bond’s girls in For Your Eyes Only.
Filmmaker Keri Pickett and her uncle Roy Blakey have given skating fans a backstage pass into the unique history of the trav- eling ice show era with their movie titled The Fabulous Ice Age. The DVD is available for purchase by sending a check made out Pickett Pictures LLC for $25. Pickett will autograph the cover of the DVD. Send checks to Keri Pickett at Pickett Pictures LLC, 413 East Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414-1005. Blakey, a for- mer show skater, collected thousands of pieces of ice show memorabilia during his time as a performer.
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