ok, random observations and I'm gonna post and edit since I typed up like a whole page and then had my comp freeze and lost everything. bastard computer!!!
Rudy Galindo...if the man was any gayer...he'd be a woman! And that's not meant as a slam, he's absolutely hilarious. He has great fun at poking at just about every stereotype you've seen. His program started off with him in this white sailor suit, the song being something about the Navy (sounded like Village People but what do I know)....then he strips it off and is wearing this spangly tight arm-baring thing.
Finished off the program with excerpts from Macho Man and YMCA. Very very campy.
Bourne and Kraatz - definitely the best dance pair out there for my money. They were actually interesting to watch. Really entrancing actually, but that probably had a lot to do with their flowing costumes, seamless choreography and music by Sade. can't help but be a little entranced when I hear that song.
Brasseur and Eisler!!! Wow. These guys are definitely more suited to the pro circuit than they ever were in the amateurs. Crowd pleasers in a big way. He was in drag, she was dressed like a guy. And they still do that amazing holy-shite-he's-holding-her-over-his-head-upside-down-with-one-arm to the omg-she's-going-to-hit-her-face-on-the-ice swinging dismount. awesome!
Victor Petrenko...still a good showman, but I didn't care much for the program. Probably had something to do with the choice of music
who let the dogs out!?
and the big fluffy stuffed dog he held the entire time. Oh well. I miss the Twist!!!
Still very fun to see him.
Timothy Goebel - total cutie pie, needs some work on the whole getting the crowd into you thing. But he'll get there. Great jumps.
Surya Bonaly - that one-footed landing back-flip looks cooler every time I see it.
Dimitriev and whats-her-name (I miss Natalya Mishketonuk!
) solid as expected. nostalgic for me to see some of the same old transitions and bits of choreography from some of my all-time favorite pairs programs. *sniff*
Yvgeny Plushenko - basically did his Olympic long program modified for time and simplified a bit. (no quads that I could see
) Amazing jumper, really nice to see SOMEONE do a triple-triple combo out there at an exhibition. lol. But omg, if I had a dime for every time I've heard Carmen used as a figure skating song....gah.
Philippe Candeloro!!! Ok, apparently the organizers of this show are aware that this man is the consumate skater-showman. They gave him more ice-time than anyone, I think. He did this goofy "sheriff" routine to Will Smith's 'wild, wild west" and of course, this being Philippe, there was the requisite strip-down-to-his-bare-chest thing and the jump-into-the-audience-and-kiss-a-girl thing and that backflip and the sitdown spin. This man will never have to worry about money as long as he can still stand on skates. Total crowd pleaser.
Michael Weiss...omg! I never really thought this guy was terribly hot, but something about black leather pants, amazing bare arms and a chest to match under that vest.
that's all I have to say about that.