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ambience
Ice Star
Joined: 02 May 2007
Posts: 94
Location: Manchester
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 Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject: UK Reviews |
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| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice, Sunderland Empire
11:16am Thursday 30th October 2008
By Sue Heath »
THIS is not really a show for the very little ones, as Shetland ponies don’t appear in the transfiguration scene – they’d have trouble keeping their balance.
No such problems, however, for the 25- strong cast of Tony Mercer’s new interpretation of the fairy tale. They’ve won more than 250 competition medals at Olympic, world, european and national championship levels and their dazzling skill leaves the audience gasping.
The costumes, made by the same people who dress the Bolshoi Ballet, are fluid and beautiful and even the wicked stepsisters are slim, sassy and gorgeously dressed.
An original musical score by Tim Duncan and Edward Barnwell fits the production wonderfully and Tchaikovsky gets a look-in when Cinderella, a chorus dancer, gets the chance to take the lead in Swan Lake. Her stepmother, looking good in a scarlet satin trouser suit, tries to exclude Cinders from the mayor’s ball in honour of his handsome son, but a mysterious gypsy makes sure her charge is there so true love can triumph.
A special effect that produces the magic coach makes the audience go “Ooooh” at the end of the first half and when Cinderella leaves the ball at midnight, she leaves behind her sparkly skating boot.
It’s not pantomime; not a word is spoken but the story is clear enough and the grace and athleticism of the Imperial Ice Stars keep the audience mesmerised. |
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xer
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 28
Location: UK
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/cindersice-rev.htm
The picture is very old though, should give them a recent one, impice 
| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice
The Imperial Ice Stars
Music composed by Tim A Duncan and Edward Barnwell
Sunderland Empire and touring
Review by Katharine Capocci (2008)
The freezing weather conditions outside seemed only fitting for the dramatic icy scenes we watched unfolding before us inside the theatre. But far from leaving us cold, and reaching for jackets and scarves, this is an icy spectacle that leaves you warm and thoroughly toasty.
I must admit the 'on ice' bit of the title can be disconcerting before coming to see a production like this. The worry is that the tale will be somehow devalued, kitschy and cartoon-like, with movements constrained.
No such worries, though, when it's in the capable hands of The Imperial Ice Stars, a 25-strong cast of the cream of Russian skating talent as well as Olympic, World and European championship skaters.
The show is balletic, athletic and dramatic: one almost forgets they're performing this on ice.
With stunning costumes (masses of chiffon and lace and fitted suits) and whirling and twirling galore, it makes for fantastic theatre.
Having seen The Imperial Ice Stars perform Swan Lake on Ice a couple of years ago, they once again work their magic in this new interpretation of the timeless classic.
This Cinderella re-telling appears somewhat darker than the simple pantomime versions theatre-goers are more familiar with. It's more moody and much more dramatic, working well with the flashy skating.
This version tells the story of Cinderella, a humble chorus dancer who is thrust into the spotlight as a prima ballerina and captivates the Lord Mayor's son with her performance.
Despite rival attempts by her pretty but dastardly stepsisters to steal his heart, the watchmakers and fortune-teller ensure love triumphs.
Olga Sharutenko as Cinderella is utterly superb, fluid and graceful, making it all look so easy. While Andrei Penkine as the son is captivating, his daring on the ice and athleticism have to be seen to be believed.
Cinderella's father played by Vadim Yarkov is similarly hugely exciting to watch with his thrilling manoeuvres.
The specially commissioned music, composed by Tim A Duncan and Edward Barnwell, is pre-recorded, as timing is all for the skaters, as you can imagine.
It all feels fresh and original, with a genuinely absorbing storyline. |
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oris
Double Axel
Joined: 27 May 2007
Posts: 13
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:13 am Post subject: |
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Whats on Stage
| Quote: | Review - Cinderella on Ice
October 30, 2008
Date Reviewed: 29th October, 2008
Venue: Sunderland Empire
*****
When the Prokofiev estate refused director Tony Mercer permission to use the music he wanted for Cinderella on Ice, he turned to Tim Duncan to write the score. Luckily the new score is a brilliant piece of work that backs up one of the best touring ice shows around today.
However, anyone expecting to see the British pantomime version of Cinderella placed on ice will be disappointed. This is a romantic tale, with Cinderella training to be a ballerina and the prince, we are so used to, is actually the Mayors son. Cinderella losing her slipper remains in the story and leads to the female skaters appearing with just one ice skate as they are eager to try on the slipper.
We know the Mayors son and the Watchmakers daughter, Cinderella, will live happily ever after, but the story taking us there is fresh, different and fantastic entertainment.
The Imperial Ice Stars prove once again they are masters at bringing ice shows to theatrical venues and making them first class experiences for all ages.
This excellent production contains, brilliant skating, pyrotechnics, flying and some of the most expensive sets to tour in an ice show and is the ideal half term treat for all the family and cannot be recommended highly enough.
Pam Dixon |
Last edited by oris on Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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warm
Novice skater
Joined: 06 Nov 2008
Posts: 6
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 4:11 am Post subject: |
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From Irish News
Cinders on ice sure to charm
By Anne Hailes
06/11/08
IN A SPIN: Olga Sharutenko and Andrei Penkine with the Imperial Ice Stars’ Cinderella on Ice. PICTURE: Colm O’Reilly
I AM defeated, at a loss for words. If I say graceful, passionate, breathtaking, ethereal, I’ll sound like Bruno Tonioli on Strictly Come Dancing.
The fact is this is an astounding night’s theatre and I promise it will not disappoint.
Some younger children expected a vocal story but when I checked at the end there were no complaints and they especially liked the spectacular coach which appeared as if by magic just before the interval.
This is a ballet but because it’s on ice the action is fast and the lifts seem to defy gravity. There was tension in the air at times and a couple of stumbles made us realise this is dancing on ice and ice is very slippery.
The costumes are beautiful and the colours and reflective materials shone out thanks to the specialist lighting.
The music is on a soundtrack, loud and majestic – if it was performed live, even the slightest change in tempo would cause the skaters to become out of step which, given the speeds involved could have disastrous consequences.
The choreography is stunning – how do they remember and how do they complete the extravagant movements on such a small stage? Like a flock of starlings flying at speed these young skaters twist and turn with no apparent fear of collision.
The story is of a young ballerina bullied by her ballet mistress and her two ugly sisters. Her father is a kindly watchmaker and her prince charming the lord mayor’s son who falls in love as the girl moves from the chorus to prima ballerina in a production of Swan Lake, and when Olga Sharutenko and Andrei Penkine dance together it’s very beautiful.
It’s almost unfair to pick out any particular cast member as they are all Imperial Ice Stars.
This is an expensive show to mount and the ticket prices reflect this but believe me, it’s money well spent – give yourself and your family a treat.
Anne Hailes
- The show runs until Saturday with matinees today and on Saturday. |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:49 am Post subject: |
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From Belfast -
A TV Program
Not sure if you could see it though. 
| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice
Belfast Giants players George Awada and Evan Cheverie are more used to slicing up the ice than gliding up the ice, but today they took to the stage with Imperial Ice Stars Olga and Andrei for a dancing on ice lesson.
And after their performance the boys might well take more than a little bit of stick from their Giant team mates, but at least Olga had only praise for their efforts.
The Imperial Ice Stars specialise in performing theatrical ice-skating in the intimacy of theatres and are renowned for their daring ice skating as well as their unique interpretation of classics such as Swan Lake and in this case Cinderella.
In their new interpretation of a classic tale, The Imperial Ice Stars tell the story of Cinderella, a humble chorus dancer who is thrust into the spotlight as a prima ballerina and captivates the Lord Mayor’s handsome son, the most eligible bachelor in town, with her graceful performance.
Despite rival attempts by her stepsisters to steal his heart, the kindly Watchmakers and Gypsy Fortune Teller ensure that true love triumphs. |
Last edited by edb on Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:56 am; edited 1 time in total |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:53 am Post subject: |
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From Norwich -
Impice' s Interview
| Quote: | Show that will melt your heart
ABIGAIL SALTMARSH
10 November 2008
Cinderella on Ice slides gracefully into Norwich next week. ABIGAIL SALTMARSH got her skates on to speak to award-winning director Tony Mercer.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Imperial Ice Stars director Tony Mercer has been behind 17 or 18 stunning ice shows over the past 15 years and he said the staging of each had been a colossal event.
While each of his shows has been carefully designed for performances on stage, a huge amount of work nevertheless has to go on behind the scenes.
“I do feel sorry for the groups of people that do it. It is hard work.
“The scenery, the lighting - everything has to work with an ice rink, and it all has to be set up while we are clock watching,” he said.
“We have nine technicians, whose job it is to do this. They are also assisted by 18 venue technicians as we travel.
“They start at 7am on the Monday and work hard at it to make sure everything is ready for the first show the following night.
“They have to lay 14km of pipe work on stage, ready to create the ice.”
But staging an ice show is easier, he admitted, than it was back in the 1980s, when these sorts of theatrical productions first began.
Today Mercer is recognised as one of the world's leading directors in the field.
His productions have toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Russia, South Africa and Canada, playing to more than 1.5 million people.
Starting out as a production rigger, Mercer rapidly progressed to becoming a lighting designer and began travelling the world, lighting shows and working as a tour manager and production manager for such international artists as The Three Degrees, Dionne Warwick, The Supremes, Elkie Brooks and Kool and The Gang, before going on to manage The Dooleys.
In 1993, he was invited to join Wild Rose Ice Theatre as production executive for the company's first tour of The Sleeping Beauty on Ice and was later appointed artistic director.
In 1994, he directed his first ice show, Summer Ice Spectacular, before going on to direct Phantom of the Opera on Ice, Barnum on Ice, Carmen on Ice, Cinderella on Ice, a second tour of Sleeping Beauty on Ice, Peter Pan on Ice, and the 2003 Australasian touring production of The Nutcracker on Ice.
In 2004, Mercer set up The Imperial Ice Stars, with Vladislav Olenin and James Cundall, and toured The Sleeping Beauty on Ice in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, Germany, Holland, and South Africa.
Then from 2006 to 2008, Swan Lake on Ice toured five continents, earning universal praise from critics and audiences alike.
“I think ice dance is so beautiful. I was inspired by Torvill and Dean. When I saw them perform Bolero at Sarajevo it was amazing and there was nothing quite like it.
“I remember thinking how wonderful it was and that this was the direction in which ice dance should go - then being surprised that more people didn't follow,” he said.
Ice shows had traditionally been “all feathers and glitter,” he went on. Mercer's dream was to create productions where the ice dance would speak for itself.
Cinderella on Ice is The Imperial Ice Stars' third production. Featuring world-class skaters performing intricate and thrilling moves, it is set to a magical score that's been composed specially for this production.
The show features 25 world, European and national championship skaters who between them have won over 200 competition medals.
They perform stunning skating feats, normally only seen in Olympic arenas, , including incredible lifts and lift sequences. within the confines of a theatre stage.
“The show is choreographed for a theatre stage rather than an ice rink but the skaters do have to learn to adapt their techniques for the smaller space when they first come to us,” explained Mercer.
“They all tell me they get great enjoyment performing this way. They feel closer to the audience and it is very different from performing when you have people on four sides.”
He said another of the great successes of the show is its appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
“It's wonderful because you can look out across the audience and see the faces of the husbands who have been brought along by their wives.
“Fifteen or 20 minutes later, those faces tell a different story. They are smiling and are really enjoying it.” |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:57 am Post subject: |
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From Norwich with broken ice -
From Norwich with Broken ice
| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice - Imperial Ice Stars
SARAH HARDY
12 November 2008
Cinderella on Ice.
Norwich Theatre Royal
It's a while since I've seen an ice show - probably way back when something like Holiday on Ice came to the Showground.
They are certainly impressive. For a start, you don't appreciate that the cast are balancing on practically nothing as they whizz around the stage at top speed. And that's before you mention the lifts, jumps, spins and more.
The Imperial Ice Stars are a talented lot, made up mainly of former competitive skaters with bucketloads of medals between them. They make it look easy and for most of them it probably is after years of top-level competition.
Their version of Cinderella sees her as a dancer and Prince Charming as the Lord Mayor's son. But an evil step mum and two ugly sisters are there, along with a drippy dad who, performed by an on-fire Vadim Yarrkov, was my star of the night. He had more power and energy than most although Olga Sharutenko was a delightful Cinderella.
It's all beautifully done, with a new score, lovely costumes, good lighting and the only trouble is that there's not really enough room for anything too amazing - the jumps verge on the sedate and you worry that someone is going to crash into the sides at times.
There was a little bit of drama last night which kept us on our toes. Cinders had just got her fella when the curtain came down and the action stopped. There was big hole in the ice! They struggled to fix it but quickly gave up so we missed the last couple of numbers, including a duet between the loved-up couple.
All the team came on for their plaudits but Prince Charming looked more than a bit fed up!
Theatre staff were confident that all would be well for today's show.
The show continues until Saturday, November 15 - ice permitting, of course! |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:59 am Post subject: |
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Slip-up at Norwich's Cinderella on Ice
| Quote: | Slip-up at Norwich's Cinderella on Ice
Cinderella onIce - fault halted the show
LAURA DEVLIN
13 November 2008 06:22
She went to the ball, she lost her glass slipper and she usurped her ugly sisters to be reunited with Prince Charming.
But the Norwich version of the well-loved fairytale took on an unorthodox ending that had more to do with health and safety than pumpkins and fairy godmothers.
Cinderella on Ice, a show which has toured the globe, had to be halted straight after the climactic scene when the heroine slips on the shoe and proves she is the prince's lost love.
Backstage crews at the Theatre Royal spotted a fault which rendered the surface unsafe, robbing Cinderella of her celebratory carnival and a love duet with her man.
The stars were instead brought back on stage for a final curtain call on Tuesday night - its first show in a five-day run - and the audience told that the fault could have proved dangerous.
Theatre spokesman John Bultitude said the problem had now been corrected but would have taken too long to remedy for the show to continue.
“The ice is on two levels and apparently the lower level had melted slightly and caused the upper level to dip a bit,” he said.
“It would have been dangerous to carry on as one of the performers may have hit that particular spot, so we cut the show short by two scenes.
“We have now replaced the ice and the stars have spent the day rehearsing and it is fine.”
He added that the audience were “really understanding”.
Backstage crews constantly monitor the ice before and during each performance to ensure it is as it should be and alert the director to any faults as soon as they occur, which has happened on rare occasions on the entire tour.
The show is performed by the Imperial Ice Stars, a New Zealand-based company which brings together ice dancers from Russia and Eastern Europe, and is at the theatre until Saturday . |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:04 am Post subject: |
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From James - Cinderella on Ice in Wales
A video, a few pictures and an interview -
| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice is a real festive spectacle
Nov 28 2008 by Matt Thomas, Western Mail
With a portable ice rink, flames and flying skaters, Cinderella on Ice certainly makes a change from the usual panto fare. Matt Thomas takes a look behind the curtains of one of the biggest shows on the road this Christmas.
Playing now:
Cinderella on Ice, at the Wales Millennium Centre
Tags: cardiff, cinderella on ice, wales millennium centre (What's this)
The world-famous Imperial Ice Stars tell the story of Cinderella, a humble chorus dancer who is thrust into the spotlight as a prima ballerina and captivates the Lord Mayor's handsome son.
PRODUCER James Cundall is unequivocal about what his ambitions were with Cinderella on Ice.
He wanted to do something different with the traditional Christmas show – and putting all the performers on skates was just the start.
“We’re doing for ice shows what Cirque Du Soleil did for circus performances,” he says of the latest production from Imperial Ice Stars.
Luckily he has some hard facts to back up his assertion.
“This production features rain, three types of fire, moving scenery, 3D projection and flying. It’s a real spectacle,” he says.
But it’s not just the technical side of the show that is impressive. There’s a terrifying list of statistics accompanying the performers as well. For example, between them the 25-strong cast have racked up more than 250 medals in their previous lives as competitive ice skaters.
The group, made up of Russian figure skaters and ice dancers, rehearsed nine hours a day, six days a week, for seven weeks to pull the show together. Not content with that, they rehearse for three hours each day before the show, which is coming to Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre next month.
“They are very hard-working,” says Cundall. “And very competitive. That’s what comes from recruiting professional athletes.
“They’re used to doing something, practising until they get it exactly right. And then they still want to improve it.
“The only problem is that you have to teach them how to act.”
This is something with which Cundall has experience. Although he started his career in finance, working in Hong Kong, he has always been fascinated by theatre.
He set up Lunchbox Productions to feed his longing for the stage and soon found he was making enough of a go of it to give up the day job.
“Our first production starred (former EastEnder) Paul Nicholls. It’s a pretty serious way to start out.
“And anyway there’s not a lot of difference between the world of finance and the world of theatre. It’s all about managing a portfolio (of shows), diversifying risk and marketing.
“Which is exactly the sort of thing that you would be expected to do when you’re trading in blue chip stocks.”
His formula for success is simple. “I like to offer value for money, so that people go home feeling that they have really seen something different.”
It’s a philosophy that has stood him in good stead. Lunchbox has six other shows playing around the world at the moment, ranging from Barney the Dinosaur in Hong Kong to Abbamania in New Zealand. So where does Imperial Ice Stars come in?
The company was set up in 2004, as a partnership with artistic director Tony Mercer, who cut his teeth production managing tours for Dionne Warwick, Kool and the Gang and The Supremes amongst others.
Originally a lighting designer, his move into the world of theatre on ice came when a company in need of producer invited him on tour back in 1993.
Since then he has cemented his place in the annals of ice-based entertainment by coming up with the technology that allows the company to move their ice rink form theatre to theatre, as well as paving the way for brand-new choreography never before seen in ice dancing.
“Well I wouldn’t say I invented the machinery,” he says.
“People had been doing ice shows in theatres before. But I sat down and had a think about it and worked out how we could move the rink around easily, how we could use all the different-sized stages in all the different theatres around the world.
“But I always had a strong vision of what we needed to do with the choreography. Even when I was pushing against the received wisdom of the coaches and trainers, I knew we had to do something different.”
In creating the show, Mercer has called on some of skating’s leading lights as well as its strongest characters.
“Tatiana Tarasova is someone I have worked with. She has coached more world and Olympic figure skating champions than anyone else. When I first met her, some of the things I was suggesting ... well, she would look at me as if I was mad. But after we had worked together for a while, she started to see what I was on about.”
For Mercer, who has a house in Wrexham and splits his time between there and Moscow, bringing ice dancing into the theatre has allowed it to escape some of the constraints of competition.
“It can be very conservative, very hidebound. They don’t like change,” he says.
“But what we have done, once we get past the resistance some people might have to our way of doing things, is allow our dancers to do something different.
“And they respond very well to it, being complete professionals.
“They even start to try and outdo each other. If one person pulls off a triple salchow one night, some one will try a quadruple the next. It all adds to the production.
“A lot of the moves our performers do are dangerous enough as it is on a full-sized rink, but when they’re whipping around inside a theatre it’s even more challenging.
“People might hear about this show, hear the word Cinderella and think ‘Oh, it’s not for me’. But I think everyone should come along and see exactly how impressive and technical it really is. ”
Despite the jaw-dropping nature of the spectacle, Mercer insists it’s the story behind the skating that makes it special.
“We might have fire and rain and flying but there’s got to be a reason for that,” he says.
“And Cinderella is a story that makes sense wherever you are in the world.”
Cinderella on Ice is at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff from December 17 until January 4. Call 08700 40 2000 for tickets. |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:06 am Post subject: |
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From Cardiff with a house 
http://www.northwales.co.uk/latest-news/cinderella-on-ice/
| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice
IT’S probably fair to say that not many top Russian ice skaters live in Rhyl. But the beautiful Olga Sharutenko from Ekaterinburg is a wonderful exception.
And the 30-year-old plays the lead role in Cinderella On Ice with the Imperial Ice Stars in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium over Christmas, before heading to Liverpool in February, Manchester in March and Llandudno’s Venue Cymru in April.
Olga had bought a house after meeting friends on a previous tour to North Wales. Her friends look after her house, overlooking Marine Lake, while she’s away on tour. Previous shows include Sleeping Beauty on Ice and Swan Lake on Ice.
In a strong eastern European accent, she says: "We have been touring with Cinderella on Ice in New Zealand and Australia and we will be in the UK for the next seven months. It feels almost like I’m coming home. North Wales is a beautiful part of Britain. And my house has the best view of Rhyl. I’m a very lucky girl."
In April, a special rink will be created at Venue Cymru. And Olga says: "It’s a lovely theatre with enough space for the big productions. Lovely people come to the theatre."
Olga, who has been skating since she was six, is a professional ice dancer but there are risks.
She says: "Figure skating is a dangerous sport. We do have difficult elements, movements and steps because we try to make the routine interesting. But I am lucky, I have not had any big injuries, only pulled muscles."
In Cinderella Olga, who danced with John Barrowman in TV’s Dancing on Ice, is among a 25-strong cast of Olympic, World, European and National Championship skaters, with 250 medals between them.
The Imperial Ice Stars was formed in July 2004 as a joint venture between entertainment producers James Cundall and Tony Mercer – who put his North Wales home up as collateral – with former speed skater Vladislav Olenin.
They skate against lavish backdrops and scenery with sets created by one of Australasia’s leading scenic designers, Eamon D’Arcy. He worked on sets for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony and Australian touring productions of Cabaret, Singin’ in the Rain and Saturday Night Fever.
The skaters wear 77 richly decorative costumes made by the famous Bolshoi Ballet’s costume cutters. Ten of the costumes cost more than £4,000 each.
Spectators will enjoy a special score, which took nine months to compose and arrange from start to finish. It is performed by the 72-piece Moscow State Cinematic Orchestra and 10 soloists from the Manchester Symphony Orchestra.
Cinderella on Ice, Wales Millennium Centre, Dec 17-Jan 4. Tickets from £12, from 08700 402000 or www.wmc.org.uk ; Venue Cymru, Llandudno, April 7-11. Ring 01492 872000 to buy £28.50-£17 tickets. Details www.imperialicestars.com |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:07 am Post subject: |
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here is another preshow interview -
Get your Skaters on
| Quote: | Get your skates on!
By David Simister on Dec 8, 08 01:41 PM
A TOP RUSSIAN ice-skater and Kinmel Bay resident has said this week she is excited about her performance in a Cardiff Christmas play.
Olga Sharutenko, a member of the Imperial Ice Skaters and previously partnered John Barrowman in ITV's Dancing On Ice, is one of 25 skaters who will appearing in Cinderella On Ice, set to be shown at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff later this month.
"I'm very much looking forward to bringing this performance to the UK. People might think they know about Cinderella, but this isn't just a children's version of the story. It'll be completely unexpected" she said.
"It's always a joy to perform in Wales, and especially at Christmas. The atmosphere is always much nicer at this time of year and I'm hoping we can add to peoples' happiness by giving them a spectacular performance."
Sharutenko, who is originally from Ekaterinburg in Russia, is performing at Cardiff as part of a world tour with the Imperial Ice Skaters, and says that presently she rarely gets to see her North Wales home.
"I do try and get back for a few days when I can, but with us promoting Cinderella on Ice in Asia and South America it almost feels like I live out of my suitcase sometimes" she added.
"At the moment though, it's so busy that it almost feels like I don't live anywhere at all, but North Wales is a beautiful place and I'm very lucky to have lots of friends over there."
Cinderella on Ice will be performed at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff between December 17 and January 4. For more information contact 08700 40 2000 or visit the group's website at www.imperialicestars.com. |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:08 am Post subject: |
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Cardiff Review -
Review from Argus
| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice, Wales Millennium Centre
10:22am Friday 19th December 2008
Comments (1) Have your say »
By Jackie Davies »
The Imperial Ice Stars production of Cinderella on Ice is another triumph. Following on from previous successful productions, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, it has confirmed its reputation as the leader in its field.
Artistic director/choreographer, Tony Mercer has boldly visualised a new take on the classic fairy tale,this time concentrating on depth of character whilst careful to not lose sight of its humour.
There are some remarkable performances, which is unsurprising in a 25 strong cast of perfectionists.
Olga Sharutenko is almost ethereal in the title role. Gentle and transclucent she is the embodiment of the fairy tale heroine.
By contrast, Olena Pyatash is her perfect foil, mixing elegance with ruthlessness in a faultless performance as her over-bearing step-mother.
The two male leads Vadim Yarkov and Andrei Penkine show both daring and athleticism in captivating roles.
An excellent new musical score by Tim Duncan and Edward Barnwell sets the tone and indeed the pace of the production.
Dramatic and absorping, at times you have to pinch yourself to remember that this spectacle is actually.. on ice! Don't miss it.
It runs until January 4. |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:14 am Post subject: |
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From Wales with Admiration
| Quote: | Review: Cinderella on Ice, Wales Millennium Centre
Dec 20 2008 by Karen Price, Western Mail
TWO years ago I was mesmerised as I watched the Imperial Ice stars performing Swan Lake on Ice.
The Tchaikovsky favourite remained faithful to the traditional ballet but the show had the added pizzazz of skilful ice-skating, jaw-dropping lifts and stunts and rings of fire.
Now the company has returned to Cardiff with a production of Cinderella On Ice.
And while I thought I was familiar with the story of the poor girl with the cruel stepsisters who meets her Prince Charming at the ball, I wish I’d read my programme notes before Act One.
For this Cinderella is very different. It involves the Lord Mayor’s son, effectively Prince Charming (expertly skated by Andrei Penkine), a gypsy fortune teller (the delightful Olga Gmyzina) and clocks that whirr and tick with surprising energy but which Cinderella’s father the watchmaker (Vadim Yarkov) has difficulty repairing.
During the first half of the production, Cinderella (a very graceful Olga Sharutenko) finds herself taking the lead role in a performance of Swan Lake. Confused? I certainly was. In fact, I thought the Imperial Ice Stars had enjoyed their previous show so much that they had decided to resurrect it.
But come Act Two and we’re into the ballroom scenes which provide the perfect showcase for the ice-skaters to show off their remarkable talents.
With a beautiful score, simple but highly effective sets and stunning costumes, the production has all the ingredients needed to make it a magical festive show.
The final scene in which Cinderella and the Lord Mayor’s son dance together is utterly stunning. As they skate against a plain dark backdrop dotted with twinkling stars, you can really focus on their elegant and skilful moves as there’s nothing to detract from them. And when they “fly” through the air it really appears as though they must have grown wings as there’s no sign of any wires.
I must admit that the company’s production of Swan Lake is still my favourite, but once again Imperial Ice Stars have pulled together a highly polished show – even if it isn’t Cinderella as I knew it.
Cinderella On Ice is at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, until January 4. The box office number is 0870 040 2000.
By Karen Price |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:16 am Post subject: |
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Wales online
| Quote: | Cinderella love story is made on ice
Dec 28 2008 by Rachel Mainwaring, Wales On Sunday
IT’S a love story to rival any fairytale.
Boy joins an ice-dancing troupe, his eyes meet a girl across a freezing ice rink, they dance, lift and perform death-defying jumps and fall in love.
But this is no fairy tale – this is the real-life love story behind this year’s production of Cinderella on Ice at Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre.
Principal dancer Andreii Penkine is married to Cinderella’s evil stepmother Olena Pyatash, while eight ensemble members are also enjoying love on the ice.
Andreii, 28, from St Petersburg, has been skating since the age of three and met his Ukrainian wife Olena almost 10 years ago. And he said he’s finding it very odd having a new love interest on the ice.
“I play the principal role of the Lord Mayor’s son, and Olena plays the evil stepmother,” he said.
“We are on stage a lot together during the production but it is very strange for me to see her like this.
“She is not at all evil and is completely different in real life but she looks very nasty on stage and everybody hates her because she is a baddie, so it is a strange experience. To be honest, Olena doesn’t really like playing the nasty roles, she prefers the nice ones, but she does enjoy the stepmother role. It’s strange not to be partners in the show but it is sometimes good to play separate parts.”
The pair, who have an eight-year-old son Devid, met during an ice show and Andreii admits 26-year-old Olena wowed him from the start.
The 28-year-old, who began his career as a single skater, said: “When I first met her, I just thought ‘Wow’.
“She is beautiful and, of course, a wonderful dancer. Our son Devid is with us most of the time because obviously we have to travel around the world. It is nice to take him with us but he stays in Russia for his schooling as well.”
But Andreii, who joined the Imperial Ice Stars in 2004, said they won’t be pushing their son to be an ice-dancer too.
He said: “I have made a life on the ice but it wasn’t really my decision, my parents pushed me into doing it.
“If I’d had a choice I’d have probably preferred to be a football player. We will be celebrating Christmas in Cardiff as we will get a day off. In Russia, we celebrate Christmas two weeks later on January 7 and we will have some time off then to celebrate. I can understand why people fall in love on the ice. We spend so much time rehearsing and skating that we are all together for a long period of time.”
In this new interpretation of a classic tale, The Imperial Ice Stars tell the story of Cinderella, a humble chorus dancer who is thrust in the spotlight as a prima ballerina and captivates the handsome Lord Mayor’s son, the most eligible bachelor in town. And, despite rival attempts by her stepsisters to steal his heart, the kindly watchmakers and gypsy fortune teller ensure their true love triumphs.
Cinderella On Ice is at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, until Sunday January 4. Box Office 08700 40 2000. |
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edb
Triple Toe Loop
Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 39
Location: Edinburg
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:17 am Post subject: |
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A slight variation from the previous one... it is a lovely heart warming story
Form South Wales Echo
| Quote: | Real-life fairytale of pair who found love on the ice
Dec 29 2008 by Rachel Mainwaring, South Wales Echo
IT’S a love story hot enough to melt the ice they’re skating on.
For, despite falling for the leading lady in Cinderella on Ice, principal dancer Andrei Penkine has revealed he only has eyes for the evil stepmother!
That’s because she is played by his real-life wife Olena Pyatash.
Andrei, 28, from St Petersburg, has been skating since the age of three and met his Ukrainian wife Olena almost ten years ago.
And he said he’s finding it very odd having a new love interest, Olga Sharutenko, who plays Cinderella, on the ice.
The show is currently running at the Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday, January 4.
Andrei, an avid Manchester United fan, said: “I play the principal role of the Lord Mayor’s son, and Olena plays the evil stepmother.
“We are on stage a lot together during the production but it is very strange for me to see her like this.
“She is not at all evil and is completely different in real life. But she looks very nasty on stage and everybody hates her because she is a baddie so it is a strange experience.
“To be honest, Olena doesn’t really like playing the nasty roles, she prefers the nice ones, but she does enjoy the stepmother role. It’s strange not to be partners in the show but it is sometimes good to play separate parts.”
The pair, who have an eight-year-old son, Devid, met during an ice show and Andrei admits 26-year-old Olena wowed him from the start.
Andrei, who began his career as a single skater, said: “When I first met her, I just thought ‘wow’ she is beautiful and, of course, a wonderful dancer. Our son Devid is with us most of the time because obviously we have to travel around the world. It is nice to take us with him but he stays in Russia for his schooling as well.”
As well as Andrei and Olena, there are four other real-life couples taking part in the show. And Andrei said: “I can understand why people fall in love on the ice. We spend so much time rehearsing and skating that we are all together for a long period of time.”
Cinderella On Ice is at the Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday, January 4. Box Office 08700 40 2000. |
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starry
Novice skater
Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 3
Location: the United Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:32 am Post subject: |
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An article on The Stage as well.
http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/23004/cinderella-on-ice
| Quote: | Cinderella on Ice
Published Monday 5 January 2009 at 16:25 by Jon Holliday
This spectacular version of the most popular pantomime is all non-stop skating, music, mime, special effects, gorgeous costumes and superb sets.
A scene from the touring production of Cinderella on Ice
Photo: Branco Gaica
But that cannot convey the sheer brilliance of this third production featuring the Imperial Ice Stars. The 25 strong cast of Olympic, World, European and National champions, the cream of Russian skating talent, perform a stunning series of throws, lifts, spins, dances, acrobatics, somersaults, all done at high speed, many risky, a few barely attempted before and downright dangerous. Truly breath catching entertainment.
Mere Cinders (Olga Sharutenko) is a ballerina who steps into the role of Odette in Swan Lake when her stepsister withdraws in a tantrum. A great success, she meets the Mayor’s son (Andrei Penkine) returned to Siberia from his travels. Love at first sight, but the nasty stepmother (Olena Pyatash)…well, you get the idea.
Eventually the lost bladed boot is fitted to Cinder’s foot and true love is no longer skating on thin ice.
However, the best is yet to come with an exuberant coda in which the whole cast seek to outdo each other in daring feats on those flashing blades. What a climax. Unbelievable.
Following the UK tour Cinderella will visit 22 countries over the next two years. |
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impice
Ice Star
Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Posts: 706
Location: On Tour
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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That was very kind of the 'Stage' .
xx |
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mile
Novice skater
Joined: 08 Nov 2008
Posts: 4
Location: the UK
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| Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 2:02 am Post subject: |
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I know it is on Tour Diary, but might as well have a full collection here 
Times Online
| Quote: | From The Times
January 7, 2009
Cinderella on Ice at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Donald Hutera
Hats off to Tony Mercer, the artistic director of the Imperial Ice Stars, for attempting something others can't, or won't, do. His desire is to place high-quality ice dancing at the service of familiar yet emotionally satisfying full-length narratives. The combination worked well in his young company's smashing 2004 debut production, Sleeping Beauty on Ice. Two years on, the dramatic stakes rose considerably higher via his surprisingly meaningful take on Swan Lake.
Now comes Cinderella on Ice, in a staging that tours the UK until mid-June and is, perhaps, more notable for its choreographic invention, conceptual ambition and stylish look than its fairytale uplift.
Mercer's novel choices start with the show's setting in a small Siberian town, its central square realised in charming detail by the designer Eamon D'Arcy. Cinderella (Olga Sharutenko, an effortlessly strong and lyrical skater) is no sooty urchin, but rather the lovely offspring of a dutiful watchmaker (Vadim Yarkov, authoritative). Harassing both is his elegant dragon of a second wife (Olena Pyatash), assisted by her ridiculously temperamental daughters (Svetlana Fadeeva and Alina Kharetdinova).
The introduction of these and other characters, including Andrei Penkine as the mayor's son in lieu of a prince, is accomplished with a commendably light touch. Credit for this must be shared between Mercer and two dozen, mainly Russian-born, championship skaters whose dazzling abilities are harnessed to a plot that, in truth, sometimes operates with less urgency than it might.
There is a self-referential wit in Mercer's decision to render the stepmum as the ballet mistress of the local theatre, and Cinderella as a diligent chorine who steps into the role of Odette when her feckless stepsister is injured. Clever, too, to make dad a time-keeper flummoxed by the crazy spinning of all the hands on the town's many clocks. Other choices - the Fairy Godmother recast as a bland gypsy fortune-teller, or an ensemble of uniformed skaters who abstractly embody clock numbers - are divertingly different without lending the story a clear thematic weight.
Set to a streamlined, waltz-laden pre-recorded score by Tim A. Duncan and Edward Barnwell, this is still a show worth seeing for the thrilling athletic grace the cast brings to Mercer's sophisticated choreography. A show-off finale that drew the Welsh audience to its feet topped an enjoyably schmaltzy ending, complete with a deft aerial duet.
Edinburgh Playhouse Jan 20-24, then touring. www.imperialicestars.com |
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ballpen
Double Axel
Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:57 am Post subject: |
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Edinburgh
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/theguide/Cinderella-On-Ice-Edinburgh-Playhouse.4885495.jp
| Quote: | Cinderella On Ice, Edinburgh Playhouse
Published Date: 16 January 2009
By Liam Rudden
All are in for a thrilling weeks reveals ice maiden Olga Sharutenko, who stars in Cinderella On Ice at the Edinburgh Playhouse next week.
Sharutenko was one of the professional skaters to feature in the original series of Dancing On Ice in 2006. Then she partnered Doctor Who and Torchwood star John Barrowman and, having just reluctantly declined a return for the current series due to touring commitments, she has a word of advice for the celebrities battling it out without her.
"Ice skating is more difficult the later in life you try it because, as a child, you don't have the same fear about trying things that an adult has," she says.
"As an adult you know that if you are going to fall the ice is five or six feet away and that it will feel that far away when you hit it."
"But I think that everyone can skate to some degree as long as they have a natural balance. The best advice I can give to anyone trying to skate for the first time is, 'Be brave and find your balance on the ice'. That is the most important thing.
"Work out how to hold your body. Bend your knees and keep your legs beneath your body. That's what the celebrities have to do on Dancing On Ice."
Reflecting on her own time on the show, the 31-year-old smiles,"It was a very interesting process. The difference between myself and John made it fascinating. Since I was six I have been learning step by step, every year learning something new. That's how I got to the level I am at now.
"John didn't have that experience and had to try to learn the steps I had learned over years in just a few days. It was amazing to see how brave he was and how he would push himself beyond what he was really capable of doing."
Next week, the Russian puts her years of training to good use when she returns to the Capital to skate the title role in The Imperial All Stars' Cinderella On Ice.
"I'm proud to say that we have created something different and new for the audience," she says.
"Everyone knows the fairy-tale but this is different. Our Cinderella tells the story in an unusual way, and I love seeing the reaction of the audience."
In this new interpretation, Cinderella is a humble chorus dancer who is thrust into the spotlight as a prima ballerina and captivates the handsome Lord Mayor's son, the most eligible bachelor in town, with her graceful performance.
Despite rival attempts by her stepsisters to steal his heart, the kindly watchmakers and gypsy fortune teller ensure that true love triumphs.
Choreographed by Tony Mercer, Cinderella On Ice boasts a 25-strong cast of Olympic, world, European and national championship skaters. In other words, the cream of Russian skating talent who, between them have won more than 250 competition medals and can reach speeds of up to 25mph when performing.
"It looks incredible to see, but for us it is more about reaching the speed we need to do a specific element," explains Sharutenko. "Often it is easier to execute a move at speed."
To transform the stage of the Edinburgh Playhouse into an indoor ice rink, the Imperial Ice Stars rely on two chillers, more than ten miles of refrigeration pipes and 600 gallons of water to create 14 tonnes of ice over a 34 hour period.
"My life now is being a performer with the Ice Stars. We are so busy travelling around the world that it is my life and I am so enjoying it," says Sharutenko, and she means it.
In the last five years she has starred in seven ice spectaculars, the other six being Peter Pan, The Phantom of the Opera, Barnum, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
"I have thanked everyone at Dancing On Ice so many times for inviting me to be on the show because it was a great experience, so different to live theatre I am doing now," she adds.
"They invited me back again for this series – and I am very grateful for that – but I was already committed to this tour and am so enjoying what I am doing in the theatre."
That said, the star doesn't rule out a return to our TV screens in the future.
"I would love to do Dancing On Ice again," she admits.
"But I would need to have the gap in my work, in my life, to do so."
Cinderella On Ice, Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place, Tuesday-Saturday, 7.30pm (matinees 2.30pm), £10.50-£30, 0870-606 3424
Flashing blades
As well as the first series of Dancing On Ice, Olga Sharutenko boasts 15 gold, four silver and 11 bronze figure skating medals to her credit.
By the age of eight, Sharutenko, whose mother was also a figure skater, was doing two training sessions a day, six days a week.
Each lasted one and a half hours, the first at six in the morning and the second after school.
She once recalled: "When I came to the ice for the first time, I was the worst skater in my group. I couldn't skate properly, I couldn't do what the other children were doing because I didn't start skating until I was six. All the others had started when they were four."
With skating partner Demitri Naumkine she quickly became junior champion. The successful partnership lasted for 15 years, making both local heroes in their home town of Yekaterinburg.
Sharutenko last appeared at the Edinburgh Playhouse two years ago in Swan Lake On Ice. She played the Swan Queen, Odette in what was her sixth ice spectacular. |
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excel
Double Axel
Joined: 16 May 2007
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:55 am Post subject: |
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From Edinburgh
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh/-Everything39s-cool-as-Playhouse.4892661.jp
| Quote: | Everything's cool as Playhouse ice rink ready in time
Published Date: 20 January 2009
By Sue Gyford
IT was a mammoth task – turning a traditional theatre into an ice arena in just 30 hours.
But after furious work throughout the night, the transformation of the Playhouse was set to be completed in time for tonight's Imperial Ice Stars' production of Cinderella on Ice.
All it took was 14 tonnes of ice, 26 crew members and a set worth £ADVERTISEMENT2.75 million to bring off the greatest logistical operation the theatre will face all year.
Stage manager Chris Hewitt, who masterminded the whole operation, said: "It is a bit of a race against time. You're up against it, but everything is very carefully scheduled."
The crew's task started at 8am yesterday, as four articulated lorries were unloaded and a wooden frame and a 12x14 metre pond liner used to craft the shape of the rink. More than ten miles of pipes were laid and filled with liquid coolant, before the theatre took delivery of its crushed ice from a specialist supplier. Once the ice base was laid, it was sprayed with water every 15 minutes right through the night to increase its thickness.
Mr Hewitt said: "Every time one layer freezes we start spraying the next. It needs to be at least two inches thick before the skaters skate on it. It has to be ready by 4pm (today] so they can get in and skate before the performance."
The Imperial Ice Stars visited the Playhouse in 2007 with their production of Swan Lake and the theatre's general manager, James Haworth, said he was confident the operation would go smoothly.
"When I first did ice dance productions, it was a number of years ago in Manchester and I remember the stage used to look quite a mess afterwards because they'd spring leaks, but I think the science has improved so much over the years that we don't have any real worries."
He said the Moscow-based company of championship skaters would put on a spectacular show: "They do generally pick some of the top ice dancers so the quality is superb. You can go and see ice shows in arenas but it's a different experience seeing something like this in a theatre. The Playhouse has got a nice big stage so the ice dancers can really go for it."
The production does not follow the familiar pantomime story of Cinderella but is based on an older version of the story penned by Charles Perrault around 1690 and later developed by the Brothers Grimm – but set in 1930s Siberia.
Cinderella is a chorus ballet dancer who wants to dance the lead but her stepmother, the ballet mistress, stands in her way. The love interest is the Lord Mayor's son and there is no king, no Prince Charming – and no glass slipper.
Artistic director Tony Mercer said: "Cinderella in the UK is viewed as a children's pantomime story, whereas this is more of a romantic adult story. Cinderella as I've done her is the sort of woman you might meet on the street in Glasgow. She works, she goes out, she's got a life." |
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