Arriving at the arena… About 7:00P

Early for a change - 30 minutes... I have my mom in tow this year so good-bye $75.00 seats. Plus since I am out of work I think that that would have been kind of irresponsible anyway. As we are walking to the arena I start talking to a parking attendant and I casually mentioned that I still needed to purchase tix. He brings out a couple of balcony seat tix, 6th row, 2 for $20.00 so I got 'em. This will be my first time not being on the main floor and I don't quite know how I feel about this. Since he seems to be a hustler extordinaire, I ask him if he's got backstage passes and he tells me that he just sold the last ones about 30 minutes prior. I bit my lip and swallowed hard at this bit of news and turned back to face the United Center, which now, imo promises to be a rather chilly experience for me as a fan this year.

7:15P - Finding our balcony seats...

Not too bad... View is much better than I anticipated. In the lutz corner on the same side of the arena as the tunnel opening... At least I could peer down and see who was about to go, always nice. Not too many people around us and room in our section to move up if no one else came. I am perking up now... My mom is excited, this is her first ice show and actually, I just learned, her first time at the United Center. I go and get refreshments and settle in. I spied the program, but can't make up my mind yet on whether I will get it or not. Soooo many photos because of the 25th anniversary occasion I know that I am leaning towards splurging on this one.

Approx 7:45P... Lights go down

The announcer gives the rules out and stuff and me and my mom get excited as we munch on our goodies. I can't believe that it has been 3 years since my last COI. I went in 98, 00, and skipped 02... I hate that I missed MK skate to FOG live, but I was still in mourning and couldn't stomach SH being announced as OC. My emotions were too raw... Ok, the show is getting ready to begin!

Opening
Tried to keep notes for the opening but it was too monotnous... Everyone was clean I think and they skated to a variety of tunes. I am sure others have done reviews that will be much more detailed than mine in terms of the opening hits. I couldn't keep up. I was struck at how sloppy everyone was... They ALL seemed pretty lethargic and just "off". I was expecting them to be a bit more crisp seeing as though they are well into the tour at this point. Michelle came out and looked to be having a blast with her part. Notables: Phillipe was cute skating to John Travolta, Sasha Cohen got a loud ovation, MK got the loudest. Her transition from her ending of her opening to the beginning of Petrenko's was adorable... MK just stood there posed and then blew him a kiss before heading out of the spotlight... Meanwhile Petrenko is juking to his "I'm too sexy for my shirt..." blurb.

Nicole Bobek - "Abba Medley"
Wasn't introduced as the hometown girl like I remember her being in the past…2A, 2T (still can't get that third rotation in there huh Nicole?). LOTS of posing... I found the material on the sleeves of her costume to be very distracting... They were long pieces that swung around and you really couldn't just appreciate what she was doing with her body aside from the fluff and flash (does this make sense)? Another 2T I think, High leg spiral, cannonball/shoot the duck spin, Hydroblading move... Typical Nicole number... Polite applause. She actually got introduced to mild - polite applause, which surprised me because she is from here...

Punsalan and Swallow - "Here We Go Again"
Very entertaining, smooth number. I am biased because I am huge fans of their style of skating... They just "fit". Ending met with rousing applause from the audience.

Ann Patrice McDonough - "Sugar, Sugar"
Cutesy number... Not sure what is going on with her development as a skater/entertainer... This kind of a number sets her back imo. This girl should be doing classical. I think that classical or another kind of music would play to her strengths. She looked about 13 years old! VeryColdWater said it best in her review... She had zero connection with the audience. She remembered us at the end while she took her bows. Polite, appreciative applause.

Rudy Galindo - "Prince Medley"
I grew up listening to Prince so I give Rudy points for the medley. He shakes his buns a little too much for my personal taste, however he is a great crowd pleaser and he rocked the house. You can just tell he looooves being out there. Great, rousing applause at the end.

Lang and Tchernyshev - "Still Loving You"
I have seen this number so many times, but it was great to see them in person... I wish that they would hold some of their positions so that I could appreciate them longer. They appear to be on a great adventure while doing this number. Good effort! Nice applause.

No Fumie Suguri for Chi-Town fans!

Tatiana Totmianina Maxim Marinin - Jazzy, bluesy number - competition number?
Tatiana fell twice and unfortunately with the kind of music they skated too, the falls sucked the air right out their performance. Polite applause.

Dan Hollander = "Old Man"
My mom really enjoyed this number. I think she thought he was 70 for real... She said "bless his heart" as he ambled through his number... Nice applause.

Elena Sokolova - "Her competition number from Worlds"
Non-existent applause at her introduction. I am assuming her number must be edited. Came to my lutz corner and I held my breath thinking she was going to do 3Z/3T... She overcooked the lutz though and ended up putting her hand down on it. This girl came to skate tonight... Very ambitious for a tour. Landed 3F, 3T/3T (shades of Surya!), 2nd toe a little cheated but a la Dick Button - "Who Cares?" Music is extremely "heavy"... Another 3T and 2A. Nice back scratch ending... Polite applause.

Belbin & Agosto - "Elvis Medley"
Another number that I have seen quite a bit this past season, but I enjoyed it! Excited to see them because I don't think they were in the opening number... Great live! I didn't want them to end. Great applause!

Viktor Petrenko - "Flight"
What? Soft, quiet number for Viktor? I couldn't believe it. He did well. Good, appreciative applause.

Phillipe C. - "God Bless The USA"
I know that all of you have heard about this tribute... It was ok, but the fact that he fell all over the place made it seem like he was trying way too hard. He overcooked his 3Z and fell out of it... 2T, 3T, another 3Z attempt, turnout, 2A, *labored* camels and spins. Partial (mostly) Standing Ovation.

Corvette is being driven around the rink and Rudy Galindo and Ann Patrice McDonough are throwing out some sort of gifts to the audience... Zamboni comes out right after... I break down and go and get a program… My mom and I move up a few rows.

Zamboni is done… We perk up to check out the 2nd half

Irina Grigorian - "Shake the Party"
Great show! Rousing applause.

Michael Weiss
Uses a desk and a chair as props... Both hands down on the move where he puts his life at-risk: the Tornado... 3T, 3Z. Posing, pushups on chair prop... Realy didn't work for me. As a mater of fact, as the years have gone on, he has moved from being a guy who can take risks, etc. to someone who simply fills his performances with gimmicks. It is time for a serious number next year to balance out this foolishness... If I see him shaping his body like an "X" again in order to showcase his "freedom" blades I think I am going to be sick. I found myself waiting for this number to end... It does, to good applause.

Shae & Vic - "21st Century Adaggio"
I really like them and am so happy that they ended their career on a high note with a World Championship. I liked this number at Worlds and was excited to see it in person. They worked hard to deliver on this number and I appreciated their effort. So many of the skaters to this point appeared to simply go through the motions. Good (but not enough imo) applause.

No Surya for Chi-town fans!

Irina Slutskya
3 turns into 2L, telegraphed a 2T... Is she skating to "Russian Techno"? It worked for me and really went with her personality... Beillman on both legs, camel, catch foot spin (donut)... Nice applause.

Kazakova & Dimitriev - "Unforgettable"
STILL innovative with a toe pick spin move I can't explain. QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY program and skating is what I wrote in my notes, caps and all... Smooth, amazing. They made me want to bust out some of my 98 season tapes of their skating... They saved the show for me at that point. With the exception of a few skaters, they really seemed like they wanted to be there, and wanted to put out a program of substance that was well crafted and thought out. Great, rousing, appreciative applause. They deserved a Standing O.

Acrobatic Team
I am going to write out the exact same thing that I did in my 2000 review (since it was the exact same performance):

Black suits and hats… They scared me with their whole schtick… It was just too weird for me…

Tim Goebel - Creed
Spread eagle into 3L, camel, posture is so much improved... I am so proud of Timmy... He worked hard. If you were to pop in a tape of how he used to skate compared to now you can really see it. This was another quality program that I felt he cared about. He turned out of his 3Z and stepped out of his 2A though... Surprising tech problems from Tim. 3T, NICE footwork/hydro move. Great applause... I expected more since he is from Rolling Meadows, IL.

Sasha Cohen - "Romeo and Juliet"
Sasha's mistake on her layback must have happened really quickly because I thought I was watching her closely and somehow I still missed it... I was waiting to see if I would get the chills that I had read about during her number... I didn't. Same as on tv imo. She got great applause both before she started and at the end. She reminds me of Trenyce on American Idol... Simon told Trenyce last week that she sounds great, she looks great, she is doing fine, but in the end, the audience doesn't know who she is and/or what her personality is like. I feel like that about Sasha... What I criticize her for and want her to do, you simply can't teach or instruct. I want to yell, "open your soul up to me girl!" I think she will eventually. Until then I still appreciate her spirals, her spins and her amazing flexibility...

Elvis
Elvis was Elvis... Great crowd pleaser... Rousing applause.

Evgeni Plushenko
Evgeni ate his Wheaties tonight... Very ambitious. Music made you feel like he was going to do something important. Am I crazy or did he attempt THREE 3A's? 3T, 1/2 loop, 3T, 2A, 2T, 3A out of NOWHERE... Couldn't believe he landed this. 3A/3T! solo 3T, camel, sit, another solo 3A... 2Z, ended with a back scratch... Polite to Good applause.

Michelle Kwan - "Fallin"
Michelle! Rousing Applause, clearly loudest of the evening... Introduced as 5-time World Champ and America's Own... 2A, she's feeling this music man! 3T, camel - strong..., picked up speed... 3Z, layback, 3T (or F?), great to see her so happy... Rousing applause - Phillipe's was around the same for GBUSA. Not really Standing O material this time as others have mentioned. *Sigh* I am always thrilled to see her live, but I long for a live "ethereal" MK... A "I cast my spell on you performance", a "I made you cry performance..." I want to see one because for some reason that I can't understand, no competitions can come to Chicago at any time and I can't afford to travel to see her. I have been to COI in 98, 00, and now 03. I saw Reflections (missed a potential ethereal because she switched from Dante's Prayer), The World is Not Enough, and now Fallin'. It makes me *hate* that I was in a corner rocking and grieving while MK was here last year skating to FOG. That split falling leaf, ina bauer, delicate performance has eluded me once again... I have faith and hope that I will see one in person before I die (or she retires).

Closing Number

This number was confusing... I thought that it would have made much more sense if an announcer would have come over the P.A. and said, we are now going to _______. I agree with others that it was disjointed and then at the end, even with the explosion of confetti, it didn't "build" to that... They just came out of nowhere because the cast appeared labored and sluggish throughout. A few back flips here, someone skating in a circle there... Oh, the ladies are doing some spins together... Very weird. APM fell on a 3L that was supposed to be a highlight in the closing... I was thinking to myself, this from an Emmy winning choreographer? I am curious if it was the material or the execution of it that was/is the bigger problem. Anyway, MK looked great in her green pants outfit. The cast got a bunch of applause, but I believe if a poll had been taken, quite a few people would have agreed that the closing (as well as some of the cold spots) left something to be desired. Now is when you miss a good movie soundtrack number from Todd, and Alexei swordfight with some good footwork, heck, even a creative Petrenko number. Something was missing, that's for sure.

After the closing, I went down to try to see if I could get a recycled pass of some sort, but my mom wouldn't allow it... I felt like I was 17 years old. She's asking me in a loud voice while I am standing in the backstage pass line (looking for a friendly face and praying silently), Chris, where are our stickers? Why are we standing here and we don't have anything? What are you doing? Seeing that my dream would remain just that, a pipe dream, I departed.

All in all, seeing MK in person always makes my day. It was great to see her and great to see her so happy on tour. Until next COI everybody!

Before I go, notables that deserve an award:

Made me smile through the whole program award:
Belbin and Agosto
Timmy
K&D
Michelle Kwan

Most Flashcubes award:
Michelle Kwan
Elvis

Programs with the least substance award(s):
Nicole Bobek
Michael Weiss

Sloppy/Splatfest award(s):
Phillipe Candeloro
T&M
APM

Booty Shaking/Posing award(s):
Rudy Galindo
Michael Weiss

Most Entertaining award(s):
Michelle Kwan
K&D
Belbin and Agosto

Highest Technical difficulty for a skating tour award(s):
Elena Sokolova
Evgeni Plushenko