Frozen in Time: ‘Boitano Skating Spectacular’ makes fourth visit to Las Vegas

Friday, Dec. 20, 2002 | 9:50 a.m.

What: "Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular."

When: 8 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Tickets: $65, $45 and $30.

Information: (702) 632-7580.

Former Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano's spectacular ice show is turning into an annual event in Las Vegas.

"This is our seventh year in a row," Boitano said recently during a telephone interview from his home in San Francisco. "We are a week later than usual, so we will see what happens."

Saturday's show on ice will be the fourth year that "The Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular" to be presented at Mandalay Bay Events Center. It will be taped for telecast by NBC (Channel 3) at 1 p.m. on New Year's Day.

"This year is sort of a dream show for me," the 39-year-old Boitano said. "We are are going to do a tribute to the old ice shows, the 'Follies' and the 'Ice Capades,' that I loved as a child.

"When I saw those shows I knew skating was what I wanted to do the rest of my life."

The figure-skating great and 1988 Olympic gold medalist reached into his memory and pulled out some of the routines he remembers being thrilled by during his youth.

The production is choreographed by Lea Ann Miller and produced by White Canvas Productions, which Boitano owns and where he serves as artistic director. "What I do as the artistic director is come up with ideas and then I hire incredible choreographers to take them out of my hands and to do something with them," Boitano said.

Boitano said the show will include routines that haven't been done on ice in years.

"There will be a feeling of the show of the Rockettes with line kicking and pinwheeling," Boitano said.

He said one of the highlights of the show will be the performance of the legendary skater Richard Dwyer.

"Dwyer was the original Mr. Debonair in the ice shows," Boitano said. "He would come out in his top hat, tie and tails and carrying a cane. Then he would swoop around the ice among women in gowns and give roses to the ladies sitting in the front row."

Boitano said he learned Dwyer was still around and contacted him.

"He's in his 60s now, and he's still skating," Boitano said. "I asked him to do a number with me, and he was thrilled."

Among the other guest artists will be Olympic gold-medal speed-skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who made headlines during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

Also on ice will be Nancy Kerrigan, who made headlines in 1994 when she was assaulted by associates of rival Tanya Harding while practicing for the Winter Olympics held that year in Lillehamer, Norway. Kerrigan recovered and won the silver medal.

At 33 she continues to live a famous life that revolves around ice.

Kerrigan, who also won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, is hosting a number of figure-skating events for the Lifetime network. Her book, "Artistry on Ice," is due to be released this month and she has performed in two skating specials, one with Boitano and another with fellow Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. She was one of the first American women to compete in both pairs events and women's singles. She and her partner Rudy Galindo were the 1988 World Junior Pairs Champions. In that same championship, Yamaguchi also won the Ladies' World Junior Championship title.

She was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1998.

Other guest stars slated to appear with the Mandalay Bay event include world champion Yuka Sato, national champion Jason Dungjen, eight time British champion Steven Cousins, French national champion Laurent Tobel, Olympic Bronze medalist Josef Saboveik, the synchronized skating team Team Del Dol and dancer Jennifer Hamilton and dancer Jennifer Hamilton .

The event also will feature live musical performances by the Grammy nominated trio En Vogue. En Vogue debuted in 1990 with the album "Born to Sing," which was followed up by the hit album "Funky Divas."

"Our new show will celebrate the glamorous ice shows of the past with Busby Berkeley-like production and comedy numbers," Boitano said. "We have an incredible cast. It is going to be great fun for the whole family."

Boitano captured his first National title in 1985 and went on to win two World titles and the 1988 Olympic gold medal. He has won six world professional championships and has been inducted into the World and the U.S. Figure Skating Halls of Fame.

While Boitano is an internationally acclaimed skater, he says most of his performances are held in the United States and Canada.

"The United States and Canada are the No. 1 market for figure skating," he said. "All the international skaters come here to work.

"I think to be popular, a sport has to have a lot of champions and America has so many."

Boitano says about 40 people are with the show, which can be tedious when traveling.

"We travel as a group to a different city every night," he said. "It's hard to be anonymous."

Boitano has been skating for most of his life, but he has no intentions of giving it up anytime soon.

"I want to do this as long as I can," he said.

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