Stars on
(and off) the ice

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Scott Hamilton believes local ice skating fans are in for a treat this week at the Wachovia Center.
Hamilton is the creator and producer of Smucker’s Stars on Ice: Live and In Color, which will be in town for one show only on Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. The show is the 1,000th in the history of the tour and will feature national, world and Olympic champions.
"These are twelve of the best skaters in the world," he said.
Hamilton was in the Northeast last week promoting the show. He stopped at Solomon Solis-Cohen School on the afternoon of March 5 to speak to an assembly of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders.
The skating legend showed video highlights of the show and answered questions from the students. He came to the school through a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
At Solis-Cohen, Hamilton donated books, courtesy of Smucker’s, to the Boys & Girls Club chapter at the school.
The club invites students whose parents work to stay after school to do their homework or play games. The school’s library will also be welcome to some of the books, and a portion of ticket sales will go to the club.
Hamilton was scheduled to honor Jonathan Skole, an 11-year-old fourth-grader, for improvement in the classroom. Jonathan, though, was on a field trip.
As for the show, it’ll include men’s and women’s singles skaters, pairs and ice dancing.
Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen will headline the show. Other stars include Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, the 2002 Olympic pairs champions from Canada; world champion and six-time U.S. champion Todd Eldredge; and two-time world bronze medalist and three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss.
Hamilton explained that skaters perform for judges during competitions, but they try to entertain crowds with jumps and spins during professional shows such as Stars on Ice.
"They’ll be doing all of their hardest tricks to choreography," Hamilton said. "It’s geared more toward entertainment."
Hamilton, 49, started skating when he was 9. He later became one of the world’s best despite being only 5 feet, 4 inches tall. He was best known for executing a back flip.
In the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, N.Y., he carried the American flag during the opening ceremonies and finished fifth in the men’s singles competition.
From 1981 to ’84, Hamilton won the U.S. and world championships every year. In the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, he earned the gold medal.
Soon after, he turned professional. In 1986, he created the current tour.
This year, the tour started in January in Japan, a hotbed of skating. It moved to 40 U.S. markets this winter and will conclude next month in Canada. "The tour is becoming more and more global," said Hamilton, a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
Hamilton, who has faced testicular cancer and a benign brain tumor, skated with the show for 15 years. He retired from skating four years ago to start a family. He and his wife have two sons and live in Nashville, Tenn.
As for the current crop of skaters on tour, he describes them as good friends who have a friendly competition among themselves.
The show runs for two hours and 10 minutes, including an intermission. There are elaborate costumes, musical numbers, fancy lighting and giant screens for videos.
"It’s a beautifully produced show with great technology," Hamilton said. ••
The Wachovia Center will host Smucker’s Stars on Ice: Live and In Color on Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
Tickets cost $125, $75, $50 and $25. They are available at the Wachovia Complex Box Office, by logging onto www.comcasttix.com or by calling 1-800-298-4200.
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com