On Saturday, August 16, the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York, was the temporary home for the all new Ice Capades. The production team held auditions for its live shows and new reality television program scheduled for sometime in 2009. I'm thrilled the Ice Capades are making a comeback! And JoJo Starbuck, two-time Olympian and three-time U.S. champion in pairs, has signed on as Artistic Director.
JoJo (see right) teaches a clinic at Rockefeller Rink in New York City (where I skate) so I often get to see her skate at the rink. At 57, she puts all 
the younger skaters in their place -- to this day, no one can touch her in terms of her style, grace, musicality, you name it. I remember ten years ago, she was on the ice helping out a skater, and I kid you not, after 15 minutes, the young skater looked completely different. Improved posture, better edges, balletic hands -- that's the power of someone like JoJo.
Christie Sausa (see below right), 18-years-old, from the Skating Club of Lake Placid, auditioned for Ice Capades on Saturday. Christie also has a terrific blog called Lake Placid Skater where she keeps us up-to-date on all the skating news in the Lake Placid area. Below is her first-hand account of the audition process, which was also published on LakePlacidNews.com.
Trying out for the Ice Capades by Christie Sausa
Ice Capades. The name itself is synonymous with skating excellence, entertaining acts, and lots of glitz. The all-new show is creating a reality television show and nationwide tour to display high-caliber skating, barrel jumpers, clowns, comedy acts, jugglers, and more. The first stop? The home of two Olympic Games and a town steeped in skating heritage — Lake Placid, New York.
I found out about the auditions two weeks ago, via an e-mail newsletter about skating. Being a "show skater" at heart, I was excited to have such a great opportunity. I filled out an application from the Ice Capades website, and was accepted to audition. For the two weeks leading up to the show, I resurrected one of my favorite show programs (the song "Everything’s Coming Up Roses" from the musical Gypsy), dug my incredibly sparkly pseudo-dress out of the closet, and got ready to audition.
The day of the auditions, I was very excited and nervous. Having not done too many shows this year, I was finally getting back into the "skating groove" and performing in front of an audience and judges. There were three celebrity judges in attendance, a small studio audience, and a group of pre-qualified skaters auditioning. I saw some familiar faces in the audition group, but most were unknown to me.
After putting on my skates, a quick on-ice warmup, and a visit to hair and makeup (a.k.a. my mom), I was ready to go.
The show seemed to be much like other reality television talent shows. I was interviewed by a very friendly cameraman both pre and post-skate, we wore audition numbers on the fronts and backs of our costumes, and of course the panel of "celebrity judges" were on hand to critique. Before and after the performances, we were also interviewed and given feedback by the judges.
The short story is that I skated well considering my nerves, and it was a great experience. The whole Ice Capades crew was very friendly and accommodating, and I was proud that Lake Placid was host to such a prestigious ice show audition.
Even though I didn't advance to the final round, I learned some valuable lessons from auditioning today. After watching the finalists skate, I was inspired by their individuality, enthusiasm, and purpose. They were performers in the true sense of the word. The skaters seemed to be living in the moment and enjoying every second of their skating. It seems to me this is how we should all live our lives every day — even if they don’t include skates and sequins!
All in all, thanks to Ice Capades for a wonderful Saturday afternoon audition. Maybe we will see you again soon!
For more information about the all new Ice Capades, visit their website here!
Cool-thanks Susan!
Posted by: lp skater | August 28, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Cool-thanks Susan!
Posted by: lp skater | August 28, 2008 at 10:27 AM
If the moderator will allow it, I'd like to ask a question. Does anyone remember former Ice Capade skater Randy Goss? He would be in his 50's now. Whatever happened to Randy? Any info would be greatly appreciated. (paulmiller2053@yahoo.com)
As a little kid living in northern Maine in the late 50's and early 60's, it was a huge thrill when Dad drove our family 3 hours south to see the Ice Capades perform in Bangor. Wonderful memories of that. I didn't know a new Ice Capades had been created. So glad to hear that, and I very much look forward to seeing the new show. It's simply awesome entertainment.
Posted by: Paul Miller | July 03, 2009 at 07:07 PM