Lelo's article from Plushy's official italian site
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http://www.evgeniplushenko.it/index.php?lang=englishKings on Ice Bucharest We went to Bucharest not to watch an anonymous skating show , we got there for the Kings on Ice, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful skating shows I ever watched. I still had in my mind the memory of that one of 2006 in Turin, where we stared at Plushenko who skated the Olympic programs Tosca and The Godfather performed live with Edvin Marton and the girls of Monte Carlo Orchestra. Like that one, also this show was a top level one for the choosing of the skaters, for their choreographies, for the opening and finale numbers, for the combination of skating, acrobatic numbers and high level music and the amazing artistic direction. Despite the fact that the location was actually old and not confortable, the Kings on Ice confirms itself as a show created by people who "know how to make it" starting of course, from Ari Zakarian (long time Plushenko's agent/manager).
But let's start from the beginning.
The Saturday late morning practice was great cause we watched live the first triple axels trials of Evgeni after his last surgery which happened less than a month and half ago. After these ones, during the whole day, he would have performed five triple axels. Once again we tried to wonder how could he, after a month far from the ice, to be at that top level. By the way, this wasn't a surprise for us, not at all, just a huge sense of admiration toward him. He came to greets us. We could only suggest him not to overtrain. He smiled.
At 3 pm the first show begun. Unfortunately, the darkening of the arena wasn't that perfect and the lights were affected by that issue. The opening of the show was amazing. Fumie Suguri was leading, confident in the unusual rocky version. But just to make the arena warm, the first number was Storm, performed live by Evgeni Plushenko who made everybody crazy while flying on his incredible step sequence. What a start! The following artist was Laura Lepisto with a rousing music. Third were Berton / Hotarek who definitely made the right music choice dancing on Dirty Dancing “Tme of my Life” number, which entertained the romanian audience who appreciate that a lot. Of course there is no need to talk about the reaction when Joubert took the ice: superwarm! Then the first exhibition of Lambiel left us like speechless cause the music was an extract of the ultimate Evgeni's program “Tribute to Nijinsky”. For us, Plushenko's fans, comparison was inevitable considering the fact that Stephane skated on the right extract of the unbelievable step sequences which made the World crazy about the Zar. Later on accompanied by his Stradivari violin, Marton plays live while the always present Surya Bonaly danced on the ice. After that the perrformance of the super flexible Ekaterina Bobrova and her partner Soloviev and then was the time of the couple of acrobats Zaldua / Sukhanov who, in the second part of the show earned a standing ovation on their program based on the music of Angels & Demons.
Romanian public suprprised us so much that day not only because they never stopped cheering but also becasue that was the very first time we watched live at the request of at least four standing ovations followed by the bis requests. Earned of course by Joubert, Lambiel and Plushenko about whom we proudly can say that the standing ovation started even before he took the ice his second time. The audience waited anxiously for him after the beginning number of Storm and he brought his soul into the ice. Flowers were raining from everywhere inside the arena, and puppet animals and,considering the fact that in the afternoon shows the flowers girls were not on the ice, Plushenko, as well as the other skaters, personally collected all the gifts gave from the public kissing and thanking those who handed them to him. A gorgeous, incredible amazing audience who made possible to make this show an entertaining sport party , a moment of joy to share with whoever was sitting next to you.
But the whole thing was far from ending with the classic turn around the rink because the skaters took the ice back one by one sharing a short little piece of their numbers again and, when they really took their way to leave, at the end, satisfacion was touchable for everybody.
A little of ping ponging between the two shows and again Plushenko is back and ready to be the star of the evening. Edvin Marton, another great star of the show, performed solo into the ice with his violin, and , at the end of his number he sitted through the audienece, where his wife and his little child were sitting, to greet them both in a tender and lovely way. A big rush of emotions we felt later, by the atmosphere that acrobats Ekaterina & Alexander Chesna created in the air. Then an incredible Lambiel in his classic mood made us to touch, litterally, the feeling of art.
Despite all of that later, at the end, Plushenko took the ice to perform his Tango Roxanne. It's an adreanline rush, which shows us once again the real reason why we were in Bucharest, which it's always, irrevocably him and the clear abyss between who he is and "the rest of the world." The choice of the music,the passion he shared in the moves,his interaction with the audience, the technical level of his performance made intense and "visceral" all the program like no other can make, no matter how good could he possibily be and, finally, for those who had the strength not to cry or to remain in trance, there was no other way but to stand up along with all the ice palace and applaud. Because when a sport is capable to touch the deepest chords of souls maybe that one it's not only a sport. For all of us, Plushenko is that soul toucher! That Plushenko who is totally aware about how much the audience love him, that much to thank everyone, every single time he leaves the rink not just once but several times, giving them everything he has got inside himself.
What would he do without the public and what the public would do without him? Luckily it 's too early to think about it ....
Consuelo Valoppi
translated by Sara Simonato Langella