The Vancouver SOI on April 30 was almost sold-out. But the wait-until-the-last-minute ticket buying strategy worked like a dream. When tix when on sale in Feb. the best I could get the day after sales started was row 23 in the corner. I waited it out even though it made me antsy. On show day, only upper balcony was available at Ticketmaster. At the GM Place box office at 2pm, still nothing, but the cashier gave me hope by saying skaters and entourage hadn't decided on friends and family tix yet so some might still be released. Went to arena at 6pm prepared to be disappointed or buy scalper tix. A scalper offered row 10 for $60. Went to window and got row 5 for $39. This is the way I'll go for tix from now on. And no service charges at the arena box office, so that took $8 off the price of two tickets.

As for the show, here are my random impressions of high and low lights:

Opening: A bit bland compared to last year. A lot of cute choreographic moves - the way Kurt and Kristi skate as a pair along with Hough-Ladret and Bechke-Petrov was a nice touch. I think the jazzy, non-descript music was what failed to ignite the crowd.

Kurt- Color My World: Was in keeping with the opening, so therefore a bit dull. But since it was Kurt, people cheered wildly anyway. Had squeaker landing on 3 toe but landed everything else.

Josee: Selena song. This was embrassing to watch. She hit the deck, spun out or had shaky landings on every jump. Was surprised to see her trying a 3 lutz though. The music was catchy and peppy, but she was not. People behind me giggled everytime she wiped out. It wasn't a mean laugh but a nervous, embrassed kind of laugh. I felt the same. Even without the jumps, she didn't have the spirit of the Latin music. Looking pretty isn't enough.

Brasseur-Eisler: I'll Be There For You. Sure, it's hokey but man, did it work. It moved the excitement level in the bldg up a couple notches. The new move they have where he throws her in a forward hydrant and catches her by the thighs as her face drops toward the ice is scary to watch. Their bounce spin (especially in their 2nd number Flip, Flop and Fly) is wild, so high, so fast. It's a wonder she hasn't lost any teeth yet.

Spaghetti Western: This was the first time I'd seen this and it was terrific, really hilarious. I appreciated that it wasn't JUST campy pantomime, but had some pretty nifty choreography as well. Kurt and Kristi camp it up as Dusty and the saloon girl he lusts after. He pursues, she follows, he gets fresh, she slaps him, he chases her....all beautifully choreographed. Lloyd in drag still gets a huge laugh. When he skates with the girls, he's also strangely graceful. Josee skated solo to Have You Ever Really Loved A Women (instrumental) and hit the deck again more times than you've had hot meals. She did try a 3 lutz again. Everyone in the section was mumbling things like "Just spin, Josee. Spinning's good or just stand, standing works for me too." Lloyd's pursuit of Scott had everyone howling especially when he picks Scott up (physically).

Funk: After intermission, Josee comes out to groove but she wasn't that groovy, and most people were milling around and getting hot dogs. To quote the movie Strictly Ballroom, "She's got no body flight." IMHO, she just doesn't really have natural musicality. She's got all these good elements, speed, height on jumps, fast spins, but always looks kind of natural. Toughie just oozes with IT, and even Kristi, who people often complained was passionless in her performances, has a natural sense of movement and music and can be elegant or groove without looking like she's following the instructions on the side of a pkg.  I'm sure that Josee fans are miffed that I'm being overly harsh with her, but I know lots of skate fans who feel the same. She did get tons of kind applause, but I think people made excuses for her long enough. It's shameful she's considered the best Canadian female skater available to tour. She's lucky she's Canadian, where would she be if she were American. Nowhere.

Kurt: Brickhouse. He killed with this number. Looked like he was going for 3 axel but did a huge double instead. He did a great 3 loop, toe and salchow. And those pants are still shiny and look great on him.

Kristi: It's Oh So Quiet. A great, clean job as usual. At first I didn't like this number, but now I think it really suits her and is fun and charming. The pigtails are even growing on me. (But it was here you really notice how much she'd cut her hair. It's the shortest I've ever seen it. The pigtails barely reach her shoulders.

Kurt-Kristi funk: Kurt joins Kristi to bee-bop after her number. What a cute couple in their matching blue vinyl. Looked like they were really having fun with this, getting into all the hip thrusts and funky arm movements and interaction with one another. At one point, Kurt stands behind her with his hands on her waist, picked her up and hugged her tight, creating a sweet moment. Would have one to see an SOI  number featuring these two. They even made the silly Aladdin On Ice show bearable.

Ekaterina: Peer Gynt suite. What else it there to say that hasn't been said. Automatic standing O. Not a dry eye in the house. She was ethereal and beautiful. She hit most of her jumps including 2 lutz, and just floated across the ice.

Brian: Chris Isaak song? Except for the fact his red pants clashed with the fuschia insets on his black shirt, Brian looked great in this number. Unlike his hard rock piece in the first act, this one seemed to be coming naturally out of him. He looks really fit too. He's going for 3 lutz in both numbers now, and got it on the second number.

Scott: Hair today, gone tomorrow. This number is on it's last legs, I think. It's still enjoyable but like any good joke, gets less funny each time you hear it. He did get 3 lutz in, something he doubled in his Spaghetti Western solo. Huge cheers from the crowd with each section trying to out-cheer the other when he bowed to their side.

Kristi: Gonna Be Strong. Nice ballad very much in the flavor of Kristi's Power of Love number. She skates it with conviction so it works for her. Put her hands down on a 3 lutz, but nailed the rest of the jumps including a 3 flip. The four-sided cheering continued and she got cheers almost as loud as Scott.

Kurt: That's Entertainment. A show-stopper. He really sells this piece and his footwork is amazing but what really makes it are his facial expressions, something no choreographer can teach but can be the difference beterrn a godd performance and a great one. By this time the four-sided cheering was at a frenzy, and Kurt elicited roars from every section.

Finale: Beatles medley. Enjoyable but nowhere near the oomph of previous years, which is understandable given what the SOI crew have been through this year. It felt really short though. With Kurt taking Scott's Help! part, it actually meant seeing less of Canada's favorite skating son than in the U.S. version. Wonder why they eliminated the pairs guys picking Scott up during A Little Help From My Friends section of Kurt during Help! The cast camped it up for the section where the gals are supposed to mad with passion over Kurt. The guys held back the girls any way they could including Doug holding Kristi upside down. Katya leading everyone around the ice in pyramid formation was a touching addition for the ending.

Considering this was the last date on this tour, the cast didn't seem to be doing as much hugging and kissing as in previous years when they finished the Canadian SOI in Vancouver. Kurt did most of the hugging, spending the end of the curtain call in clenches with Kristi, Toughie, Katya (it was so sweet when he gives her a peck on the forehead) and Scott. It was the end for most of the cast but Brian. Kurt and Josee start Skate the Nation in Victoria on May 5.

But as always, SOI provided a classy night of entertainment and proves what a polished art skating can be. TOC [Tour of Champions] doesn't hold a candle to this.