http://www.bucharestherald.com/intervie ... ans-on-ice12/04/2010"Fabulous... incredible... a dream-like evening... true magicians on ice...!"
"Fabulous... incredible... a dream-like evening... true magicians on ice..." - these are just a few of the impressions shared by almost 3,000 people when leaving Bucharest's Flamaropol skating rink after they chose to spend their Sunday evening in the company of the world's best skaters, in the third edition of Kings on Ice 2010 - Olympic Tour show.The show seemed almost unreal, from beginning to end, and running for almost two hours: in the warm applause of a frenetic audience, which echoed and lived each and every movement made by the 16 ice magicians.
Figure skating czar Evgheni Plushenko - who seemed to have come to Bucharest to get back at the world for the Olympic gold injustice he suffered in Vancouver. The pretty, elegant Stephane Lambiel - who triggered endless applause with his almost unreal steps and pirouettes.
Gracious Aliona and Robin who completed each other impeccably. 20-year-old Florent Amodio, who wanted to prove how a perfect 'Moonwalk' on ice goes.
"Wild beauties" Natalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, who turned ice into jungle and tamed the crocodile. "Ballerina" Denis Ten, whose name will be printed in several newspapers for many years to come.
Julia Sebestyen, who insisted on showing why she became European champion in 2004. Fiona Zaldua and Dmitri Sukhanov, who literally left an entire audience breathless with their extreme, yet so well controlled performance. The seductress Fleur Maxwell, who turns the ice into a catwalk.
The funny Alexei Polishuk and Robert Cording, or the Ukrainian and the American who wanted to show the audience that Laurel and Hardy can be just as good on ice. Sergei Yakimenko, for whom cars were not invented for travel purposes, but for deadly jumps over them. Jason Graetz, the rubber legged Canadian, who defies gravity. And all of them accompanied by the ever-present Edvin Marton and his four million Euro-Stradivarius violin, with its unmistakable sound.
Every move that the magnificent 16 did was fully rewarded by the audience with applause and flowers, many flowers. Impressed with the audience response, Plushenko couldn't help telling Romanians, "You are the best in the world," while Lambert exclaimed: "Je suis ici pour la premiere fois et vous etes IN-CRO-YAB-LES! Incroyables!"
This was a show full of magic and adrenaline, with an almost impeccable organization. Yes, I know what I said, impeccable, even if many of you will have a hard time believing me because we're so used to Romanian realities, but Raluca Popescu's Amphitrion has become a guarantee for quality, although few known the price of this very high bar.
Unfortunately, not even this girl's stubbornness to turn ashes into rose petals (many of us would have one or two lessons to learn from her) can cover for the lack of a proper ice show hall or the stupidity of security guards who cannot tell the difference between a professional camera and a family one. BGS knows what I'm talking about. (G.G.)