Achi news desk-
Elvis Stojko is one of several talented skaters in Halifax this week preparing to kick off the Stars on Ice 2024 spring tour.
This year, the opening show is a day earlier than usual – Thursday night – at the Scotiabank Centre.
Stojko says this year’s Stars On Ice will be different from past performances, including a “skating science” theme.
“It doesn’t usually break down the exact power of a jump draw, it’s like audience participation and a few other little things in there. I think we have a crash test dummy that’s pretty fun, so there’s a few different things,” he told CTV Atlantic’s Katie Kelly during an interview Wednesday night.
Other skaters to hit the ice include World Champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, Canadian champion Keegan Messing, World Silver Medalists Loena Hendrickx and Satoko Miyahara as well as Olympic Gold Medalist Patrick Chan, who is retiring from the trip this year.
Audiences can expect to see a program from Stojko featuring a medley of songs from rock band AC/DC.
“It’s a lot of fun. This is not usually just going out to skate, so maybe a little microphone, a mic stand will be part of this,” he said. “People have to come and see it.”
The Olympic Silver Medalist also says the costumes for the shows are impressive.
“Matheu Caron is making the costumes for us this year and with Skating Science he produced amazing clothes with all the skaters, and he makes my personal costumes too, and he did the costume for the AC/DC number and it’s really cool, so I’m really excited,” Stojko said.
Skater Kurt Browning retired from Stars on Ice during last year’s cross country tour.
Although people won’t see Browning lace up on skates anymore, he is still part of the show as its new director.
Stojko says it has been exciting to have Browning in the new role.
“It’s very, very different to what Jeff (Buttle) has done in the past, (he’s) been great, and this is a completely different kind of thinking. He’s all over the place sometimes with his ideas, but it’s an exciting show and it’s going to be very different,” said Stojko.
“It all comes together and sometimes it’s crazy to see it on paper and you wonder how it’s going to come together,” he added. “The last two days, it’s been really exciting, but to get it running, it’s been great.”
Tickets are still available for Thursday night’s show in Halifax and Friday night’s show at the Avenir Center in Moncton, NB
