"No Limits": Holiday On Ice Returns With Spectacular Cyberworld Show to the Vienna City Hall
More than 80 years ago, an ice revue premiered on a tiny stage in Ohio. This marked the beginning of the success story of Holiday On Ice. To this day, triple jumps, pirouettes, spirals and lifts of the ice skating ensemble are part of the program, but the productions have become increasingly modern and larger. With "No Limits", to be seen in January at the Stadthalle Vienna, they are taking "the next step", emphasized producer Peter O'Keeffe during rehearsals in Belgian Lint.
For this, they brought back Kim Gavin as creative director, who has been working as a choreographer and director for TV and live events for 40 years. Most recently, he developed the Las Vegas show for Adele, and he is currently planning Robbie Williams' upcoming European concerts. He was inspired by computer games in the development of "No Limits". "I watched over my son's shoulder," the 63-year-old chuckled in an APA interview. "In the cyber world, you can dive into different worlds from one second to the next."
Cyberworld and Pyrotechnics: This is "No Limits" by Holiday On Ice
This is the red thread of the show: A couple competes in gaming, their ice-skating avatars fight their way from level to level. This allows for a variety of elaborate worlds in which the ensemble of 36 skaters performs spectacular choreographies on the ice. To "modern music for several generations", as executive producer Michiel Morssinkhof puts it, they sweep across the frozen surface in a Wild West setting, in a gladiator arena, in the disco (with a bar on the ice) and on a beach. Some skaters even lift off into dizzying heights or whizz around on surfboards.
The background is made up of LED screens and a huge LED cube that opens and rotates. For the first time at "Holiday On Ice", skaters have pyrotechnics directly mounted on their skates. "We also have a pyro waterfall - and we have flamethrowers," said chief technician Kuba Szemberski, not without pride. Michael Sharp, outfit designer for Coldplay, One Direction and Katy Perry, created more than 300 individual costumes and as many ensemble outfits for "No Limits". The performers often only have 30 seconds to change. "That's why we also follow an exact choreography backstage," says Szemberski.
Fascinating Show Effects Thanks to Light Balls Made of LED Modules
A fascinating new element are more than 200 light balls above the ice surface, so-called Kinetic Lights: The LED modules can be moved up and down individually at different speeds and their own brightness, controlled by more than 200 motors. This creates spectacular effects and the illusion of drones floating in the hall.
Athletic Performances of the Skaters Remain Central Element
Despite the technical effort, the athletic performances remain the core of "No Limits". "The director wants as many skaters as possible to be constantly on the ice. That's a challenge," reported experienced cast member Julie Fontbonne. "New ways of performing on ice are important to keep everything fresh and exciting. The audience should not feel like they are being presented with a reheated show," added Gavin.
"Holiday On Ice: No Limits": January 16-26 at the Wiener Stadthalle, occasionally several times a day, on January 26 at 3:00 pm with star guests Thommy Ten & Amélie van Tass
(APA/Red)
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