ENTERTAINMENT NOTES: Skaters, singers rock the ice

— Finally, an answer to “What would Brian Boitano do?” the question characters ponder in the notorious film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.

The figure skater would perform at the Verizon Arena tonight, to the music of REO Speedwagon and Rick Springfield, joined by a posse of other champion skaters in “Holiday Celebration on Ice.”

Boitano and ’80s pop-rockers in an ice show with Christmas music? The somewhat surreal grouping almost sounds like a South Park skit. But it’s really happening. And, as proof, NBC will air the show that will be recorded tonight from 3-5 p.m. Nov. 29.

Is Boitano a “Christmas person”?

“It always falls at the wrong time for me,” he says from San Francisco. “I don’t think I’ve had a tree in 20 years - it’s always during the ice skating season. I look forward to being a Christmas person.”

For now, he’s an athlete. Twenty years after winning his 1988 Olympic Gold Medal, Boitano, who is also a two-time World Champion and fourtime U.S. National Champion, says his first love is still skating, although he admits, “It can’t last forever. I still feel the passion. I struggle with the body.” His other passion is cooking. When he’s not on the ice, he’s in the kitchen and on TV as the star of his own Food Network show, What Would Brian Boitano Make?

Boitano is no stranger to performing with a variety of musical acts, from the Goo Goo Dolls to Smokey Robinson. Often they don’t meet until the day before the show, or they might get acquainted after the show - like he did when performing with Frankie Valli - hanging at a bar.

As for how the whole show comes together, Boitano explains: “Well, we’ll be wearing snowflake sweaters in the beginning. No, we will not! We come in two days before. We work with a choreographer, learning openings and closings.We all come prepared with our solo songs. Any group stuff we do, any duets, we have to learn them all then. When new people come into the ranks of pro skating [they wonder], ‘How do you do that?’

“You have to wing it.”

The show will mostly meld Christmas music and the hits of REO Speedwagon and Rick Springfield, performed by the artists themselves. Both have put out Christmas albums - Springfield’s Christmas With You was released in 2007 and REO Speedwagon’s Not So Silent Night was released last month.

REO lead singer Kevin Cronin jokes from Los Angeles after working on the Christmas album since March, “I’m considering converting to Judaism at this point. Hanukkah sounds great!”

Seriously, he found the process of re-creating the likes of “Silent Night” and “The First Noel” rewarding: “We really got into it, took them and made them into REO Speedwagon songs. It’s been fulfilling musically and artistically.”

Having skaters perform while he’s singing will be a new experience (“From what someone told me about the stage, the skaters will be right by me. I declined to wear skates at any time!”). But performing with Rick Springfield won’t be. Last year, the two acts played in Trinidad together.

“It was remarkable,” Cronin says. “I think they still think it’s 1984, and REO and Rick Springfield are the hottest bands in the world !”

Other skaters who will be performing:

Michael Weiss, a three-time National Champion and two time World Bronze Medalist

Jeffrey Buttle, 2008 World Champion and 2006 Olympic Bronze Medalist

Elvis Stojko, two-time Olympic Silver Medalist and three time World Champion

Steve Cousins, eight-time British National Champion and three-time Olympian

Caryn Kadavy, three-time U.S. National Bronze Medalist and World Medalist

Shae-Lynn Bourne, 2003 World Ice Dancing Champion and 10-time Canadian National Ice Dancing Champion

Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, five-time Canadian National Ice Dancing Champions

Joseff Sabovcik, 1984 Olympic Bronze Medalist.

Holiday Celebration on Ice Starring: Brian Boitano, REO Speedwagon and Rick Springfield 7 p.m. today, Verizon Arena, North Little Rock Tickets: $46.75, $61.75 (800) 745-3000, www.ticketmas ter.com

Weekend, Pages 35 on 11/19/2009

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