SOI Chicago brief impressions
I'm horrible at reviews since I was just trying to soak everything in, and it all seemed to go so fast. But here are some brief, stream of consciousness impressions. Please feel free to add your impressions/review etc. :)
Overall impressions, if you are able to go - it is SO worth it. My first time seeing SOI and it was fantastic, the performances were excellent, the pace was good, I enjoyed the group numbers a lot more than I thought I would. They all brought their A game, and I'm still smiling.
Ilia: He is SO well loved. I can't even begin to tell you... The applause and roaring cheers he got before he skated to "A Voice" gave me goosebumps. I loved seeing A Voice both the snippet of the program and the costume in person. Alas I wish I was on the 'judges' side so I could see his ending pose face forward though! I also wish it was longer, which is funny it seemed a perfect length watching the clips of it, but seeing it live it goes by so fast and I was just trying to absorb it all. But it was just perfect. I know his jumps and Iliabauer gets the (well deserved) credit. But his spins are so fast and gorgeous.
IWMFLY: His charisma is off the charts, of course; but skating wise I was sooo impressed with his flow and speed.
Lose Yourself/Jump Around : Seeing the entire program live, I am a FULL blown fan of this program. He sold me on it, and then some. This is the type of program that it is such a different experience seeing live. The highlight of the night for me. Okay, confession time, so being a grown ass adult, and old enough to be Ilia's (young ;) )mom I wanted to be dignified and all that. ;) His jumps in Lose Yourself/Jump Around were so impressive - tight, fast rotations and great height, I might have involuntarily let out an audible woo at one or two points. But seriously, it's one thing to see his jumps on the screen, it's another thing to see them live. It's also clear that he is having a lot of fun with this program, and that was great to see.
Group Numbers: My favorite was the opening number, the music, the costumes, and Ilia is the "star" of the number. It was, a great way to start the entire show, and Ilia is a force in this number. Too Darn Hot. I'm exhausted just watching this! This is a really fantastic program, with a lot of intricate choreography and a lovely show piece for Jason Brown, much like the opening one was for Ilia. Green tuxedo rose program: I liked this a lot better than I thought I would seeing it live! The charisma and charm and little choreography moves sells it. Ending Number: Lovely Iliabauer and his speed going into the back flip was INSANE.
ETA: the back flips. I've always liked them, but YES again, it is so different seeing them live. Just incredible