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THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Wed., Feb. 25, 1970 15,A _ ?╟÷ ?╟÷ ' * r > tESt atlanta lottntal 9.^ 8BB8B$T 'HOLIDAY ON ICE' - Chimps Upstage Human Skaters By PAUL BEEMAN The silver anniversary edition of "Holiday on Ice" opened Tuesday in Atlanta with the same 1930ish splendor, spoon-fed corn, that has delighted crowds of youngsters and oldsters for years. Middlesters, or young adults, will find the pageantry somewhere between appreciable camp and moderately boring. The format does not change. The costumes and some of the personnel do. The announced "star of the show" is former Olympic skater Ronnie Robertson, but he is quite expectably upstaged by a trio of chimpanzees, an unride- able mule and a two-man hound dog. At the front of the "Ole Houn' Dawg" is Alfredo Mendoza, once an ace water skier. Filling the rear is John LaDue. Their antics are unpompously amusing. Apes, delightful even in cages, are, it seems, a formula crowd pleaser. The Muller Chimps, in Mexican garb, skate well, play ice hockey poorly and are continuously funny. Their bit could have been longer. AUDIENCE participation added to the Kossmayer's mule act as eight members of the audience were invited to come forward and take a turn at trying to ride the mule (there was one). None succeeded except a ninth man, obviously a ringer. Perhaps they were all ringers but one should not bring suspicion to an ice show. It's pure escapism, color, coordination and fun. This year's theme for "Holiday on Ice" is the holidays: Birthdays, St. Valentine's Day, Easter, a Roman Holiday, Halloween and the Fourth of July. Human comedy is provided by Paul Andre and Johnny Leech first as Marc Antony and Cleopatra and later as a Kentucky colonel and matron, a couple of commercial chicken peddlers in an "un-Pickrick" car that kept falling apart. Leech also plays a cop pursuing a balloon peddler through the audience. The chase na- ANNIVERSARY EDITION IS BEST ..;?√ß/> ... \ Ice Show Does It Asain- Itfs Tops in Charm, Appeal By PAUL JONES I went to the ice show this year with the intention of tearing it apart. "If you've seen one ice show, you've seen them all," said the smart guys at the office. Obviously, most of them have never seen an ice show in the first place. After all, how do you go about tearing Santa Claus apart? The ice show is just like Christmas. It comes but once a year. There's nothing like it. It's pretty, festive, colorful, tuneful, funny, entertaining and surprising. The best thing about it is that it's different. I've seen about as many ice shows as anybody. I've seen 25 different versions of Holiday on Ice over the years and I consider the Silver Anniversary edition of the show one of the best I've ever seen. Maybe I'm like thousands of other folks: I'm just a sucker for an ice show. I get just as much fun out of it as J. Lee Friedman, who presented the first show here 25 years ago. Mrs. William. J. Sad- ler, president of the Rabun Gap- Nacoochee Club, which sponsored the opening night at the Municipal Auditorium. The Rabun Gap-Nacoochee program was dedicated to Friedman, who is general manager of the Atlanta Music Club. The Silver Anniversary edition of the show is as rich in color, comedy and music as any show I've seen in 25 years. If anything, it's the best show done here yet. Oldtimers at the ice show are advised to keep one eye on the show and one eye on the skaters because if you have become too jaundiced in your taste for ice shows you might find that the folks around you still enjoy them. Maybe you'll just enjoy listening to the crowd. I heard comments like "Isn't that beautiful" . . . "Isn't he cute" . . ."They're lovely" . . . That's the funniest act I've seen yet" at the show Tuesday night. Ice show fans just enjoy themselves. I found the Silver Anniversary edition of the show was heavy on comedy. I especially liked the ice skating chimps who hurdled, played ice hockey and clowned around to the merriment of everyone. Paul Andre, the long-time sailor and his many fun-making accomplices, are back with more funny stuff. The "Houn' Dawg" which tickles the funny bone of the youngsters is the comedy hit of the show. The show has beauty, too. Everything is built around the holiday theme, there are special numbers about Christmas, St. Valentine's, Autumn, Halloween, a Roman Holiday and other festive occasions. turally ends with the officer falling into the rink, interrupting the skaters. THE COOK family, mother, father, a 10-yearrold girl and 8-year-old twin boys are featured in "Spring Has Sprung." Their presence and talent round out what is obviously family entertainment. Rate "Holiday On Ice" as "G" for general audiences. The show is at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium. The old auditorium is open to criticism, but is unfortunately the only indoor facility in Atlanta capable of housing the show. The finale is a production billed as "A White Christmas"-- a glorious finale. Glorious it is with fairy castles, Santa Clauses on skates and girls in hoop skirts which light up like Christmas trees. "Holiday on Ice" will be here through Sunday. The starring skaters are all familiar to Holiday on Ice fans. Tommy Allen and his pretty wife, Juanita Percelly; Paul Andre, Alfredo Mendoza, Carolyn Pryor, Ronnie Robertson, just about the best skater around; Meri Langenbein, Ray Balmer, Alice Quessy, Grete Borgen, the Cook Family and half a hundred boy and girl skaters are featured. The show is fun from start to finish and one, which, for charm and appeal, hasn't been matched.