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6C Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette Wed., Oct. 29, 1969 Holiday On Ice Fittingly Marks Anniversary Before Record Crowd By DELL FORD Anniversary time is a time for fun, an occasion |or gala celebration and Holiday on Ice, which opened at Memorial Coliseum last night, makes no exception to that rule. The ice show extravaganza, celebrating its Silver Anniversary during the 1969-70 season, last night played to the largest crowd ever?╟÷6,466 (just 32 shy of a sellout?╟÷on a Fort Wayne premiere night. The 6,466 broke the 10-year record of 6,100 set in 1%9. Extravaganza is a kind of show business Way of turning a phrase to indicate "the most of everything." It denotes show and lots of it. Color and lots of it. Drama Razzmatazz. The end! Many times it overstates the cast but where Holiday on Ice is concerned, never! It's been said over and over again that Holiday has something for everyone. And it's true. Top- notch skating by solo performer Ronnie Robertson and the unequalled pair skating of Tommy Allen and Juanita Percelly. The comic antics of the incomparable '^ funny man Paul Andre and the equally hilarious Johnny Leech. You want real live animals? Holiday offers you the Werner chimps and Kossmayer's kicking mules. You want make believe animals and out comes that long- t i m e sad-eyed favorite Houn' Dog. For a dash of darling youth- fulness, the youngest of all the traveling ice shows features 10- year-old Kim Cfook and her cutie twin brothers Kris and Kelly who have celebrated eight birthdays. As for color, Holiday long has been noted for its elegant costumes and story-telling music. All The 'Excuses' Holiday doesn't miss a trick! This year, in keeping with its anniversary, Holiday on Ice selected, would you believe, a holiday theme. All the excuses we have for getting together and enjoying ourselves are there: Valentine's Day, Halloween, Fourth of July, Easter, Christmas, New Year. Even April Fool's Day, and, quiie naturally, the Happy Birthday. Ronnie Robertson continues to electrify his audiences with those twirling dervish spins. The former Olympian executes his specialty to perfection as Pagli- acci in a "Salute to the Operas" and as The Devil's Disciple in 1 'Halloween Time." The husband-wife team of Tommy Allen and Juanita Percelly have to be the most exciting professional duo. Their leaps and lifts and spins indicate they think as one. Besides, they're adorable to look at as they star as The Rockin' Love-ins in "St. Valentine's Day," as a Couple of Swells in "The Easter Story" and a Harvest Moon Couple in 'Autumn Holidays." Paul Andre and Johnny Leach bring on the laughs as they masquerade as Anthony and Cleopatra in "Leave 'em Laughing" and again as Col. Sanders and Minne Pearl in "Those Chicken Delites." Johnny also manages to "upset" Alfredo Mendoza and Darolyn Prior in their "Perfect Pair" routine when he walks out on the ice dressed as a "cop". Houn' Dog, back by popular demand, sports a party hangover as he chases a sexy looking little she poodle. 01' Houn' (Mendoza and John Ladue) is up to old tricks as he picks out a lap in the audience to perch on. The Werner chimpanzee trio coax more laughter as they skip rope, spin, jump barriers and play hockey. Kossmayer's mules employ that old ruse?╟÷a plant from the audience?╟÷to bring the house down. And it works. Little Kim Cook, who skates with her brothers and Daddy Cal (on elevated blades) and Mother Dori, possesses all the poise and charm of a Miss America candidate. She has so much polish now you wonder what talents she'll have perfected when she reaches the ripe old age of 16. Like Wow! Holiday's costumes (and music) complement individual numbers. It's a rainbow of color, an honest-to-goodness fashion parade. Red, white and blue for the Fourth of July; orange and black for Halloween; green, gold and red for the Roman Holiday; silver with glittering sequins for the Happy Birthday; red and white and all the Christmas Tree hues for a White Christmas. Costumes that glow in the dark. Mod fashions and old-fashioned fashions. Add to all of that the dash of other remarkable skating perfectionists like Ray Balmer and Alice Quessy and Grete Borgen and Marei Langenbein?╟÷and don't forget the Glamour-leers and Ice- Squires?╟÷and how can it be denied that Holiday on Ice forgets no one, on age group, no entertainment taste when it sets the stage for its annual production? The fact is, Holiday does offer all this. Extravaganza? Frankly yes. And to this extravaganza, we add our very best wishes for 25 more of the same on your Silver Anniversary! Holiday on Ice will continue its run at Memorial Coliseum with performances at 8 p.m. today through Friday; 1, 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday; and 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday.