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THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR 4Holiday On Ice' Is Silver Treat SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1969 By RITA VANDEVEER THIS YEAR'S annual "Holiday On Ice" spectacular is all a-glitter, with silver as the troupe celebrates its 25th year in show business. And there was silver at the box office, too, considering the turnout which filled the Fairgrounds Coliseum last night. The ice show will continue through Sunday, Nov. 23, so everyone will have a chance to see the multi-talented troupe perform. Appropriately, the opening number was a tribute to its anniversary. Marei Langenbein, the German girl who made her debut with "Holiday On Ice" last year, was featured as "Miss Silver Anniversary," backed up by the Ice- Squires and the Silver Ballet. MISS LANGENBEIN is the beauty of the show, featured as the top banana in several of the productions. Watching her, one gets the feeling of dancing, rather than skating, as she gracefully turns into a Roman Holiday "Gold Goddess" or appears in a Fifth Avenue Easter parade. A contrasting talent from the feminine angle is perky Juanita Percelly, an annual favorite who adds zest to the light numbers, flips like a rag doll or being tossed around by her husband-partner, Tommy Allen. The Aliens represent the "now" generation throughout the production in such numbers as "Rockin' Love-Ins" or "A Couple Of Swells." The star of the show, Ronnie Robertson, is at his best this year with his interpretation of "Pagliacci" in the Salute to the Operas. Robertson is swift and adept at his ice rink contortions, offering a body spin that should rightly have Irilled a hole through the ice. If big things come in small packages, then one 10-year-old Kim Cook will grow up to be another Peggy Fleming. The youngster appears with her twin brothers and parents in a Spring Has Sprung-sketch, and she steals the spotlight. Other delights for the small fry of the audience (and the big fry, too) are three Mexican monkeys everyone went "ape" over. One chap sat on a stuffed donkey licking his skates, another jumped rope, and a third one beat on the ice with a hockey stick. They're funny, adorable, and really can skate! AND IT JUST wouldn't be "Holiday On Ice" without the Ole Houn' Dog who comes equipped this year with coquettish girl-poodle to entice him into a little puppy love. It hardly seems possible that the costumes get more elaborate each year, or maybe we're just getting used to the fact that the show offers the best in everything. Jeweled bell-bottom slacks with midi- tops are provided for the Happy New Year sketch. And the opera salute finds "Aida," "Carmen" and "Madame Butterfly" encased in floor- length creations of sequins, spangles, and filmy net. Whether shooting off the Independence Day fireworks with Alice Quessy or taking a Holiday In Rio with Ray Balmer, you're bound to enjoy this year's "Holiday On Ice" and all its silver trimmings. THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS Page 8 <5;**u*<tav, November 15, 1969 Comedy Is King For This Years 'Holiday On Ice By CHARLES STAFF Any edition of "Holiday on Ice" is predictable but always predictably good as pop, family entertainment. The "silver - anniversary" show came to the State Fairgrounds Coliseum last night drawing approximately 6,100 patrons, the biggest opening since 1962. The spectacle stays until Nov. 23. With costume changes, one year is much like another but, if the show is something to be seen only every three or four years, this is the year to do it. With swishing and swooshing, splashy production numbers, dazzling duos and solos and comic capers, the arena fills with swirls of color and technical displays. Holidays make up the theme, from Valentine's Day and Easter to the Fourth of July and Christmas and all conceivable points between including a Roman holiday and a holiday in Rio. The latter two are, according to individual taste, possibly the most breath taking of the big scenes with Marei Langenbein and Ray Balmer taking top honors in the Roman section and Grete Borgen and Balmer again in the second, which features an especially attractive "black-light" finale. Ronnie Robertson is, of course, "Holiday's" top attraction and his spins and devil- may-care leaps are ample reasons for his secure place at the top of the heap. Despite Robertson and beautiful work by Alice Quessy, Tommy Allen and his wife, Juanita Percelly, as well as those already mentioned, comedy is king with the audience this time around. SHOW TIME ^?╟??╟?;4.^>~ ro. J Alfredo Mendoza and Darolyn Prior, in an amusing "pas de deux," and Mendoza and John Ladue, as the popular Ole Houn' Dawg, and Paul Andre and Johnny Leech, as a farcical Anthony and Cleopatra pair, lead off the human side of the humor but a group of chimps almost succeeds in making monkeys of everybody. Werner and Denise Muller work wonders with these animals who?╟÷and believe it, these animals are "who's" not "w niche s" ?╟÷ play hockey, dance, scream and cut up in a startling manner. It's enough to make a body feel totally inadequate, but there is solace in thinking the clever antics are as much a commentary on skating skills as on chimps.