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r ?√ßTHE BLADE: TOLEDO, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1968- SHOW AT SPORTS ARENA MAREI LANGENBEIN German champ featured 'Holiday On Ice Begins 9 Day Run By FRED LUTZ Blade Staff Writer The 24th edition of "Holiday On Ice," which opened a nine- day stand in the Sports Arena Tuesday night, emphasizes colorful and unusual chorus routines, costumes that range from the beautiful to the bizarre, a mixture of popular and nostalgic music, and, of course, some of the best skating to be seen anywhere. Directed by Donn Arden, who is responsible for the Lido shows in Paris and Las Vegas, this "Holiday" has perhaps a more Ziegfeldish quality about it than many of its predecessors. Which is to say that the the chiffon theatricality of the show is even more pronounced, more frothy than usual. But there are some delightful curveballs here too, just to keep you guessing and to give you a laugh or two between the ohs and ahs. For example, a "Bonnie and Clyde" spoof, complete with a broken-down old car in center rink; an act called 'The Chummy Chimps," which offers some simian ice antics especially comical to the children, and a routine in which a m a k e-believe photographer too near the rink is knocked down and then entangled in a dance act. , Another surprise is the concluding section, "The Marquee Favorites of All Time," in which skaters portray such Hollywood luminaries as the Keystone Kops, Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Tar- zan and Cheeta, Al Jolson, Shirley Temple, and others. More characteristic of the production, though, and more pleasing to the eye is a tribute to Fred Astaire, featuring one of the best skaters in the world, Ronnie Robertson, and his versions of "Mr. Top Hat" and "Carioca in Rio." He does a kind of soft-shoe on skates. The grace and sweep of the chorus is shown to best advantage in "Astaire Time" too, as well as in the opening scenes ?╟÷a la Ziegfeld - called "Hello New York"; in an African motif called "Jungalero," and a Spanish motif, "The Gates of Granada." The costumes, of course, are spectacular again this year ?╟÷ credit the man who designed them, Freddy Wittop, who also designed the costumes for "George M." and "Hello, Dolly." In fact, different acts and different costumes come so fast and so colorfully that it is frequently difficult to decide where to look. The most lighthearted and lyrical part of the show is an interlude just after the intermission called "Rockin' Happy." It has both male and fern alechoruses romping through upbeat versions of "Sonny" and "Would You Like to Ride in My Beautiful Balloon?" Other highlights of the show include the world's profes- sional skating champion (1965), Anna Galmarini, in a "cat girl" routine; the Cook family, with the 8-year-old girl and 7-year-old twin boys being put through their paces by their parents, and Alice Quessy, as the "I Dont' Care" girl. This year's production of "Holidy On Ice" should pro- vide an entertaining and captivating evening for the entire family. I highly recommend it. JUMBLE TOPAZ MOUTH GUILTY BENIGH -THE 'NIGHT-IN-GALE' W CO'