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8-F THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Sunday, January 26, 1969 Ice Holi West Two Pictures Span 30 Donn Arden 'Holidays' An Extravaganza On Ice By BOB PATE Journal Amusements Editor The 24th edition of "Holiday on Ice," now entrenched at the Jackson- seemed overlong and Robertson turned really haminy as the Prince of LaMancha as he skated to the music of "The Impossible Dream." the seven or eight of the annual outings I've seen ?╟÷ but I'm not so sure that's all to the good. Many of my favorite stars are back again ?╟÷ Tommy Allen and Juanita Percelly, whose new acrobatic routines are genuine show-stoppers, the delightful Cook Family (Papa Cal, Mama Dori, daughter Kim and sons Kris and Kelly), Alfredo Mendoza with his ballet artistry and his hilarious encounter with an intruding "photographer," the lithe and graceful athletics of Anna Galmarini, the comic antics of Paul Andre, Johnny Leech and John LaDue. And then there's the star of the show, the incomparable Ronnie Robertson, whose new predilection for soulful facial expressions and Jose Grecolike arm movements can hardly detract from the fact that he may be the best male skater who ever lived. There are many moments for the young and young at heart ?╟÷ the Cook family again, Ole Houn' Dog, Werner Muller and his chummy chimps, Paul Andre and Johnny Leech as Connie and Glyde, and Andre again in his sailor routine. The production numbers, while beautiful to watch, I found spotty in content. I arrived too late last night to see the opener, "Hello, New York," which, according to the program, is a three- scene extravaganza. "Jungalero," containing a voodoo ritual and the slaying of a cat girl, was rather routine except for some excitement provided by Anna Galmarini. "Astaire Time," a tribute to Fred and his music, wasn't quite pepped up by the skating of Robertson. After intermission, Grete Borgen was bouncy and attractive in "Rockin' Happy," and Galmarini was enchanting as "The Happy, Crazy Clown." "The Gates of Granada" The closing colossal, a five- scene effort called "Star Time," was confused in the "Silent Picture Daze" segment, livened up a little in the Charlie Chaplin ballet, missed the mark with "The Perils of Pauline," had some good moments in "Motion Pictures That Talk" and ended on a high note with "Super Colossal Hollywood . . . That Crazy Tinsel Town." Looking back over what I've just written, I realize that what I've been doing is picking at nits; that, despite my perhaps being somewhat jaded about it, "Holiday on Ice" still is the best there is and a pure entertainment pleasure, one you should take pains not to miss. I also realize that my slightly sour reaction to last n i g h t 's performance was mainly due to the fact that the orchestra had a very off night and its plethora of bad notes kept distracting me from what was going on on the ice. Perhaps, also, the production numbers, in the desire to make them so lavish, are not quite the suitable showcases they should be to enhance the undeniable talents of the stars. THIRTY YEARS ago $300 a week would hire Dancer Donn Arden, six pretty girls, music sheets for their dances, and costume rent- ill als. Today Choreographer- Creative D i r e c t or Arden isn't saving what it takes to hire him to create and direct show numbers with 36 ^ girls and 14 boys and up- W wards doing production numbers. j ?╟≤ That's because I didn't ask him. It's a negotiable ?╟≤. '"?√ß figure instead of a bygone fact of personal history. MR. ARDEN will tell you ~-*~ that his cheapest costumes today are $250 and he goes as high as $2000 per copy for ensemble numbers. The costume and produc- ....: tion tab picked up by Ard- ,. ;x en's 1969 Holiday On Ice \ boss, Morris Chalfen, was M above half a million dollars. "It will be higher next year," Arden told me by phone from his Hollywood home. 'Tm expensive but I don't waste a penny. I'm hired because good showmen know you've got to spend money to make money." FOR TRACK RECORDS in showmanship, Arden's ranks with the foremost. It includes 22 years of eye-stunners for the Lido in Paris and many diazzlers for Stardust Hotel and Desert Inn, Las Vegas; also OLnerama sequences; World's Fair productions, and 1968 Hobday On Ice's new Madison Square Garden grand opening attraction. That's where he used 36 jj girls and 14 boys. And why more girls? "It's a big visual thing. You need more girls," said he. THE GARDEN opening is one of the high points of his production work, but Cincinnati's Castle Farm dance ham floor of a generation ago is the slipperiest he ever worked on, or with He worked the Farm after Arrowhead Inn, Beverly Hills, the Lookout House and before he began doing his first ice shows at the Netherland Plaza (now )r-