Before Jeremy Abbott can end his six-week tour of shows and finally return to his own apartment in Detroit, the Aspen native and two-time Olympic figure skater still has one more day of work on the ice.
And that day is undoubtedly one of his favorite days of the year.
“It’s always great to be back here, back in Aspen,” Abbott said Wednesday, prior to a short training session at the Aspen Ice Garden. “Every year I get really excited to bring a slightly different cast and show my friends where I grew up and just a small piece of this awesome town. But always excited to be back to do the show, for sure.”
Abbott, 33, is back home for the Aspen Ice Spectacular, which in its sixth year is a show put on by Revolutions Skating Club, a local nonprofit. This year’s showcase takes place Saturday inside the Aspen Recreation Center.
Along with Abbott, fellow Olympian Ashley Wagner will headline the show. Wagner, who also took part in the Aspen show two winters ago, is a three-time U.S. national champion and a 2016 world silver medalist.
Both Wagner and Abbott helped guide the U.S. to an Olympic bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
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“Ashley has been a longtime friend and I know she had a lot of fun the last time I brought her out here,” Abbott said. “Each year I want to make it bigger and better and bring more of my friends.”
This year’s show has the theme of “Hooray for Hollywood” and will feature songs from The Wizard of Oz, James Bond, The Greatest Showman and Beauty and the Beast, among others. The ending will include Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen.
Returning as part of the show is a group from Ice Dance International.
“They are a very unique group in that they do ensemble skating, which is like watching ‘Theatre on Ice,'” said Revolution Skating Club’s Peggy Behr, who also is the show’s director. “They are fabulous skaters, so it doesn’t get much better than that. And they are beautiful to watch.”
New this year is the addition of a separate show, done in conjunction with Aspen Gay Ski Week. Saturday’s nightcap will be the “Big Gay Ice Show,” believed to be the first of its kind. It will cater to more of a “PG-13” crowd, as compared to the family-oriented RSC shows earlier in the day.
Tickets for the Revolution Skating Club performances — there are shows at both 2 and 5 p.m. on Saturday — can be purchased ahead of time through http://www.aspenshowtix.com. General admission prices are $35, with discounts for seniors and students. VIP tickets cost $75 and include a reception between the two shows and a chance to meet the figure skaters.
“Every year we kind of make it a little bigger, a little better,” Abbott said. “Anytime you’ve seen the shown in the last five years, it’s going to be a completely different show.”
Tickets for the “Big Gay Ice Show” are sold separately and can be purchased through gayskiweek.com and start at $65. The single show begins at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday and will also include performances from Abbott and Wagner, among others.
ASPEN ICE SPECTACULAR
When: Saturday, 2 & 5 p.m.
Where: Aspen Recreation Center
How: Purchase tickets at http://www.aspenshowtix.com
BIG GAY ICE SHOW
When: Saturday, 7:15 p.m.
Where: Aspen Recreation Center
How: Purchase tickets at gayskiweek.com