Marietta native brings Holiday Ice Spectacular to Cobb
Even if you’re easily distracted, you should have no fear of boredom at “The Holiday Ice Spectacular.”
The show, created by Marietta native Jeb Rand, opens Dec. 16 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
Throughout the 90-minute spectacle, 18 skaters and two elves will zip through a country line dance, a 12-minute icy version of “The Nutcracker,” perform in a Winter Wonderland and even welcome Santa on a Harley.
Though Rand developed the show for an initial run in Hong Kong in 2006 and brought it to the Eldorado Hotel Casino in Reno the past two seasons, this Atlanta version includes four songs unique to his hometown production.
The lead elf in the show, Hollywood actor Mikey Post, who grew up in Roswell and graduated from the University of Georgia, doesn’t skate; but he will rap the newly written “If Santa Claus Was Jewish,” a song that has already gained the attention of Rand pal Adam Sandler.
“The Holiday Ice Spectacular” stars U.S. National bronze medalist Michael Chack and principal female soloist Samantha Vonsiatsky, a veteran of three U.S. “Broadway on Ice” tours. Vonsiatsky also is a professional singer who will croon “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” during the event.
But even if you aren’t wowed by the music or performances, the production elements of the “Spectacular” are gape-worthy enough.
The 40-by-60-foot rink was constructed with a base level of tubing and water-proofing material. When the tubes reached 19 degrees, they were covered with crushed ice and sprayed with water.
The makeshift rink, which contains two levels, took about 4,000 gallons of water to create 30,000 pounds of ice.
Event preview
“The Holiday Ice Spectacular”
8 p.m. Dec. 16-18,; 2 p.m. Dec. 18, 2 and 8 p.m. Dec. 22-23, 2 p.m. Dec. 24. $33.70-$80.30. www.ticketmaster.com, 800- 745-3000.
About the Author
Melissa Ruggieri has covered music and entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2010 and created the Atlanta Music Scene blog. She's kept vampire hours for more than two decades and remembers when MTV was awesome.
