TORONTO – Even the most avid hockey fan could be forgiven for not believing that the Air Canada Centre was the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.
On Monday, the rink was replaced by a shiny dance floor and skates were swapped for stilettos as the Dancing With The Stars tour made its only Canadian stop in Toronto.
The tour is a compliment to the highly popular reality show that continues to break ratings records. The concept of celebrities trying to learn ballroom dancing by being paired with professional partners is no longer new (given that the show is now heading toward its sixth season) but the tour is still completely fresh. Last night, the dance floor was surrounded by classy tables and this is where VIP ticketholders sat (in addition to the other audience members in the stands). It was an intimate set-up in one of the city’s biggest venues which was a pretty impressive feat to pull off.
The interesting thing about this tour is that it is almost guaranteed to be a different show every time. While the routines are generally the same, the differing schedules of the stars makes each city’s leg completely unique. The celebrities participating in the Toronto version included Joey Lawrence, Monique Coleman, Joey Fatone, Sabrina Bryan and Wayne Newton (whose recent heart infection prevented him from actually dancing on the show, but that he more than compensated for by singing some of his classic tunes).
Fatone only recently began his tour stint and the last chance to see him is tonight’s tour stop in Cleveland. This season’s champions, Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough along with Drew Lachey and Marie Osmond are all scheduled to join the tour in different cities before it wraps up on Feb. 10 in Philadelphia.
Given the difficulty of some of the dances, it’s not just the celebrities who need a break. Double-champion and easily the show’s most recognizable professional dancer, Cheryl Burke missed the first two shows of the tour after complaining of stomach cramps. Last night, after Joey Lawrence was introduced with Karina Smirnoff (who was filling in for Lawrence’s usual partner Edyta Smirnoff who was off on a personal matter), it was noticeable that Joey was dancing most of his routines with Burke. The former Blossom star later explained to the crowd that Smirnoff had fallen ill during the show but that this gave him the chance to dance with the aforementioned Burke for the first time which obviously wasn’t a total loss.
The show itself was a dazzling display of variety, music and non-stop action for its 90-minute duration. The opening act was a ballroom competition that featured local dancers competing against each other for the chance to perform on the main stage during the big show. When the program officially started, the familiar theme music played and the celebrities, their partners and the other professional dancers were introduced before they all launched into a lively group number. In addition to Joey Lawrence & Karina Smirnoff*, Monique Coleman & Louis Van Amstel, Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson, Sabrina Bryan & Mark Ballas and Wayne Newton, the other professional dancers included:
– Cheryl Burke*
– Derek Hough
– Brian Fortuna
– Alec Mazo
After a pre-recorded message from Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris, a latin number that featured the mambo, the cha-cha, the rumba, the jive, the samba and the paso doble was up first and it included many of the dancers.
Monique and Louis then came out to do their version of the Mambo to the sounds of “Bop To The Top” and did an admirable job, especially considering that it has been more than a year since they danced together.
Wayne Newton then came out and performed the first of his crowd-pleasing songs when he sang Johnny B. Goode.
The Motown group number was next and it once again featured a variety of dances and dancers.
After a blooper reel from the show was played, it was time for one of the show’s highlights when the dancers all came out and did “The Twist” complete with a ’50’s-themed wardrobe.
After an electrifying jive by Sabrina Bryan & Mark Ballas (who almost everyone can agree were eliminated from the show far too early), it was time for Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson to take the stage.
The former N-Sync member and the Australian champion of Dancing With The Stars engaged in some playful banter and this involved Kym ribbing Fatone about being out of shape since she last saw him. She told her former partner that being paired with billionaire Mark Cuban came with a few perks including being flown around on his private jet and being sgiven courtside tickets to Dallas Mavericks games. Prankster Fatone said that he came with few perks as well and one was “nice and round.” This was apparently a reference to his rear end, which completely went over my head (well, not literally) although the crowd certainly seemed to get a kick out of it.
After this, it was time for the professional dancers to bust out one of their new numbers. Their latest piece was choreographed spy-style and all the dancers were dressed with James Bond flair complete with hats and lights that they wielded like weapons.
Derek Hough and Mark Ballas then paid homage to the Blues Brothers by dancing to “Soul Man.”
After another group number, it was time for intermission.
In the second half, the show’s intensity seemed to pick up with the dances becoming even more provocative and sexy, starting with a group number which saw Joey Lawrence dancing in a cage with four of the professional female dancers.
This was followed by Sabrina & Mark’s hot Cha Cha which was, appropriately enough, set to “Don’t Cha” by the Pussycat Dolls.
The professional dancers then followed with a performance that the original Pussycat Dolls would have been proud of as it was set to a burlesque theme with the female dancers all wearing masks to start. The songlist included “Lady Marmalade,” “Let’s Get Loud,” and “Hip Hip, Chin Chin.”
To give the dancers another quick rest period, a behind-the-scenes “Making Of The Tour” video was played and when the show resumed, Monique & Louis excited the audience with their famous Jive. As fans of the show will remember, this was the dance on the show where Monique almost lost her dress and quickly managed to pull it up avoiding the wardrobe malfunction.
The professional dancers then put on another showcase and this time it was to “Eye Of The Tiger” as they gave a nod to the classic Rocky movies.
Wayne Newton then continued his emceeing responsibilities and accompanied Sabrina Bryan back to the stage as the pair presided over the finals of the “Softscrub Performance Championship” (the local dance contest that served as the warm-up to the show).
The next group performance was set to a Brazilian Carnivale theme and primarily focused on the samba.
It was then time for the highlight of the entire event for me. The announcer on the public address system said that “for the first time ever” (although I am sure he says that on every leg), two of the stars would dance together. I especially liked the fact that the voice did not reveal which two stars it would be until they came out as this only built the anticipation. My money was on it being Joey Lawrence and Sabrina Bryan (since I thought that they probably had the most experience on the tour), and when Joey Fatone and Sabrina Bryan came out, I was happy that I was at least half right. Actually, make that 75 percent right, because technically it was a “Joey,” (just the wrong one). And yes, as soon as I had that line written down, I couldn’t wait to use it.
The performance itself was very entertaining as Joey Fatone & Sabrina Bryan were two of the most animated competitors on their respective seasons (which is probably why they were selected for the honor). I am not the biggest Fatone fan in the world (because as you know, like Pepsi versus Coke, you can only root for the Backstreet Boys or ‘N Sync and you all know which side I am on in that scenario), but even I can admit that he was tremendous in his dance with Sabrina.
It was at this point that Joey Lawrence came out to talk to the crowd (as mentioned above) to explain why there was a change to make-up for Karina’s illness.
A quick group number was offered instead and it was equally as good.
The final paired performance was up next as Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson did their finale freestyle to the delight of everyone in attendance. Once again, the song choice could not have been better as the pair grooved to “Last Dance.” Coincidence? Definitely not!
The show ended with Wayne Newton singing “Danke Schoen” and playing up to the crowd along with a couple of more crowd-pleasing group numbers including “Proud Mary” and “Shout.”
It was an energetic show and one that definitely did not let up. Perhaps what I liked the most about it was the fact that slow dances like the Viennese Waltz and the tango were intentionally avoided. I remember that I found these to be boring on television and I am sure that Louis Van Amstel (dancer and the tour choreographer) agreed. It was a smart move to keep the dances fast so that the crowd did not lose interest.
There is no question in my mind that there were three dancers that stood out. Cheryl Burke was flawless and was, without question, the best on the floor. She barely broke a sweat and showed the form that won her the championship twice. She was stunning and definitely seized the stage whenever she was on it.
Joey Fatone was the crowd favorite and his performance was incredible, considering the fact that he only recently joined the tour. He entertained the crowd with his charm, his banter and his moves and his freestyle with Kym was the highlight.
Finally, after having only joining Dancing With The Stars this season and not having the luxury of his partner (Jennie Garth) with him, Derek Hough was awesome to watch. Like Cheryl, it seemed like the complicated dance moves were as ordinary as walking to him and he was very impressive.
One of the highest compliments that you can give to any type of live show, event, or concert is to say that you wouldn’t change a thing. And I certainly wouldn’t change a thing about this fresh fast-paced frenzy. It was just as entertaining as the show and there was never a dull moment.
I am actually now considering going to Philadelphia for the last show where Marie Osmond and Helio Castraneves are both slated to perform just because I was so impressed by the Toronto leg of the tour.
And guys, take it from me. The Dancing With The Stars tour is not just a way to win points with the girlfriend. There are some really hot girls in very hot clothing who all dance incredibly well. Odds are, you’ll probably enjoy it more than she will.
Stay tuned for my EXCLUSIVE interview with the legendary Wayne Newton!
The Dancing With The Stars Tour continues until February. Here are the remaining tour dates:
01/08/2008
Wolstein Center
Cleveland
01/09/2008
Nationwide Arena
Columbus
01/11/2008
Bradley Center
Milwaukee
01/12/2008
i wireless Center (formerly Mark of the Quad Cities)
Moline
01/13/2008
Sprint Center
Kansas City
01/15/2008
Rupp Arena
Lexington
01/17/2008
US Bank Arena
Cincinnati
01/18/2008
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis
01/19/2008
Sommet Center (formerly Nashville Arena)
Nashville
01/21/2008
St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa
01/22/2008
Veterans Memorial Arena
Jacksonville
01/23/2008
BankAtlantic Center
Sunrise
01/25/2008
The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Atlanta
01/26/2008
Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro
01/27/2008
Richmond Coliseum
Richmond
01/28/2008
Hampton Coliseum
Hampton
01/30/2008
Verizon Center
Washington
01/31/2008
Prudential Center
Newark
02/01/2008
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Uniondale
02/02/2008
Boardwalk Hall
Atlantic City
02/04/2008
DCU Center
Worcester
02/05/2008
Verizon Wireless Arena
Manchester
02/07/2008
Mohegan Sun Arena
Uncasville
02/08/2008
Mohegan Sun Arena
Uncasville
02/09/2008
Dunkin Donuts Center
Providence
02/10/2008
Wachovia Center
Philadelphia
More information is available here.
