#ttyct spoilers

[daddytvirtue]

TTYCT Write Up

Hey everyone. So I went to ttyct twice- once in Lethbridge and the other in Red Deer. 

First off, let me just say that if there is a show coming remotely close to you, buy tickets and go because it was a once in a lifetime experience (or two if you go to more than one). 

Now that I’ve had a few days to digest what I witnessed, this show was extremely different from SOI. Stars on Ice is laid out where usually each act does 2 individual numbers whereas ttyct, the first act was individual, but the second was all group numbers for the most part. Let’s break down the whole thing.

Opening: In Lethbridge, I was on the ice level and man oh man was that ever worth it. When they all came out with their flags looking so beautiful, smiling so bright, I immediately got a great feeling about the show. It was a really nice touch for them to sing O Canada at the beginning. Right after they transition into Let’s Dance, and honestly that was one of my favourite numbers in the show. They all set the tone right away for both shows on what they were trying to accomplish which is to make people dance, and let me tell you, I was grooving in my seat.

Weapo: I was lucky enough that since I got to go to back to back shows, I saw their tango romantica and the FD. The tango was okay, they showed passion and it seems like they’ve been working on it super hard. Their FD in Red Deer was gorgeous and a really nice tribute to Denis Ten. 

Elvis: the man, the myth, the legend, did his iconic kung fu routine and holy cow can that man ever skate! People around me were crying, it was just fantastic. 

Kaetlyn: my sweet angel did black swan and god bless it was so amazing. She was on in Lethbridge, hit every jump clean, was confident, all that good stuff. In Red Deer, she missed her first jumping pass which unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the routine, but the crowd was so supportive. 

Meagan and Eric: they did with or without you!!!!! (one of my faves of all time) they are mesmerizing skaters, they cover the ice so well, they really draw you in and I love love love. 

Chiddy: Phantom!!!! Yeah he really did that, it was super cool. I love him. I can’t say much more.

Tessa and Scott: okay so at first when we found out they were doing MR again, I was like meh I don’t really care if I see it again, but then they came out with their hands all over each other and being sweet and soft and fierce all at the same time and immediately changed my mind. There’s just something about it that will make me want to watch it forever and ever. Amen. 

Memories: holy shit y’all, this was BEAUTIFUL. I don’t want to spoil it all but there’s a montage and it’s so emotional and they’re all bbs and I was crying a little bit and then they all come out and do a sequence from their most iconic programs (cue Mahler). Catch me on the floor. 

Intermission

Tragically Hip Group: fjhewhsigheairhgaiorgoj I LOVED. I LOVED. They’re all hot. From Tessa’s long time running body suit to Scott in plaid and the idea behind a Canadian program, it was a banger. 12/10 would recommend and watch 100 times over. What made it so awesome was that it looked like they were all having the time of their lives. 

Dance Battle: Heh. Holy shit. I was rendered speechless both damn nights. Girls in their outfits which are actually not that bad in person, to the boys ripping their shirts off. It’s a real family show. In Red Deer, I sacrificed not watching Pony so I could watch the girls in the corner and I wish I was at an angle to film it well because Miss Tessa was out here licking her lips and giggling like a school girl watching them. She looked like she was about to pounce. Okay, yeah, it’s normal. 

Weapo: they did a super sick routine to an edgy version of I wanna dance with somebody. It was awesome. Super flowy, but sharp, they made this song their bitch. 

(this is where I forget what else I watched cause the whole second half was like being high) 

I think were at 4 minutes....: uh yeah so Tessa walked right in in front of me

peep my video

uh yeah, it was hot, they’re hot, I don’t know what else to say. You’ve all seen video by now. Scott looked like he had steak and potatoes in front of him the whole time. Tessa was teasing him. Iconic, legendary, amazing, beautiful, brilliant. They didn’t follow the original choreography one bit. 

Flash mob: first off wtf. Kaetlyn comes out and absolutely rips it to I Like It- cue everyone else in matching yellow and green? they do all the moves and stuff and while it was all very confusing, it was a lot of fun. In Lethbridge, when Tessa and Scott do their little salsa thingy and Tessa was so flipping cute!!!!!!!! their doing it and Tessa just goes “JUST SHAKE IT” to Scott, I died. (x) (Thank you, @thatonekimgirl )

And the finale to Diamonds: it was so pretty. So, so, so, so pretty. Single tear. The body suits look SO much better in person and the white shirts with black pants were hawt.

That was it. I sat in my seat after both shows attempting to process what I just watched and I still am trying to comprehend. I’m now in withdrawal. 

Also, some of you know that I went to the meet and greet. I’m not gonna share my experience from that because I want to be able to keep some things to myself. But know that they’re all the most lovely and gorgeous human beings. I got to talk to Tessa and Scott for over 5 minutes and they apologized for having to stop. They are so lovely and amazing. 

Okay tl;dr TTYCT was worth all the driving and money. The merch is BOMB and I love this cast with all my being. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. 

[macaroni-rascal]

omg y’all entire first half of moulin rouge was on ice footage AND THE ENDING TOO

[sisygambis]

TTYCT

Omg, that was incredible!! The Thank You Canada Tour was a wild ride from start to finish. I never had any idea what was coming next and it was all WORTH IT!

I am just so happy and pumped from that! I want to go again and again. The costumes were amazing, all of the music was fun and danceable, the show was funny and charming.

If you ever wanted to see Patrick Chan get slapped in the nipples with suspenders, after ripping his shirt open and dancing to Pony, well, then this the show for you.

[anewbeginningagain]

Rock The Rink 2019 - Abbotsford

I thought I might try to write about my personal experience in the show. It’s going to probably be a lot of rambling so bear with me if you’re up for it...

Tbh after watching TTYCT I never thought I will be able to watch another show where Tessa and Scott perform. Coming all the way to Canada isn’t an easy task (not to mention costly) and between work and my master’s and real-life hassles, it felt like a once in a lifetime thing. But between making several personal changes over the last few months after a personally difficult year and deciding to take some time to myself and travel in North America for several weeks I knew that I will make an effort to somehow make it work. Vancouver seemed like the most realistic option and since it was also on my bucket list, the Vancouver show was chosen. When I learned that this will be their last tour (forever? for a while? who knows) I knew I wanted to add another show and with the help of good people in this fandom it happened. It’s a good time to thank all of those who reached out and offered a ride - it’s easy to get wrapped up in the negativity of this fandom but there are also truly nice and warm people here. 

So for the interesting part - the show, I absolutely loved it. The cast is truly spectacular and the chemistry between them is palpable. I also thought the choreography of the group numbers is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time -  it felt fresh, mature and cohesive. There was almost like a linking line between every group number and the smart decision to let everyone in the cast shine during them while still somehow giving Tessa and Scott the center stage in most of them was a smart one and one that really paid off. The band part was good as well (especially when they perform the acoustic version of their song) but I will say that the decision to have a long break after their set (while understandable for production needs) is a little bit questionable. Still, once the show begins it’s 90 minutes of nonstop skating which is truly amazing.

The individual numbers (no spoilers):

I’ve never seen Jeremy Abbot skate (other than his Sochi programs) and I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable I found him to be. Plus every time he did a backflip the crowd lost it - he is definitely good as a crowd pleaser and I can totally see why he was added to the show.

 KO is always a joy to watch and I felt like her number was also about her embracing herself, physically it’s obvious she’s changed now that she’s not in elite athlete shape, but she’s just as gorgeous as she was before and she has such a warm and smiley energy that you simply can’t help but enjoy her.

Both Elvis and Patrick were a hit with the older ladies and it’s always funny to watch the ladies go crazy over both, especially over Elvis. At some point, Elvis did a move and ended up right by a group sitting on the ice level and one woman was so excited I swear she started screaming.

Tati and Max still have the tricks that’s for sure, I never noticed how impressive Tati is on the ice, but this time I definitely did. They hit some beautiful poses and overall seemed ecstatic to be there and the crowd showered them with love.

Caro. Tbh I have no words to describe Caro. It was the first moment during the night that I was close to tears, it’s basically her moving on the ice, no jumps, but it was so enchanting you just know she puts a spell on the audience.

The group numbers:

I don’t want to write much because I don’t want to spoil anything, I truly think that the experience will be at it best when you know as little as possible (though I totally get watching the HD videos some are gracious enough to share). I will say again that I think the choreography was more mature and enchanting. It was more than just skating for the entertainment value (which is perfectly fine) but there was an added layer to the choreography and the performances. It was apparent that the cast loves those numbers, they were so into it and truly gave it everything they have and I think that with more time and getting more comfortable and familiar with the material, it will become even more special. There is something to be said about the age of the cast - having almost the entire cast be in their 30s really brings a level of maturity to the skating that you rarely see. It also emphasizes how longevity in figure skating should be valued, encouraged and aspired.

The costumes:

I have to give a major shout out to Mathieu for the costumes. Every costume was well made and fitted the theme of the dance. I think one of my favorite dresses was Caro’s dress for her solo. The costumes also really emphasized certain let’s say features of the male skaters, and that’s also highly appreciated. The 20s number costumes are also absolutely to die for and I’m not really familiar with the level of success Mathieu had prior to working with TS (I know he was doing skating costumes, not sure to what extent) but with him doing the costumes for the show for the second time and also doing the costumes for BoTB I will assume his partnership with TS turned out to be very beneficial for him (as it should, I don’t love everything he does but there’s no doubt he is amazingly talented).

Tessa and Scott

Saving the best to last... Where do I even begin? There was so much being said prior to this tour, about how they will maybe phone it in, about how they will have no chemistry, about how Scott doesn’t care. None of it is true and this show is the best proof for it. Their chemistry is still off the charts and can be felt in every move they make. Their quality of skating is second to none, the little nods to past programs were a punch in the gut in the best way possible and their love for what they do could be seen and felt during the entire show. Scott’s energy levels for the entire 90 minutes of the show are something I have no idea how he even sustains, he was all in, and Tessa shines like the bright light she is. Together they truly give everything they have during the show.

As for the video, it was both heartbreaking and beautiful, they were both visibly emotional and said beautiful things. It is however not the only or even last thing they say about each other, so it should really be put in some perspective. The following Fix You number was also gut-wrenching and beautifully choreographed and performed.

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And to finish on a personal note - I’ve been following Tessa and Scott for close to 6 years now. It’s been a ride I could have never imagined when I first watched them skate in Sochi for the first time. So to watch them being constantly reduced to mostly made up personal drama is more frustrating than I could put into words. It was frustrating when every little thing was being used as proof of them dating and it’s even more frustrating to watch it being used as proof they hate each other and or whatever the current narrative is. It’s bad when outside forces are being accused of being the cause of their supposed hatred for each other and it’s even worse when it’s one of them that’s being cast as the villain of their story (for a long time it was Tessa, now it’s Scott). No one is saying things are the same as they used to be, but the change was bound to happen and does not mean that things are as gloom and doom as people insist they are. I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind, as I said before some people seem determined to make themselves suffer, but I’ll be damned if I let it get to me. It’s easy to lose perspective sometimes and try to use this platform to fight the negativity, but the cost of it sometimes gets too high on a personal level. So for the rest of the tour, I will do everything I can to keep myself in a positive headspace only, It’s what I deserve and it’s what they deserve as well. 

[aspiestvmusings]

a message from Tessa & Scott  at TTYCT #wisewords

Edit by me, photos by the talented photographers

image sources:  pic1   pic2   pic3