The club’s first Christmas-themed carnival brought enthusiastic response from the audience, as skaters performed to a series of songs from the Dr. Seuss classic, with; Brian Poitras narrating the tale of the Christmas-hating green meanie, whose heart was definitely three sizes too small.
Senior skaters Keanna and Kaylee Radcliffe and Raif Evans-Anderson led the juniors and Canskaters onto the ice for the first number, ‘Who Loves Christmas?’ and it was easy to see that every Who did just that.
Juniors Julia Farrell and Montana Sharkey acted out ‘Max’s Story,’ from the viewpoint of the Grinch’s lop-eared dog, before Hailey Danyluk, as Cindy Lou Who, tried to find the meaning of Christmas in ‘Christmas, Why Can’t I Find You?’
One Christmas necessity is a tree, and beginning skaters Paynton Skarsen, Blake Fontaine, Mark Kuba, Ella May and Kenzie Leathem showed off their growing skills in ‘Trim the Tree’ before the Junior Starskaters, Brooklyn deVries, Kennady Pierce, Hailey Danyluk, Bella Pinette, Julia Farrel and Montana Sharkey portrayed their night before Christmas dreams in ‘Whatchamawho’.
Keanna Radcliffe was home from university for the Christmas holidays and performed the day’s second solo, ‘Green Christmas’,
The Prepower crew, which includes Landon St. Arnault and Jase Malo, showed how the unappreciated Grinch might feel in ‘Lonely Christmas Eve’, a distinct contrast to the fun in the ‘Who-Ville Melody’ skated by Bella Pinette and Kennady Pierce to wind up the first half of the show.
Warmed up with hot chocolate and with their latest bids on the silent auction sheets, the audience came back just in time to see the senior and junior skaters finish off their Christmas Shopping in ‘It’s The Thought That Counts,’ while up on his mountain, the Grinch, portrayed by Kaylee Radcliffe, is thinking up ways to steal Christmas, including sliding down the Whos’ chimneys as she skated to “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch.’
The Grinch didn’t count on being questioned by Cindy Lou about why he was taking her tree home to fix the lights, but got away not only with that, as Raif Evans-Anderson and Bella Pinette skated to ‘Santa For A Day’ but also with loading up his sled with all the presents, wrappings, trimmings and trappings, with a bunch of help to the sounds of ‘Stealing Christmas’.
Fortunately, it wasn’t stolen for too long, just long enough for Power Skaters Bo Fontaine, Raif Evans-Anderson, Lennox St. Arnault and Denys Kuba to show off their skills and for Kaylee Radcliffe and instructor Dennell Anderson to skate a graceful duet to ‘Christmas, Where Are You?’
With all the gifts and wrappings, trimmings and trappings back in place, Brooklyn deVries and assistant CanSkate coach Janyka Evans-Anderson performed ‘Christmas of Love, before the Grinch and his newfound Who friends returned to the ice for a happy finale.
“A carnival like this takes a lot of work,” Dennell Anderson told the crowd, asking for applause for the volunteers. “It take a lot to be a coach, too, but with a great bunch of parents behind you, it’s a lot better.” She also had sincere praise for Poitras and his excellent job as the narrator who brought the story to life.
Draws were made for the gift card raffle, with Jake Jaremko winning the top $500 prize, Lane Skarsen the $250 second prize and Rock Sharkey the $125 third prize.
