Stars on Ice at the Essar Centre in April

NEWS RELEASE

ESSAR CENTRE

************************* Stars on Ice returns for cross-country tour this spring

Canada’s favourite skating show to visit Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie and Kelowna for first time

Each spring, fans across Canada are treated to one of figure skating’s greatest spectacles as Stars on Ice presented by Smucker’s tours the country, and this year the show will visit three new Canadian cities for the first time.

Fans in Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie, both in Ontario, and Kelowna, British Columbia will enjoy the thrill of seeing their favourite skaters perform in their own town.

Tickets for the 2009 Stars on Ice presented by Smucker’s tour go on sale Friday, December 5, making them a perfect gift for the coming holiday season.

The tour kicks off in Halifax on Thursday, April 23, 2009, and visits 12 cities across Canada before wrapping up in Vancouver on May 12.

Fans can visit this website for ticket information in their city.

“Stars on Ice has been a highlight of my year for 17 years now, and the fact that we’ll be visiting three new cities in 2009 is something that the entire cast will be excited about,” said four-time World Champion Kurt Browning [shown]. “The show always has a spectacular cast and we look forward to making each show special for the fans. Seeing many new faces in new cities will make this year’s tour very memorable.”

Browning will be joined by some of skating’s brightest stars including Olympic gold medalists Jamie Salé & David Pelletier, Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen, who made her first appearance in last year’s show, and Olympic bronze medalist and reigning World Champion Jeff Buttle, who recently announced his retirement from competitive skating.

The all-new production "On the Edge" promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats as the best skaters in the world show their amazing moves on the ice.

2009 Stars on Ice prsented by Smicker's schedule:

Thursday, April 23 - Halifax, NS (Halifax Metro Centre)

Saturday, April 25 - Ottawa, ON (Scotiabank Place)

Sunday, April 26 - Windsor, ON (Windsor Family Credit Union Centre)

Monday, April 27 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON (Essar Centre)

Friday, May 1 - Toronto, ON (Air Canada Centre)

Saturday, May 2 - Hamilton, ON (Copps Coliseum)

Sunday, May 3 - London, ON (John Labatt Centre)

Wednesday, May 6 - Winnipeg, MB (MTS Centre)

Friday, May 8 - Calgary, AB (Pengrowth Saddledome)

Saturday, May 9 - Edmonton, AB (Rexall Place)

Monday, May 11 - Kelowna, BC (Prospera Place)

Tuesday, May 12 - Vancouver, BC (General Motors Place)

Stars on Ice presented by Smucker’s is an IMG Production.

Executive producer is Byron Allen.

Emmy Award nominee and skating icon Scott Hamilton serves as producer.

Three-time Emmy Award winner Jef Billings returns as director and costume designer.

Cindy Stuart is choreographer, and Errol Reinart is lighting designer.

Re-joining the star-studded cast as presenting sponsor is Smucker’s, a long-time title sponsor of the U.S. Stars on Ice tour.

“A strong believer in family values, Smucker’s has always been very proud to be a supporter of the Stars on Ice tour in the United States and we are very excited to be extending our support to the Canadian tour for a fourth year,” said Mark Smucker, vice president, international, the J.M. Smucker Company. “Each year the show reaches new heights, and offers skating fans, and their families, the best in on-ice family entertainment.”

Ticket information, and more information and features about the 2008 Stars on Ice presented by Smucker’s tour, is available here.

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