Manila hosts ice show world premiere

A new ice-skating spectacle entitled “Melanj on Ice” will have its world premiere tomorrow, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, with no less than Diana Ramos, a Filipina, leading the cast.

"Melanj on Ice" is bringing together 27 top-level performers including US Olympians, US Junior Nationals competitors and other top figure skaters from around the world, like Poland, Ukraine, Germany, France, Switzerland and Russia. The cast, who are all visiting Manila for the first time, promises to thrill audiences with the artistry of ice skating combined with dazzling production numbers reminiscent of Broadway musicals.

Choreographer and director Mark Naylor said, this is the first time that these professional skaters are working together in a new concept show. "The show will offer a truly unique entertainment experience blending the best of IceCapades-type of production numbers with Broadway and Las Vegas-style variety shows which the entire family will surely enjoy," he said.

"There will be a lot of familiar songs, both old and new, that the audience can identify with. The cast will be dancing to songs by Justine Timberlake, Rihanna and Black Eyed Peas, and from the soundtrack of romantic movies such as Moulin Rouge and Titanic," said Naylor, adding that "the show could also be the perfect date show with Valentine’s Day just around the corner."

The 21-year-old Filipino skater Diana Ramos is a nursing student back in Los Angeles. Her mother is a Cebuana, while her father is from Manila. She started skating when she was 12 years old and has joined numerous competitions since. This is her first time to perform in a theatrical-type of production and in front of a Filipino audience. "There is pressure and I’m a little bit anxious knowing that there are probably hundreds of my ‘kababayans’ who will be watching the show," she said. "So what else is there to do but give my best, try to have a good time and give them the show that they deserve." Aside from Diana, 13 locally-based skaters are also in the cast.

National V Entertainment is a US-based production company that specializes in staging highly successful and world-class ice shows like "Legends on Ice", "Ice Fusion" and now the "Melanj on Ice." The company presents dazzling ice shows that leave audiences, including Heads of State and the Royal Family, breathless with its showcase of figure skaters performing death-defying stunts, jumps and spins.