This story about Gardner’s life from birth to competition on the world figure skating stage to dealing with the Cold War and its paranoid and often evil consequences to the almost absurd figure skating scandals of the 1990's to life as figure skating royalty is a roller coaster ride from anonymity to global fame.
If you do not know anything about figure skating, go to see this show to educate yourself. If you know a thing or two, go to learn more. If you know everything, go anyway.
Gardner spends a good amount of the time speaking about Tai Babilonia, his skating partner of 45 years.
It is the four minute television clip from the 1979 World Championships in Vienna, Austria, where Gardner and Babilonia finished first, that is the highlight of this show.
The pair’s flawless skating, musical interpretation and emotional maturity make for a once in a lifetime moment.
The screen behind Gardner serves him well in telling much of his story.
Gardner and Josh Ravetch’s writing is genuine, productive and down to earth. It allows Gardner the grace to reveal some very personal traumas and secrets without going too far.
The style is original and filled with rich imagery.
Ravetch’s direction is also pure, unfiltered, dynamic and does not stand in the way of Gardner’s presence or personality.
It lets the Los Angeles native tell his life story on his own terms.
This includes Gardner’s recounting of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, probably the most heartbreaking moment of the show, where he and Babilonia were the favorites to take home the Gold medal.
The pair never skated.
Gardner and Babilonia were five-time Gold medalists at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and two-time Olympians.
The pair was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1992.
They are the last U.S. team to have won a World Championship in Pair skating.
Gardner, the former President of the Professional Skating Historical Foundation and a much sought after professional choreographer and coach (Dorothy Hamill Figure Skating Fantasy Camp) is energetic and effervescent throughout the show. He is not afraid to tell it like he sees it. Not using a teleprompter, he manages to tell his story powerfully and palpably, leaving just enough to the imagination to make the 90 minute evening more than merely inspiring.
It is the same disarming charm and poise under pressure that served him so well on the ice that makes Gardner such a magnetic presence on stage.
The music also helps to paint the picture. It fondles our hearts and souls in brush strokes of conquered fears and lemon drop tears.
Furthering the message of the play are Luke Moyer’s scenic and lighting design.
“Go Figure,” which will move on to West Hollywood, Las Vegas and Boston, where it will appear in concert with the 2016 Ice Skating World Championships, has enough twists of the blade and turns on the ice to tell a deeply life affirming and sensitive story with aplomb and panache.
If you want to know more about figure skating, run do not walk to this show.
If you already know enough about the sport, trot gently anyway.
Showtimes:
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Sunday Matinees at 3pm
Ticket Prices: $30
Admission/Information:
(818) 508-7101 #6
NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd.,
North Hollywood, CA