It’s their most ambitious show yet and when the Sandy Shores Skating Club brings Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Ice to Oceanside Place in Parksville next month, the audience should be prepared for a feast for the eyes and ears.
To say Larry and Leslee Rushon are busy with rehearsals and the logistics involved in the production of the icy rendition of the classic musical, is an understatement.
The pair, who run the local figure skating club, are choreographing close to 100 performers and are overseeing the construction of props, including some that rotate, for a set they say will be sensational. Larry calls it theatre on ice with a set design second to none.
“We have rotating props, shooting cannons, and a flying car. The show is big and over the top,” he stated.
With special effects, lighting and sound equipment don’t be surprised if the famous flying car gets as much air time as the ice skaters. Larry said they are presenting a show to rival any that have been presented by professional companies.
He said even the make-up is being done professionally and the skater playing the role of the child catcher is being completely transformed to the point where she is unable to perform in any other numbers.
Leslee said it has been three years since they have presented an ice show and while the skaters are enthusiastic about the upcoming production, she admitted Larry is even more excited.
“He’s been working on it for months and he really is striving for a visually exciting professional show,” she stated.
For those not familiar with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the story is about an eccentric professor who invents wacky machinery, but can’t seem to make ends meet. When he creates a revolutionary car, a foreign government becomes interested in it, and resorts to skulduggery to get their hands on it.
The Rushtons describe the show as the ultimate high-flying ice musical brimming with memorable songs, LED intelligent lighting from the ice to the ceiling, fog machines, and a real car. The audience won’t have to bundle up for the two hour show that includes an intermission because the building will be heated.
Tickets for the show, which runs March 2 at 7 p.m. and March 3 at 2 and 7 p.m., are available at Oceanside Place or from any club member — or by calling 250-756-6151.