‘Viva Las Vegas’ a hit with audience
By Jon Gulliver
Staff writer
PRESQUE ISLE — If you put down your money to watch the Northern Maine Figure Skating Club’s Musical on Ice “Viva Las Vegas” on Saturday, you came up a winner.
“VIVA LAS VEGAS” 
— Hannah –Le Graves, left, and Rylee Pierce give it their all during a rehearsal for the Northern Maine Figure Skating Club’s annual Musical on Ice.
Nearly 50 skaters brought some of “The Strip” to Aroostook County for the group’s 30th annual show.
Skaters, coaches and support staff work for months to put on the lavish production at the Forum.
“We started working on this back in November,” said Sarah Caron, NMFSC director. “It’s a lot of work.”
Just to decorate the facility to give it the some of the glitz and glam of Las Vegas was an undertaking according to club officials. That’s not to mention the dozens of hours the skaters work to learn their performances.
Jessica Aube, of Washburn, was one of six skaters to perform a solo. The 13-year-old said she was nervous, but practice, practice, practice helped her prepare.
“A lot of work goes into getting ready for a solo,” she said. “You have to be able to do all of your moves and keep the timing, because you are the only one out on the ice.”
Aube performed to “Poker Face.” Other solo skaters were: Katelyn White, “Going to the Chapel”; Chelsey Carroll, “Can’t Stop the Music”; Kimberly Cook, “Heartache Tonight”; Michaela Bragg, “The Prayer”; and Carly Bell, “Casino Queen.”
The annual event showcases the skills of skaters ages 3 to 70-plus.
Another of performers was six and a half year-old Kayleigh Perry of Presque Isle. She performed in two group numbers — “Rock ‘n Roll All Nite” and “Telephone.” Perry has been skating for about three years for these reasons.
“It is really fun and you get a lot of exercise,” she said.
Katie Smith is now one of the club’s coaches, but before she started teaching skating she was a participant in more than dozen musical on ice performances.
“I like that we get to showcase our talent and we get to showcase all the hard work the skaters have put in all year long,” said Smith. “We also get to let loose a little bit because we work a lot on elements and skills throughout the year and this way they get to really perform and show off that way.
