Ice Follies
Encyclopedia
Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies was a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers, similar in concept to Ice Capades
. It was founded in 1937 by Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson, who also skated in the show. In later years, Olympic
skaters such as Donald Jackson
, Barbara Berezowski
, Peggy Fleming
, and Janet Lynn
were in the cast. Ice Follies also featured novelty acts such as Frick and Frack
and Richard Dwyer, who was billed as "Mr. Debonair".
Ice Follies was featured in a film, The Ice Follies of 1939
, MGM's answer to the popular Sonja Henie
films of the time.
Ice Follies merged with Holiday on Ice
in 1979.
In 1974-1979, Ice Follies started creating segments from Sesame Street, with Full-Body versions of Count Von Count (Performed on a Vocal Track by Jerry Nelson), Cookie Monster (Mostly appeared Silents, but was sometimes performed on a Vocal Track by Frank Oz), Ernie (Performed on a Vocal Track by Jim Henson), Bert (Performed on a Vocal Track by Frank Oz), Betty Lou (Performed on a Vocal Track br Fran Brill), Big Bird (Performed on a Vocal Track br Caroll Spinney), Snuffleupagus (Performed on a Vocal Track br Jerry Nelson), Grover (Performed on a Vocal Track br Frank Oz), and Kermit the Frog (Voice-Over only in a Near and Far Segment).
Ice Follies Segments from Sesame Street;
An Ernie and Bert Insert where Bert Can't Sleep. Bert can't sleep, so Ernie tells him to do something that he would to be doing, which is Ice Skating. The Ice Skating Dream, is a Full-Body version of Bert on Ice Follies;
Bert Teaches Betty Lou how to Ice Skate;
Big Bird Shows Mr. Snuffleupagus how to Ice Skate, but Snuffleupagus trips every time, but then gets it right!;
Kermit the Frog (In Voice-Over) shows Grover whether he's "Near" or "Far;"
Oscar plays a Trick on Everyone by Blowing a Loud Whistle, which makes Bert, Betty Lou, Count Von Count, Grover, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster come to see what's going on, and is then revealed to be Oscar;
After those, the 1978 Special Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, opened with Ice Follies versions of Big Bird (Silent), Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch (Who Gets Accidentally Injured by Being tossed into the air by Bert), and Count Von Count.
TRIVIA:
The music library at the Paramount Theater of the Arts in Oakland, CA possesses a medium sized library of original sheet music and scores from various Ice Follies productions from over the years, including music for original Frick & Frack acts.
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
. It was founded in 1937 by Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson, who also skated in the show. In later years, Olympic
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
skaters such as Donald Jackson
Donald Jackson
Donald George Jackson, CM is a retired Canadian figure skater. He captured four Canadian titles and a bronze medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics...
, Barbara Berezowski
Barbara Berezowski
Barbara Berezowski is a Canadian ice dancer. With partner David Porter, she won two gold medals at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships and competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics. From 1994 through 2008, she served as Founding Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Etobicoke Sports Hall...
, Peggy Fleming
Peggy Fleming
Peggy Gail Fleming is an American figure skater. She is the 1968 Olympic Champion in Ladies' singles and a three-time World Champion...
, and Janet Lynn
Janet Lynn
Janet Lynn Nowicki is an American figure skater and Olympic bronze medalist.-Amateur career:Lynn began to skate almost as soon as she could walk and took part in her first exhibition performance at the age of four in a group number at Chicago Stadium...
were in the cast. Ice Follies also featured novelty acts such as Frick and Frack
Frick and Frack
Frick and Frack were two Swiss skaters who came to the U.S. in 1937 and joined the original Ice Follies show as comedy ice skaters. "Frick" was Werner Groebli , born in Basel. "Frack" was Hansruedi Mauch, , also born in Basel...
and Richard Dwyer, who was billed as "Mr. Debonair".
Ice Follies was featured in a film, The Ice Follies of 1939
The Ice Follies of 1939
The Ice Follies of 1939 is a 1939 motion picture directed by Reinhold Schünzel, and starring Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Lew Ayres and Lewis Stone...
, MGM's answer to the popular Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...
films of the time.
Ice Follies merged with Holiday on Ice
Holiday on Ice
Holiday on Ice is an ice show currently produced by Joop van den Ende's Stage Entertainment Group with its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
in 1979.
In 1974-1979, Ice Follies started creating segments from Sesame Street, with Full-Body versions of Count Von Count (Performed on a Vocal Track by Jerry Nelson), Cookie Monster (Mostly appeared Silents, but was sometimes performed on a Vocal Track by Frank Oz), Ernie (Performed on a Vocal Track by Jim Henson), Bert (Performed on a Vocal Track by Frank Oz), Betty Lou (Performed on a Vocal Track br Fran Brill), Big Bird (Performed on a Vocal Track br Caroll Spinney), Snuffleupagus (Performed on a Vocal Track br Jerry Nelson), Grover (Performed on a Vocal Track br Frank Oz), and Kermit the Frog (Voice-Over only in a Near and Far Segment).
Ice Follies Segments from Sesame Street;
An Ernie and Bert Insert where Bert Can't Sleep. Bert can't sleep, so Ernie tells him to do something that he would to be doing, which is Ice Skating. The Ice Skating Dream, is a Full-Body version of Bert on Ice Follies;
Bert Teaches Betty Lou how to Ice Skate;
Big Bird Shows Mr. Snuffleupagus how to Ice Skate, but Snuffleupagus trips every time, but then gets it right!;
Kermit the Frog (In Voice-Over) shows Grover whether he's "Near" or "Far;"
Oscar plays a Trick on Everyone by Blowing a Loud Whistle, which makes Bert, Betty Lou, Count Von Count, Grover, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster come to see what's going on, and is then revealed to be Oscar;
After those, the 1978 Special Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, opened with Ice Follies versions of Big Bird (Silent), Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch (Who Gets Accidentally Injured by Being tossed into the air by Bert), and Count Von Count.
TRIVIA:
The music library at the Paramount Theater of the Arts in Oakland, CA possesses a medium sized library of original sheet music and scores from various Ice Follies productions from over the years, including music for original Frick & Frack acts.