HOLIDAY INTERNATIONAL - International Ice

The great success of “Holiday On Ice” south of the U.S. border had impresario Morris Chalfen itching for new challenges. In 1950 he took his show to the capitals of Europe which, still recovering from the devastation of World War II, proved hungry for lavish, colorful, fast-paced American show biz entertainment. While happy with the results of that relatively short tour Chalfen found Europe’s available venues smaller than those at home, but appreciated the large seating capacity of soccer stadiums there.

European fans have welcomed “Holiday On Ice” each year since the first visit. In addition to indoor sports halls and ice palaces they’ve played 2,000 year old Roman Coliseums, football stadiums, Greek amphitheatres, and Spanish bullrings. In 1959 and in ‘64 at the height of the Cold War “Holiday On Ice” skaters performed in the U.S.S.R. as friendly American ambassadors in cultural exchange programs.  Currently three different productions each play out a three year itinerary.

A “Holiday” troupe was dispatched to Japan in 1953 to a tumultuous welcome. Subsequent Far East tours have included Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Korea (performing on the grounds of Seoul’s Kyong Bok Palace), Viet Nam, Indonesia, Singapore, and three months of jam-packed shows in India. In the 1960s “Holiday” performed under the auspices of the U.S. Information Service in Indonesia and Burma as a goodwill promotion.

Ultimately the itinerary expanded to the Middle East and Africa where audiences were especially awe-struck at the wonders of a vast stage of shimmering ice on which beautifully costumed skaters magically “danced on knives.”  When “Holiday On Ice” finally set blades on the continent of Australia in the late 1960’s it had conquered the world.

These foreign tours were presented from 1967 by Madison Square Garden Corporation and purchased in 1996 (without North American tour rights which are owned by “Disney On Ice”) by Amsterdam-based Endemol Entertainment Group. Endemol, renamed Stageholding Entertainment in 1999, has been incorporating influences of Cirque du Soliel into the long- established, signature “Holiday On Ice” glitzy show-biz revue style, with an emphasis on stronger skating technique for today’s very savvy audiences. “Holiday On Ice” returned to Asia for a short tour in 2005  after a 15 year absence.