Boitano: Smokey, skating a good fit

Had Brian Boitano had his way, his Food Network show would also feature him on the ice.

"I had an idea for a cooking and skating show, a combination of skating and cooking in different locations," Boitano says by telephone. "I approached one of the producers of the Food Network and talked to him about it. He said drop the skating idea."

Although Boitano says he's still hoping to sue the concept, he's got his hands full currently with "What Would Brian Boitano Make?," the Food Network show that did pass the producer's muster, and with "Smokey Robinson Tribute on Ice," the touring spectacle starring the Motown great (singing) along with Boitano, Todd Eldredge and Yuka Sato (skating).

Skating to live performance isn't new. Boitano says his performed in similar shows featuring Burt Bacharach, Josh Groban, Kenny Loggins and others.

If the pairing of a Motown legend with figure skaters seems odd, the pairing of a figure skater with a cooking show might seem ever more so. But Boitano thinks it's a good fit.

"I've always been passionate about cooking and entertaining," Boitano says.

That passion, he says, "comes from not being able to eat what I want until I was 25," the result of a strict diet to keep the Olympic gold medalist in competitive shape.

Not that he's exactly let himself go, although some of the rich recipes featured on his show might suggest extra laps around the ice will be in order.

He'll have to be on his toes on the current tour, as skating to live music brings challenges tapes don't.
"With a skater, the choreographer places things exactly at a certain tempo and just the right timing," Boitano says. "If performers go off on a riff it can screw you up. I've had that before. You just go with it. You figure, 'I'm way off right now. I'll just do my thing and finish when I do.'"

Boitano says choosing songs for the Robinson tribute was no problem.

"As soon as I found out I was doing this, I chose the two best songs by Smokey, in my opinion: "Ooh Baby Baby" and "Tracks of My Tears,"" Boitano says.

The song most often associated with Boitano is "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" from the film "South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut."

While most celebrities take a drubbing from "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Boitano comes off pretty well. In fact, he wrote the foreword to this year's "The South Park Guide to Life."

He hopes to have Parker and Stone on his show, as well.

"I hear they're foodies," he says.

Smokey Robinson Tribute on Ice," takes place at 7:30 p.m. today at the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive in Tampa. Tickets, $30, $40 and $50 plus service charges, are available from the box office or Ticketmaster outlets. Call (813) 301-2500 or (813) 287-8844.