Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, June 27, 1994                   TAG: 9406230012
SECTION: SALEM FAIR                    PAGE: 10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By SARAH COX
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ICE IS FANTASY IN SHOW FEATURING PRO SKATERS

This mixture of barrell-jumping, adagio teams, jugglers, pair and individual performances, and lavish production numbers is all done by experienced professional skaters, not on ice but on thermoplastic material specially designed for skating. It is dry plastic, one-quarter-inch thick, said Bill Karlton, owner of Fantasy on Ice and its production company, Shilling Theatrical Productions.

"We're one of the early ones that started doing shows with plastic. We spray a lubricant on it, and the skates actually dig into this material," he said. His ring is 15 years old, which proves its durability, he said. It comes in 2-by-2-foot sections that interlock like a jigsaw puzzle, "so we can put this up in all sorts of configurations."

Fantasy on Ice will be appearing July 1-10 at the Salem Fair. Tuesday through Friday, show times are 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Saturday through Monday, show times are 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Each show will last about 30 minutes and is filled with novelty acts as well as carefully choreographed productions. Terry Lynn, Karlton's choreographer and one of his soloists, has been designing his shows since 1985 and is also involved in recruiting performers.

According to Karlton, the skaters vary from show to show, depending upon who is available, but he said that they have all appeared in previous shows, and many in major shows such as the Ice Follies.

Lori Benton, who will be making a special guest appearance at the Fantasy On Ice Salem Fair show, brings a host of professional accomplishments with her that should make this feature a special event. She is recognized by the San Diego Hall of Champions for her accomplishments as the first San Diegan to win a medal at the United States Figure Skating Championships. While attending San Diego State University, she was the first America woman to win a medal in figure skating at the 1981 World University Games. She has also starred in the Ice Capades and later toured Europe with Holiday On Ice. Benton will be doing solo numbers in Salem.

Another exciting aspect to this show are the costumes, which are coordinated by Jeri Farkas, formally with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

In addition, the musical mixture of popular tunes, country-western and Broadway hits help bring the show to life. According to Karlton, the opening number is a medley of Broadway musical hits, and one of the new features is a country western line dance that will be shown for the first time in Salem.

Karlton said that the public's interest in skating - both competitive and entertaining - is on the rise, probably helped along by the Olympics and television exposure.