Breathtaking Broadway on Ice dazzles at the Royal Opera House Muscat

Bold and Beautiful, they dazzled
( Pic courtesy ROHM)

Almost twenty five years ago, I accompanied my parents as a young girl to Talkatora Gardens, New Delhi to watch in fascinated awe as skaters danced and twirled to beautiful music that seemed to touch the soul. In those moments, I desperately wanted to be one of those skaters, and perform the same magic that they were performing on stage that evening. 

Two hours later, the show finished.We came home and talked about it endlessly. My family probably forgot about it some time later, but that magical interlude stayed with me forever.

Cut to the present in Muscat.

To our delight,  we learnt that Broadway on Ice would be one of the highlights of this Season at the Royal Opera House Muscat(ROHM) and we made sure we booked our tickets well in time. That was in September and we saw this magnificent show on the 26th of December.But some things never change and many years later, I felt like that same little schoolgirl as I watched that very same magic unfolding on stage.And I must add, this time it was probably more spectacular as it was being performed at the magnificent Royal Opera House in Muscat, which has by now firmly established its position as one of, if not 'the' best Opera houses in the present day world scenario.

Willy Bietak’s 'Broadway on Ice' is a show that stunned and delighted  audiences of all ages. Featuring a cast of 16 world-class figure skaters, two singers and a pianist, the performance showcased beautiful figure skating, with impressive jumps, spins, and lifts, set to songs from well-known musicals including Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Chicago and Funny Girl.Many of the skaters are former athletes, Olympic skaters and national skaters who became show skaters following their competitive careers. Honestly, I really don't think one could ever surpass that level of skating!

Even the curtains were stunning

The skaters included Marc-Olivier Bosse, Andrew Buchanan, Wesley Campbell, Danny Clausen, Aaron Gillespie, Robin Johnstone, Alexandra Schauman, Elizabeth Putnam, Erin Reed, Scott Smith, Cole Stanbra, Arielle Trujillo, Angela Vandermissen, Samantha Veloso, Natalia Zaitseva and Lukasz Rozycki.  

One of the many beautiful acts
(Pic courtesy, ROHM, Oman)

Modern with a very interesting twist

                    (Pic courtesy, ROHM Oman)

'Broadway on Ice' in Muscat also  featured three special guest stars who accompanied the skaters with their vocal and musical skills. They were the incomparable American singer Davis Gaines, Austrian soprano Ira Lauren and the veteran American pianist and composer Lincoln Mayorga. 

Veteran American pianist and composer Lincoln Mayorga takes centrestage 

(Pic courtesy, ROHM Oman)

With my husband Avi 

While it was a show that lasted over two hours- time passed rather too quickly and like the rest of the delighted audience we came out beaming from ear to ear. Now I'm only hoping that I don't have to wait quite so long to catch my next performance of Broadway on Ice.

ROHM A real jewel

The fabulous interiors

The Myriad Shades of Magnificent Prague-My Video now on You Tube

The iconic Charles Bridge, the stunning Prague Castle which thrives on its legends, the legend of 'Golem, our daily walks in the incomparable town square, the Jewish quarter which brought a lump to the throat. I've tried to encapsulate all this. 


Not sure if I've succeeded but am happy that I tried.

South South East- A Life in Pictures- A Steve Mc Curry Exhibition in Oman Opens

 Sharbat Gula, a Pashtun, probably the most iconic Afghan woman

 "Her eyes have captivated the world since she appeared on the National Geographic cover in 1985. The photographer remembers the moment too. "The light was soft. The refugee camp in Pakistan was a sea of tents. Inside the school tent he noticed her first. Sensing her shyness, he approached her last. She told him he could take her picture. “I didn’t think the photograph of the girl would be different from anything else I shot that day,” he recalls of that morning in 1984 spent documenting the ordeal of Afghanistan’s refugees." (Cathy Newman, National Geographic)

The portrait by Steve Mc Curry turned out to be one of those images that sears the heart, and in June 1985 it ran on the cover of National Geographic."Her eyes are sea green. They are haunted and haunting, and in them you can read the tragedy of a land drained by war. She became known around National Geographic as the “Afghan girl,” and for 17 years no one knew her name."

Last evening, 'South South East- A Life in Pictures' by Steve Mc Curry opened at Bait Al Zubair, Muscat and the legendary photographer was there in person. I really don't recall similar a moment in all my years  in Muscat as when Steve made his entry into the hall. Everybody present wanted to have a chance to meet and ( best of all) have a photograph clicked with him.  I was lucky, I managed both!

Steve addresses the gathering with 'The Afghan Girl' in the background
The exhibition which opened on December 16, will conclude at the end of February 2015. 

The exhibition of more than 40 images is a stunning collection of his work from Afghanistan, Burma, India, China and Yemen. Titled 'South South East: A life in pictures', this is the first time that McCurry has exhibited in Oman with the opportunity for his work to be appreciated and bought by all those interested.  

Another photograph from Afghanistan

Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than thirty years, with hundreds of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his credit.

The Burning Oil fields in Kuwait, 2000

Born in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McCurry studied films at Pennsylvania State University, before going on to work for a local newspaper. After several years of freelance work, McCurry made a trip to India. Travelling with only a few clothes and some film, he made his way across the subcontinent, exploring the country with his camera.

Some months later, he crossed the border into Pakistan. There, he met a group of refugees from Afghanistan, who smuggled him across the border into their country, just as the Russian invasion was closing the country to all western journalists. Emerging in traditional dress, with a full beard and weather-worn features after weeks embedded with the Mujahideen, McCurry brought the world the first images of the conflict in Afghanistan, putting a human face to the issue on every masthead.

Another stunning series

Steve clicked by me while clicking something

Incomparable masterpieces

Magnificent detail

One of a kind

A memorable selfie with an obliging Steve