Caspar Gerwe, director of Stage Entertainment International Touring, takes Jayne Alverca behind the scenes of Holiday on Ice, the world’s biggest ice entertainment brand.
Founded by Dutch cultural entrepreneur Joop Van Den Ende, Stage Entertainment International has emerged as one of the world’s leading theatre production companies. It starts with world class venues, which are seen as integral to enhancing the overall experience of the audience. Then of course there is the production side to the business. Stage Entertainment brings audiences a wide range of popular international content, as well as creating and developing original musicals and shows.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Stage Entertainment began to develop an international reach in 1997, when it began operating in New York. Germany followed three years later and then came rapid expansion to the UK, Spain, Russia, France and Italy. The 35 production companies that make up the group are united by a common vision to always exceed their audience’s expectations. This means masterminding a continuous stream of dazzling creative content. Each year, a 4,000 strong workforce is tasked with creating an unforgettable experience for more than 10 million people.
Holiday on Ice is a flagship brand within the group, offering a unique blend of fantasy and entertainment. It is the global market leader in ice entertainment and the world's largest touring live entertainment production, typically visiting more than 110 cities in 20 countries each year. Each show tours for four or five years and features a truly international cast from around 34 different nations, varying from national champions to Olympic competitors.
The hallmark of Holiday on Ice is the glittering fantasy world that the audience is drawn into. Caspar Gerwe is a director on the Stage Entertainment board, having switched to the glamorous world of entertainment after an earlier career in healthcare HR. “My task is to manage, motivate and inspire, so in some ways it was not such a big leap, but I love the fast-paced environment that live entertainment like Holiday on Ice represents,” he says. “As a part of Stage Entertainment International Touring, Holiday on Ice is gearing up to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Holiday on Ice has amassed a tremendous amount of experience and I would say we have an unparalleled level of expertise now in ice entertainment. That experience is one of our greatest strengths, along with our flexibility and the speed with which we can react to new opportunities,” he continues.
Mounting a spectacle on ice is a tremendously complex task. Unlike the core business of theatre productions, Holiday on Ice is mounted in big capacity arenas and the ice itself adds a whole new dimension. “There are about 25 different disciplines involved in product development and each discipline needs experts of the highest calibre,” he explains. “The magic and beauty of the process lies in bringing everything together within tight deadlines. Sometimes we will adapt an existing script to ice, but on other occasions we will work from scratch to develop a new original production.”
Touring and product development are highly intense activities. “Part of our DNA is the passion that everyone involved feels for the show. It is something which permeates every level of Holiday on Ice. Without this passion, it would not be possible to put up with the long hours and constant travelling. It is a very special lifestyle and one where we can ask things of ourselves and push ourselves to limits that would not be possible in any other working environment.”
Families across Europe are familiar with shows like Peter Pan on Ice and Aladdin on Ice. There is a strong focus on family entertainment within big capacity arenas and Gerwe does not anticipate that the focus will change. “However, the content of our shows needs to reflect cultural shifts and so our latest Holiday on Ice show, which we will launch in November in Germany, has been transformed into something much more fast-paced, dynamic and urban. I can’t reveal the name for the show yet, but the content is themed around speed. It is fast and sexy and the level of skating and the height of the jumps are quite extraordinary.”
Despite competition from many other sectors of the entertainment and leisure industry, Gerwe believes there will always be a special place for live stage entertainment. “There has been immense growth in the industry over the past decade in anything related to TV and home entertainment, but secondary to that, people want the incomparable thrill that only live entertainment can offer.”
He highlights the trend for TV stations and broadcasters to want growing involvement with stage entertainment. “We are seeing more and more crossover points. Television is increasingly keen on broadcasting live stage entertainment. For example, Holiday on Ice has recently reached an agreement with Dutch television broadcaster SBS6 for a fourth series of Stars Dancing on Ice, in which Holiday on Ice will assume responsibility for the content.”
While Holiday on Ice is reaching the public via more diverse channels, its creators are also keen to fully leverage the experience gained to date. “We are interested in using the experience we have developed on the ice and in arenas to go on tour with other products beyond the ice. For example, we have Mamma Mia! – The Musical, which is currently showing in Paris in the Théâtre Mogador and which will go on tour in France.” The tour will be managed by the Stage Entertainment International Touring division.
The cast have recently produced an album of the French production of Mamma Mia!. Within a few days of its launch it was in the number one slot in the charts of the Virgin website. More than 100,000 tickets to Mamma Mia! were sold before the show even opened.
Now that’s success. www.stage-entertainment.com
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