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Todd Goldstein as
Hercules and his
pal Pegasus are
flying high.

LINDA BACHRACK
Staff Writer

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The Jewish News

GARY ROSE TRIO
Every Saturday Evening

2/27
1998

102

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Southfield
(248) 352-8243

Troy Goldstein
pumps his Pecs
and
melts hearts in
"Disney on Ice
Hercules."

IV

ho's hotter than Hades
and cooler than Zeus?
It's Hercules, of course,
a.k.a. Troy Goldstein,
the muscle man who answered the
"want ad" for the lead role in Disney's
ice spectacular and won the part easily.
According to award-winnning
choreographer Sarah Kawahara, it
took one very special skater to fill
Hercules' skates. Mere mortals needn't
have applied. Goldstein had the
physique, the strength, the heart,
bleached-blond locks and, most
importantly, the skating experience to
portray the demigod.
Disney on Ice — Hercules, coming
to Joe Louis Arena on March 3, chal-
lenges each skater in all areas of the
sport, says Kawahara, and the lead
character must skate singles as well as
pairs. In addition, his scenes run the
gamut from romance to heroics.
"I do it all," says Goldstein, 26,
who holds the distinction of being the

only person to qualify for the U.S.
National Championships in all four
senior Olympic level events (singles,
pairs, dance and figures).
The Jewish skater splits his time
between homes in Las Vegas and
Scottsdale and has been on skates
since the age of 4. His father, Les, who
holds a doctorate in physics, and his
mom, Dee, an international skating
coach, weaned their two children to
the ice, and Troy and his sister, Dawn,
became pairs partners.
Both, however, studied hard to
maintain their ice privileges, and ulti-
mately they managed to complete law
school while pursuing skating careers.
Dawn is a Los Angeles attorney.
Married to Lisa, also an attorney,
Goldstein recently became the father
of a baby girl. He hopes eventually to
practice sports entertainment law.
In the meantime, he is doing a star
turn as Hercules, and is loving every
minute. "I don't even mind the con-
stant travel," says Goldstein. "It's an
adventure, a wonderful way to see the
country." The production began in
October and will travel to 82 cities on
its three-year tour. The cast averages
over 300 performances a year.
"This is my family away from
home," Goldstein says, with no hint
of remorse. "I hope the show contin-
ues for years."
When the superhero comes to life
in Detroit, it will mark a homecoming
of sorts for Goldstein. He skated a
bronze medal performance here in
1993 at Nationals. "I was on the ice
when Nancy Kerrigan's knee was
bashed (the infamous Tonya Harding
debacle). I just remember lots of com-
motion, lights flashing, sirens blaring."
When Goldstein returns next week,
he'll get together with skating pals
Todd Eldredge and Chris Bowman.
Any regrets for the one-time
Olympics hopeful? "My champi-
onships didn't come in Olympic corn-
petition years," says Goldstein. "I'm
thrilled to be skating professionally in
such a top-notch show. I couldn't wait
to play this role."
Goldstein most enjoys the scenes
between Hercules and Meg, the
temptress who is involved in an evil
plot to destroy our hero.
His favorite scene comes in the sec-
ond act, when he and Meg skate a
pairs number called "Love Pair."
"It's such a sweet part of the story,
and Meg and I can really show the
characters' feelings through our skat-
ing," he says.
The action-adventure epic, with