Congratulations to Johnny and Victor!!

Johnny and Victor, 

Holiday Dreams on Ice,
VIP party, December 23.

Another shot with those fabulous flowers!

---

In case you missed it (where WERE you?? I tried to alert absolutely everyone in the known universe!!), a new interview with Johnny by the lovely Lynn Rutherford popped up on IceNetwork last night. 

I first saw it around 9 pm CST, and in addition to discussing his upcoming exploration of a potential return to competition, the article included the news many fans had already been anticipating based on recent Twitter hints (yes, @vitya_zvesda, I'm looking at you. You've been killing us all week! #witheggs):

After the Philadelphia show, there's an extended break in Weir's schedule, and for good reason.

"I'm getting married on New Year's Eve," he said. "His name is Victor [Voronov], he's kind of everything that I've ever looked for and aspired to be in a relationship with. We've known each other for a long time and we reconnected over the summer, and it's just been a whirlwind.

"I'm very happy with my personal life and also my professional life, and I thank God I can be exactly where I'm at."

Yes. New Year's Eve. 

As in: 

TOMORROW!! 

THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW!!!

And so: Congratulations, dear Johnny and Victor!!

I could not be more thrilled for you both! And I wish you a beautiful lifetime of love and happiness together. ♥

And there just aren't enough ♥s in the world to cover this. But we all gave it our best shot on Twitter last night. ♥

---

Unforgettable

Holiday Dreams on Ice

Post-Show VIP Party

Friday, 12/23/11.

10:28 p.m. 

Johnny arrives at the VIP party about 30 minutes late, 

having had a meet-n-greet with the busload 

of Lancaster-area guests to do first, I believe. 

As he enters the room, he has a quick smile for Davey. 

We can see he's so tired. 

It's been a hectic and exhausting few days.

He takes a deep breath 

and looks into the roomful of people ahead of him 

to assess the size of the crowd 

and where to start.

And then he sees Victor...

...just as Victor spots him.

Patti quietly watches in the background.

Pics, pics, pics. Johnny and Victor 

are warm and kind and patient with everyone 

as literally hundreds of photos are taken.

Before Johnny arrived, Patti and Victor had graciously 

posed together for their own lengthy series of photos. 

Now she moves aside, chats with fans in other parts of the room, 

and enjoys some dinner with Big John.

So many fans to greet. 

So many autographs to sign. 

So many gifts given, including those beautiful flowers 

from the Japanese fans. 

Victor is nearly as sought-after as Johnny. 

And he's friendly and charming
and attentive to everybody.

Almost an hour goes by. 

And then.

This
moment.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; 

loving someone deeply gives you courage.

 —Lao Tzu, Chinese Taoist philosopher

---

All photos © David Ingogly.

---

New Q and A! Go read it now! 

I particularly like his answer to this one.

---

Johnny's Glitter and Ice collection 
with MAC is selling out fast! 

Don't miss your chance to sparkle--
visit a MAC retailer or order online ASAP! 

---

Yes! Johnny's dresses are now available
for purchase only on eDressMe.com!

---

At last: Pop Star On Ice is now available on DVD!

Order yours today from the Pop Star On Ice website!

---

Johnny tweeted:

"Buy my single,'Dirty Love' via iTunes.

Tell all your friends to as well. The more copies sold

takes me one step closer to making a video! №1!"

THE WORLD NEEDS THIS VIDEO
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.

You know what to do.

Please buy the song from Johnny's website,

or just click the "Buy" button on the player
at the top of the blog!

---

Hey, Welcome to My World also is available

as an eBook! More info on Johnny's website!

---

Bonus video via The Advocate, from their post titled:

"Possibly the Most Beautiful Ad for Marriage Equality We've Seen." 

The video was produced by an equality group in Australia, 

where nearly two-thirds of voters favor legalizing

gay marriage, according to The Advocate, 

but prime minister Julia Gillard remains firmly opposed. 

I agree with The Advocate: 

This is one of the most eloquent illustrations I've seen 

of this simple concept: Love is love.

---

copyright 2011 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved

---

Safety First.

Johnny acknowledges the audience 

at the end of the Holiday Dreams on Ice opening number, 

which featured LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It“--

one of the songs to which he skated 
at Improv-Ice on December 15. 

Also while wearing this costume. 

About which he said: “My pants are obscene.”
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.
More exclusive pics below!

---

Look, let’s just get this out of the way right now so we can move on to the rest of our Holiday Dreams on Ice coverage without that tantalizing siren-song of a question lurking just beyond everyone’s peripheral vision, softly giggling at us as it flits by like something out of American Horror Story, a shadow gliding past a doorway and disappearing just as you turn your head, then re-materializing out of a slightly sparkly mist right next to you, caressing your ear—before vanishing yet again—with its breathy whisper:

“OMG did he wear the Safety pants?”

HDOI: A Whole Lot of Happy for the Holidays!

Johnny at Holiday Dreams on Ice 

dress rehearsal, Friday, December 23. 

He's not really skating in his sleep 

(although I'm sure he could), 

but he was definitely having a good time 

during much of the two days of rehearsals...

---

(Blogger General's Warning: Do NOT Cheat By Scrolling Down To See Exactly How Much Fun He Was Having. Repeat: Do NOT. Scrolling Down May Cause Uncontrollable Fits of Giggling Combined With Sudden Blushing And Enormously Wide Grinning, And May Complicate Your Ability to Accomplish Anything At All For A Really Really Long Time. Also You'll Never Make It Back To Read The Rest Of This Entry....)

---

Holiday Dreams on Ice: I don't even know where to begin. What a simply fabulous experience from start to finish!

In a nutshell: The show itself was amazing. The skaters, from the littlest Future Stars to the seasoned pros, were all really, really good. (I have to say I was particularly impressed with the level of talent among the local Philly skaters. Not only did they rarely fall [insert Patrick Chan joke of your choice here], many could do really nice spins and jumps and smooth landings [see previous insert] that made every moment a pleasure to watch.) The young skaters' parents were a friendly and relaxed group, which helped immensely in the midst of the backstage chaos that is always standard in the days leading up to a show. The choreography for both the Future Stars and the pros was well done and exciting to see; the lighting guys were completely awesome; and the sound did NOT suck. Which is no easy feat in these acoustically-challenged ice venues.

And then there was the warm and inviting VIP party; the contingent of 21 Japanese fans who were so lovely and who I was simply thrilled to meet; all the other fans, some of whom I've met before so we're like old friends, and others who I finally got to meet for the first time but who still felt like old friends (Krista! Ruth! Bernadette! and so many others!); the dear, kind Weir family; and all the amazing Fireworks staffers who somehow pulled every crazy detail together and made the final product one of the best shows I've seen.

And, of course, Johnny. 

He was flawless and brilliant, as always. 

But he also radiated happiness in a megawatt way that brings tears to my eyes just remembering.

So it has taken me forever to put this first entry together because of the massive amount of photos we ended up with (4,000+) and all the wonderful memories. I keep trying to break it down into manageable chunks and then I start sifting through pics to find particular moments and then all of a sudden it's hours later and I still haven't written a thing and all I can think about is: 

I don't believe we've ever had this many photos of Johnny smiling this much. 

At any event. Ever.

So we'll start today with a few Johnny-centric representative shots to kind of sum up the whole vibe, which was: OMG he's in SUCH a good mood! Which, in addition to dazzling nonstop smiles and lots of goofing around during rehearsal (though never losing his intense focus on getting the choreography right and giving his best to the audience), he also conveyed through some expressive.... body language.

(As always, please click any photo twice for full-size view. Some are huuuuuuge. And just 3,991 more to come!)    

---

Friday dress rehearsal, 

LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It."

He's feeling it.

Opening number Friday night at the show: 

Once again, LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It." 

Love the audience reaction.
Yep, he's wearing the famed "Safety" pants 

first seen when he skated to Dima Bilan's live performance 

of "Safety" in Japan. He also wore them 

for his performance to "Sexy and I Know It" 

during Improv-Ice earlier this month--

can't wait to see that during the NBC broadcast 

of Improv-Ice on January 15!

His entrance to Bad Romance. 

Please click for full-size view so you can
 truly appreciate the audience reaction here also, 

including that of the young skaters 

waiting in the wings to the left.

Opening of the second act, 

skating with the other pros to a mashup of
Adele's "Rumor Has It" and "Someone Like You."

This is the costume he premiered at last year's 

Holiday Dreams on Ice to perform

"Dirty Love" for the first time.

Ave Maria. 

Please, please click for full-size view. 

Absolutely stunning. 

I love how the blue spotlight 

is softly shining down on him.

---

OK! But before we got to all that on Friday, there were Thursday's rehearsals...

...in which there was a lot of this...

...and then lots of this...
(Please pardon the video quality
or rather, the lack thereof. 
Yes, I need a real video camera.)

...and this... 

(I can see why the rehearsals 

are often referred to as "repetitions")...

...and also a WHOLE lot of this:

(The expression on his face here 

just totally cracks me up.)

He and Armin engaged in multiple 

ass-swivel competitions 

throughout the day. 

I think Johnny won every time.

---

Bonus pics!! Johnny at the VIP party 

holding a vase of lovely white flowers accented with 

pink and red peonies, sent by NYC fans.

And one more from Friday's dress rehearsal. 

(This is the vertical expression 

of his signature back-bend slide 

that he does when he's running through a program 

but not fully executing every single move. 

But it's beautiful in itself.)

---

Yes!! We have video!! Here's the opening medley 

including Johnny in the "Safety" pants! 

Very special thanks to Wendy Stevenz 

for valiantly filming everything 

despite the fact that she was Freezing. To. Death. 

See all her HDOI vids on her YouTube channel!

---

All photos © David Ingogly.

---

New Q and A! Go read it now! 

I particularly like his answer to this one.

---

Johnny's Glitter and Ice collection 
with MAC is selling out fast! 

Don't miss your chance to sparkle--
visit a MAC retailer or order online ASAP! 

---

Yes! Johnny's dresses are now available
for purchase only on eDressMe.com!

---

At last: Pop Star On Ice is now available on DVD!

Order yours today from the Pop Star On Ice website!

---

Johnny tweeted:

"Buy my single,'Dirty Love' via iTunes.

Tell all your friends to as well. The more copies sold

takes me one step closer to making a video! №1!"

THE WORLD NEEDS THIS VIDEO
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.

You know what to do.

Please buy the song from Johnny's website,

or just click the "Buy" button on the player
at the top of the blog!

---

Hey, Welcome to My World also is available

as an eBook! More info on Johnny's website!

---

Bonus video via The Advocate, from their post titled:

"Possibly the Most Beautiful Ad for Marriage Equality We've Seen." 

The video was produced by an equality group in Australia, 

where nearly two-thirds of voters favor legalizing

gay marriage, according to The Advocate, 

but prime minister Julia Gillard remains firmly opposed. 

I agree with The Advocate: 

This is one of the most eloquent illustrations I've seen 

of this simple concept: Love is love.

---

copyright 2011 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved

---

Weirmas Came Early—And Brought Us a Winter Warrior!

Johnny in the behind-the-scenes-at-the-

Glitter-and-Ice-photo-shoot video posted yesterday 

by M∙A∙C Cosmetics on their YouTube channel. 

He described this as his "Winter Warrior" look. 

May I also add: "WOW."

---

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!! Holiday Dreams On Ice just announced yesterday that they're offering a special promotion on tickets for this Friday's show in Philadelphia--starring our one and only Winter Warrior--courtesy of Eyefly.com (part of the Bluefly family, whom we all have loved ever since they brought us Johnny's "Closet Confession" last year): Use promo code EYEFLY to get 50% off your general admission tickets here, AND get 15% off new glasses from Eyefly! 

Don't miss this chance to see Johnny skate live!! It is an amazing and unforgettable experience, and also now an affordable one, thanks to Holiday Dreams On Ice and Eyefly! Hurry before tickets are all sold out!!

---

So anybody else remember this little series of tweets from nearly 11 months ago....?

And we were all going, "Wonder what the heck they're doing in London for like 24 hours....? With Nicola Formichetti....?" (Lady Gaga's stylist, for those who may not recognize his name).

Well.

Now we know.

That 13-hour photo shoot is what brought us the MAC ads and posters that we've been dying over the last two months:

---

Of course later, in June, they went to Miami to shoot the MAC campaign video, which is its own level of unparalleled awesomeness, but now for the first time, we're finally getting a peek at what went on during that mysterious London trip.

Karen Weeks first alerted me yesterday to the existence of this new video via this charmingly incoherent tweet, which I recognized immediately as the Bat Signal for OMG THERE'S SOMETHING NEW AND AMAZING BY JOHNNY OUT THERE GO FIND IT NOW!! And when I located the video, it had already gotten 306 views in the 8 minutes between the time it was first posted by MAC on their Facebook page and the moment that Karen saw it. As of this writing, it's up to 4,475 in about 15 hours. (Note: Not all of those are me and Karen....)

And BTW it's every bit as fabulous as absolutely everything else those MAC people produce. Their marketing team is brilliant. (BRB checking to see if there's any Glitter and Ice left that I can order because I'm suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to sparkle...).

So then as word spread yesterday afternoon, first we were all so completely mesmerized that we just... froze. In front of our monitors. Wordlessly hitting "replay." Then, of course, we had to start tweeting and Facebooking additional incoherence, mostly along the lines of "THUD" and "OMGIDIE" and " ♥♥♥ \o/ ♥♥♥." And then it hit our collective consciousness all at once:

SCREENCAPS.

So there's a nice set here from @dapperderp, and also another great series posted by Gary Podschun on the fan page, all of which are amazing and, like crack, just made us want more.

So here you go.

Please click any photo twice for full-size view. Cuz these are
pleasingly large.

Video link is at the end of the post.

Merry Weirmas / happy holidays / happy everything! 

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Philly!

---

Modeling a "crown of icicles" 

for Nicola Formichetti...

...who approves.

Looking over at Tara with a wry smile....

...as she displays his specially decorated skates.

And the Winter Warrior 

is ready to do battle
with the camera.

"...there are going to be two gorgeous models 

who underweigh me by about 300 pounds,

 and 'over-tall' me by at least three feet."

"But I am going to try to outshine them."

(Models? 
What models...?)

---

See the video here!! 
Amazing, as is everything MAC does.

In the words of @JohnnysMonster: 

"God bless you, MAC Cosmetics."

---

Just THREE DAYS until Holiday Dreams On Ice!! 
NEW!! Use promo code "EYEFLY" 

for 50% off your general admission ticket PLUS
15% off new glasses from Eyefly.com!!

---

"Chanelf" art
created by Lizzy Pine.

It's not too late to participate in Show Johnny Weir the Love's holiday gift project! We have a sparkly surprise planned for Johnny (but no spoilers here!), and just $5 gets your name on the card that will accompany the gift. 

The deadline has been extended to allow more people to be a part of the project, so if you'd like to join in, please visit the SJWTL Facebook page for details!

---

New from Ice Theatre of New York: 

"Order your copy of the 2011 Benefit Gala DVD, 

including performances by Ice Theatre of New York 

and honoree, Johnny Weir. 

Also for sale, the 2011 Benefit Gala and Benefit Journal, 

signed by Johnny Weir. 

Limited copies available. Get yours now!" 

---

Johnny's Glitter and Ice collection 
with MAC is selling out fast! 

Don't miss your chance to sparkle--
visit a MAC retailer or order online ASAP! 

---

New Q and A! Go read it now!

---

Yes! Johnny's dresses are now available
for purchase only on eDressMe.com!

---

At last: Pop Star On Ice is now available on DVD!

Order yours today from the Pop Star On Ice website!

---

Johnny tweeted:

"Buy my single,'Dirty Love' via iTunes.

Tell all your friends to as well. The more copies sold

takes me one step closer to making a video! №1!"

THE WORLD NEEDS THIS VIDEO
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.

You know what to do.

Please buy the song from Johnny's website,

or just click the "Buy" button on the player
at the top of the blog!

---

Hey, Welcome to My World also is available

as an eBook! More info on Johnny's website!

---

Bonus video via The Advocate, from their post titled:

"Possibly the Most Beautiful Ad for Marriage Equality We've Seen." 

The video was produced by an equality group in Australia, 

where nearly two-thirds of voters favor legalizing

gay marriage, according to The Advocate, 

but prime minister Julia Gillard remains firmly opposed. 

I agree with The Advocate: 

This is one of the most eloquent illustrations I've seen 

of this simple concept: Love is love.

---

copyright 2011 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved

---