Muppets, skaters to entertain on Aspen ice

The Aspen Skating Club will play host to “Muppets and Sesame Street Unite for a Skating Extravaganza,” with performances at 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday at Lewis Ice Arena, which is located at the Aspen Recreation Center.

The cast will feature 60 local skaters as well as two elite guest skaters: Paul Wylie, the 1992 Olympic silver medalist and national television commentator, and Alexander Johnson, a 10-time national competitor and junior and senior international medalist.

Wylie and Johnson will make skating appearances and Wylie will act as master of ceremonies, teaming up with local actress and entertainer Tammy Baar as Muppets’ commentators.

Johnson, who grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and moved to Colorado Springs in 2009 to pursue his skating dream, will perform during both shows. His skating accomplishments include the 2007 U.S. novice silver medalist, 2009 U.S. junior bronze medalist and Junior Grand Prix final competitor. He is a member of Team USA and has competed in Italy, Bulgaria, Germany, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, South Korea, Finland and the Netherlands.

Skaters will portray the likes of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Bert and Ernie and other Muppets characters. There also will be a silent auction to raise money for Aspen Skating Club, a nonprofit organization. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, which focuses on funding Type 1 diabetes research.

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.aspenshowtix.com or at the door. General admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children. Cost for VIP seating is $35.