BLOOMINGTON - For the first time in Twin Cities annals, a major network TV special will call our backyard "home" for the three days it takes to rehearse and stage the two-hour spectacle for the cameras. | 'Skating for Life' event personal for Kurt Browning

And it is a spectacle, packing a cast of nearly a dozen performers, ranging from Olympians to country singers.

So, heads up!

Beginning Monday, the cast and crew of "Skating for Life Benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure" will begin amassing in downtown Bloomington and probably asking us locals directions to the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

"Right over there! See the dome to the southwest?"

"With the bell?"

"Nah, that's the courthouse. Further to the southwest … the oval dome …"

"Gotcha!"

For the next 2½ days, one royal host (Peggy Fleming), one hot country star (Sara Evans), nine world-class skaters (Kurt Browning, Sasha Cohen, Emily Hughes, Rudy Galindo, Jennifer Robinson, Steven Cousins, Silvia Fontana, Rene Inoue, John Baldwin) and a whole slew of production personnel will call B-N and the Coliseum home.

The climax to the whirlwind slate of rehearsals and production work comes due at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. That's when "Skating for Life" will be performed in one continuous two-hour live performance, open to the public.

It will be followed 10 days later by a two-hour NBC-TV airing (3 p.m. Oct. 25).

Playing ringleader to this massive influx of talent is the show's executive producer, Steve Disson, who selected the U.S. Cellular Coliseum site for several reasons.

Chief among them: His past association with Tom Nelson, father of Mike Nelson, co-owner of Central Illinois Arena Management, which runs the facility.

Tom Nelson was a past head of State Farm Insurance Co.'s advertising and marketing department, and he and Disson crossed paths at several State Farm-sponsored shows produced by Disson (State Farm, needless to say, is the corporate sponsor of "Skating for Life").

Disson says he heard great things through the arena grapevine about the Coliseum's quality. Then he learned of the area's direct ties to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which the special was being designed to benefit on behalf of October's status as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (a portion of each ticket's proceeds will go to Komen).

And the die was cast: "This was all too good to be true," says Disson. "It made all the sense in the world to bring the show to Bloomington - an area where Susan grew up and where the Komen chapter does a lot of sports-related events like 'Race for the Cure' and 'Walk for the Cure.'"

"Skating for Life" marks the Komen's first foray into a professional skating event.

According to Disson, the production team will start setting up shop in the Coliseum Monday, followed by an intensive stretch of rehearsals Monday evening and all day Tuesday, followed by a full-dress rehearsal Wednesday afternoon.

When the cameras roll at 7:30 p.m. that night for the taping, "it won't be start-and-stop," promises Disson. If any retakes are needed, they'll be taken care of at the end of the two hours.

"The audience will be invited to stay and watch them, too. They usually like that a lot, and Peggy (host Peggy Fleming) will encourage them to stay and see why it winds up being perfect when they watch it on TV."

Disson, who produces 10 differently themed skating/music specials each year at venues around the country for NBC telecast, says his hope is that "Skating for Life" will become an annual October event at the Coliseum, bringing a new slate of performers and skaters each year.

Throughout the airing on NBC, he says Bloomington-Normal will be mentioned and credited as the location for the performance. "Bloomington will look great on TV, so we hope people come out and support this showcase for their community."