Flirtatious, seductive and droll – that's how Marilyn Monroe delivered Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," and that's how Madison Hubbell performed the number on Friday night at 2019 Skate America presented by American Cruise Lines in Las Vegas.
Hubbell and partner Zachary Donohue charmed the crowd and judges at Orleans Arena, earning 84.97 points to take a three-point lead heading into Saturday's free dance.
"We were very pleased with our first performance, because we went for it, and that's what you can control," Hubbell said.
The couple sits atop the U.S. ice dance scene now, but their long, interesting relationship with Skate America shows just how tough it is to climb the ranks.
In the fall of 2011, when Meryl Davis and Charlie White won their second of four consecutive Skate America titles, Hubbell and Donohue placed sixth in their Grand Prix debut. In 2013, they were fourth, losing out on a medal by half a point to Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani. Three seasons later, they won silver behind the Shibutani siblings.
Last season, after winning their first U.S. title and a World silver medal, they finally claimed the crown, the 10th straight time a U.S. team has won the event.
Donohue has a colorful analogy to describe the team's long Skate America apprenticeship.
"Say you're walking down the streets of New York City and catch a whiff of pizza," he said. "You go, 'God, I want that pizza,' but they don't have your slice. The next time you go in, the pizza tastes pretty good."
That 2018 title kicked off a stellar campaign: wins at Skate Canada International and the Grand Prix Final, a second U.S. title and another World medal. This season, they're heading from Vegas to Kelowna, British Columbia, to complete the Skate America-Skate Canada double once again.
"Last year, after winning our first World medal, we were seen as a team that would hopefully win both of their (Grand Prix) events and then be front-runners heading into the Grand Prix Final," Hubbell said. "It was really quite fun. We don't feel the pressure of, 'You won last year so you have to win again.' We're just excited to return."
"We're building according to our plan for the next few seasons through the next (Olympic Winter) Games, and for us it's not about the wins and losses," Donohue said. "Of course, we want to win, we want as many titles and gold medals as possible. But the wins are being marked more in terms of training and growth."
Some may think the U.S. champions are rolling the dice: for the first time, they headed into the Grand Prix season without testing their programs at a Challenger Series event. But after a long 2018-19 season, capped by the
Stars on Ice tour, they decided to sit out early competitions in favor of working at home in Montreal with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer.
"We trust our team; they're going to get as much information and feedback (about our programs) as they can," Hubbell said, citing U.S. Figure Skating's dance camp in Maryland in June, and Champs Camp in Irvine, California, in late August. "There are such international panels at the camps."
And after all, besides Hollywood, there was no better place than Las Vegas to debut a program centering on screen goddess Monroe. Choreographed by Haguenauer, the program also features "Let's Be Bad" from the musical
Bombshell, which tells the icon's life story.
Hubbell, a longtime Monroe devotee, has watched many of the actress's films and devoured interviews and biographies.
"Nobody can recreate Marilyn, that's the magic of her," she said. "I can try to understand a little bit of what made her (unique) and also honor my own version of that, and the things that I identify with her. I think she was a wonderfully strong person, but at the same time felt quite insecure and judged in the life she chose."
Hubbell feels kinship with Monroe, who famously said of the film industry, "You're judged by how you look, not what you are."
"Certainly, when I was younger, I felt that at moments – that desire to be perfect, and people thinking you're perfect and holding you up to that standard, and inside you feel like you're not," Hubbell said. "Where (Monroe) didn't have the chance to get over that, I have, with the help of people. But, of course, we all feel like that sometimes, anyway."
Donohue isn't concerned about his partner grabbing the spotlight in the rhythm dance.
"Ask everyone else who has ever met me or watched me if they think I would be, and I think you'll have your answer," he said, laughing. "I'm a big presence on the ice."
Besides, he has a chance to claim the spotlight in the couple's free dance, choreographed by Dubreuil to music from 2018's
A Star Is Born. The film, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, shows the relationship between a famous country rock singer battling an alcohol and drug addiction, and his wife, an up-and-coming star.
"I loved (Cooper's) portrayal of Jackson Maine in this rendition of the movie," he said. "I really identify with that kind of a character, how much heart and passion (he has) and how complex a character he is, once you have a chance to look past his major issues."
Donohue stresses that the program doesn't aim to simply retell the film's story.
"We're not really trying to recreate a shorter version of the movie," he said. "It's more about taking certain aspects we feel are authentic to who we are and that really stand out strongest, and wrapping the program around that."
Last season, the couple's free dance to music from
Romeo + Juliet ultimately helped them win a World bronze medal, but many music edits and choreography changes – right up to the week before the World Championships – made it a stressful ride. This time around, they're aiming for smoother sailing.
"That (
Romeo + Juliet) program taught us a lot about how we have to train, what our strengths and weaknesses are," Donohue said. "It really gave us a deeper connection with our coaching staff and each other, an understanding of who we are as a team."
But make no mistake: despite their talk about focusing on growth, not competitive wins, there is only one color of medal that will truly satisfy Hubbell and Donohue.
"Last season was a growing experience," Donohue said. "But we didn't have a gold medal on our necks at the end of the year (at Worlds), so that's not what we want."
