Just registered here, inspired to do so by RISE, the demise of Synchro Boards and having recently discovered this wonderful community. I've lurked for less than a week -- I'm mightily impressed by all of you, moderators, administrators and contributors! I'm just a skater mom, a sherpa for a solo ice dancer, junior coach and former synchro skater, but I believe in this sport and want to be helpful.
Our local theatre did no promotion outside the RISE poster in the lobby area -- no listing on the street-side board of the showing, nothing in the ticketing area. Essentially, one had to have insider knowledge to show up and buy tickets, and indeed, the theatre in the multiplex was perhaps 15% full at 15$ per ticket Thursday evening. Attendees were mostly teenaged girls and some parents and coaches in club jackets from skating clubs around the area. Overall, a very well-behaved crowd (such as it was!) and tween-plus, on a school night.
As a professional broadcaster, I have to say that the live portion was pretty redundant, as some posters have already noted. Peter Carruthers seemed forced, and quite frankly made me uncomfortable, Matt Lauer was as good as any network anchor might have been - clearly USFSA had to choose which national morning show to stroke for a package and which to alienate in the choice. (This is not a negative comment; this is how it works. I work for a news station in the area owned by another network and when I suggested the story, was shot down because the competing NBC affiliate got the exclusive,however, it didn't cover it at all. So, no local coverage. Pity. Again, the risk you take when you grant an exclusive.)
The post-film insights from the filmmakers was interesting and I would have liked more of the behind the scenes info as opposed to expanding (or attempting to) on thoughts the storytellers had more than adequately expressed in the film. Though anything Scott Hamilton wants to share about anything is always interesting and suprising, IMHO.
A collective, convulsive gasp cross the entire theatre when Vera Wang appeared. Many admissions among the young girls in the lobby afterward about tears over the footage of the charred skates in the wreckage.