"The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries," also known as "Ewoks on Ice," was a 1986 ice-skating performance from the United States, drawing its inspiration from the animated television program Ewoks. This particular performance was a segment within the touring Ice Capades show, titled Bravo America: Bold-Bright-Beautiful, which was both produced and directed by Robert Turk, an inductee of the Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Anne Snyder penned the Ewoks portion of the show, which was structured into two acts that were presented around the intermission of Bravo America.
Marketed towards audiences aged "3 to 93," the Ewoks segment showcased musical acts featuring characters well-known from the Ewoks cartoon, such as Wicket, Princess Kneesaa, and the villainous Dulok King Gorneesh. Merchandise related to "Ice Capades and Ewoks" was available for purchase at the performances, with some items now considered scarce collector's items. In 2005, Star Wars Insider 83 listed "The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries" as the second-most absurd occurrence within the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
Set on the moon of Endor during the year 3 ABY, the Ewok inhabitants of Bright Tree Village are depicted singing and dancing around bonfires each night. One evening, Logray, the tribe's shaman, shares a tale of the world beyond their [forest](/article/forest-legends] moon. However, their warring relatives, the Duloks, aim to stir up trouble. An adventure unfolds, pitting Ewoks like Wicket, Princess Kneesaa, Chief Chirpa, Logray, Teebo, Latara, and Paploo against the Dulok King Gorneesh, Urgah, and several Dulok scouts. Amidst the excitement, the two groups stumble upon magic sunberries.
The ice show "The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries," alternatively titled "Ewoks on Ice," was a part of the 1986 edition of the Ice Capades variety show known as Bravo America: Bold-Bright-Beautiful. The performance was structured into two segments, specifically "The Ewok Village Square" and "Later That Night," which filled the time surrounding Bravo America's intermission. The "Power Plus!" and "Romeo and Juliet" acts either preceded or followed the Ewoks performance. Robert Turk, a veteran of Ice Capades, served as both the director and producer of Bravo America, while Anne Snyder wrote the Ewoks segment, drawing inspiration from the 1985 animated television series Ewoks. Joseph Porro was responsible for the design and creation of the costumes featured in "The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries."
Professional ice skaters took the Bravo America tour to rinks all over the United States. Among the locations were the Nassau Coliseum and Meadowlands Arena in January 1986; Madison Square Garden and the Capital Centre in February 1986; Chicago Stadium in March 1986; and the Tulsa State Fair in September 1986. Ice Capades also went to Canada, with a performance at the Pacific Coliseum in January 1987.
The program for the show allocated three pages to the Ewoks production—specifically, a one-page sheet and a two-page spread—and promoted it as "A Tale For Kids, 3 To 93!" The spread included a poem from the show and images with captions like "Princess Kneesaa, Logray, Chief Chirpa, Wicket" and "Wicket And The Duloks." Some programs also had an image labeled "Princess Kneesaa and friends." A range of "Ice Capades and Ewoks" merchandise, featuring items such as pennants, buttons, and fiber optic flashlights, was available for purchase at the Ice Capades shows. Furthermore, KFC sponsored a coloring contest related to Ewoks and gave away tickets, while McDonald's provided admission coupons. The show received additional promotion through televised commercials, including one that aired during "The Season Scepter," which was the thirteenth episode of Ewoks' second season.
"The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries" was derived from the Ewoks television series and took place in the year 3 ABY. In the ice show, the Wicket costume worn by the Ewok matched the character's appearance in Ewoks' first season, as he was wearing an orange hood; in the second season of Ewoks, Wicket's hood was green. "The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries" was considered part of the Star Wars Legends continuity and is not considered part of the current Star Wars canon.
In 2005, the Star Wars Insider 83 article "20 Most Memorable Moments of the Expanded Universe," authored by Abel G. Peña and Enrique Guerrero, ranked "The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries" as the second-most ridiculous moment found within the Expanded Universe. The third-ranked moment was The Star Wars Holiday Special, while the top spot was given to "Planet of Kadril," a comic strip where Luke Skywalker and Han Solo donned drag-like attire while confronting the Pacifog, a weapon that amplified the negative characteristics of individuals. In a related blog post, Peña described "The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries" as "Lucasfilm's dirtiest secret."
Robert Turk, who had been directing Ice Capades shows since 1965, retired after the 1986 show and later commented that "those were the happiest years of my entire career." He was later inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2010. Joseph Porro, the costume designer for Ice Capades, eventually returned to the Star Wars universe, serving as the costume designer for the 2019 Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
"The Ewoks and the Magic Sunberries" was a subject of discussion during collector's panels at Celebration IV in 2007 and Celebration Anaheim in 2015. According to the 2010 publication Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle, the show's pennants have become highly sought-after collectibles.