Fast-paced Disney on Ice is magical
By Bruce R. Millerbmiller@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Friday, November 21, 2008
Disney characters Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck and Chip and Dale perform during Disney on Ice show at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008. (Sioux City Journal/Jerry Mennenga)
The world according to Disney isn't that small after all.
Spanning more than 100 years and covering more ground than an ocean, it's packed with plenty of memories and a whole lot of smiles. Our source? Disney on Ice.
Opening at the Tyson Events Center Thursday night, the latest edition of the popular skating show features plenty of princesses, lots of heroes and more than a few new Pixar friends. No, Bolt's not here (he's too new -- his movie just opened today). But The Incredibles get a pretty dandy showcase and Stitch appears more often than you'd like.
Unlike Stars on Ice or any of the post-Olympic skating shows, this one doesn't focus on skating superiority. It embraces familiarity and gets its charm from staging that's pretty showy.
In the first act closer, Mickey Mouse floats across the ice in a hot air balloon. In the second act opener, the Blue Fairy glides from the sky to the ice.
"The Lion King" characters get a medley, too, and Mulan manages to fight off her attackers, fall in love and win back her family's honor in less than 15 minutes.
Want more? Beauty and the Beast offer a truncated version of their story, Buzz Lightyear and Woody celebrate their friendship and Pinocchio and Geppetto get swallowed by the whale.
Directed by Jerry Bilik, "100 Years of Magic" is pretty fast-paced and blessed with a little Disney wonder of its own.
While Mickey and Minnie make plenty of appearances (they even recreate a few moments from "The Mickey Mouse Club"), they're not out to dazzle with their skating prowess. Instead, that's left to Natalia Zaitseva, Alexander Markuntsov, Kazunari Kishida, Isao Matsuura and Natash Kuchiki -- veteran performers who bring the characters to life.
Sarah Kawahara's choreography keeps plenty of balls juggling throughout (her masterpiece is an "Aladdin" number that features 21 genies) and recalls enough of the animated movies to jog just about any memory.
The show samples many of the '80s and '90s classics, dabbles in the early stuff and touches on things like Disneyland (complete with a visit to "It's a Small World" and the Electrical Parade).
Designer Scott Lane has done a great job with the show's costumes. His offerings for "Finding Nemo" are more than clever -- they're ingenius. Unfortunately, the segment they're used in doesn't measure up. Because the film didn't have catchy theme songs, it's largely done with dialogue and that's hard to follow -- even with an oversized shark on the ice.
The Princesses segment is much more successful, primarily because it introduces each with her signature song. Better yet? The skaters approximate the characters' moves right down to the hand gestures. Among the most impressive? Ariel and Eric. The prince lifts the Little Mermaid less than a foot off the ice, making it look like she's actually swimming. Jasmine and Aladdin get some nice lifts, too, but even Michelle Kwan would have to downplay her identity to fit in.
While it's frequently hard to understand what some of the characters are saying (did you ever understand Donald?) the actions carry plenty.
Best of all? The show includes a Disney castle, a few special effects and more fireworks than a Metallica concert. Even a world-weary parent would have to appreciate that.
"Disney on Ice" runs through Sunday at the Tyson Events Center.
Spanning more than 100 years and covering more ground than an ocean, it's packed with plenty of memories and a whole lot of smiles. Our source? Disney on Ice.
Opening at the Tyson Events Center Thursday night, the latest edition of the popular skating show features plenty of princesses, lots of heroes and more than a few new Pixar friends. No, Bolt's not here (he's too new -- his movie just opened today). But The Incredibles get a pretty dandy showcase and Stitch appears more often than you'd like.
Unlike Stars on Ice or any of the post-Olympic skating shows, this one doesn't focus on skating superiority. It embraces familiarity and gets its charm from staging that's pretty showy.
In the first act closer, Mickey Mouse floats across the ice in a hot air balloon. In the second act opener, the Blue Fairy glides from the sky to the ice.
"The Lion King" characters get a medley, too, and Mulan manages to fight off her attackers, fall in love and win back her family's honor in less than 15 minutes.
Want more? Beauty and the Beast offer a truncated version of their story, Buzz Lightyear and Woody celebrate their friendship and Pinocchio and Geppetto get swallowed by the whale.
Directed by Jerry Bilik, "100 Years of Magic" is pretty fast-paced and blessed with a little Disney wonder of its own.
While Mickey and Minnie make plenty of appearances (they even recreate a few moments from "The Mickey Mouse Club"), they're not out to dazzle with their skating prowess. Instead, that's left to Natalia Zaitseva, Alexander Markuntsov, Kazunari Kishida, Isao Matsuura and Natash Kuchiki -- veteran performers who bring the characters to life.
Sarah Kawahara's choreography keeps plenty of balls juggling throughout (her masterpiece is an "Aladdin" number that features 21 genies) and recalls enough of the animated movies to jog just about any memory.
The show samples many of the '80s and '90s classics, dabbles in the early stuff and touches on things like Disneyland (complete with a visit to "It's a Small World" and the Electrical Parade).
Designer Scott Lane has done a great job with the show's costumes. His offerings for "Finding Nemo" are more than clever -- they're ingenius. Unfortunately, the segment they're used in doesn't measure up. Because the film didn't have catchy theme songs, it's largely done with dialogue and that's hard to follow -- even with an oversized shark on the ice.
The Princesses segment is much more successful, primarily because it introduces each with her signature song. Better yet? The skaters approximate the characters' moves right down to the hand gestures. Among the most impressive? Ariel and Eric. The prince lifts the Little Mermaid less than a foot off the ice, making it look like she's actually swimming. Jasmine and Aladdin get some nice lifts, too, but even Michelle Kwan would have to downplay her identity to fit in.
While it's frequently hard to understand what some of the characters are saying (did you ever understand Donald?) the actions carry plenty.
Best of all? The show includes a Disney castle, a few special effects and more fireworks than a Metallica concert. Even a world-weary parent would have to appreciate that.
"Disney on Ice" runs through Sunday at the Tyson Events Center.
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AKlein wrote on Nov 21, 2008 12:54 PM:
Tigger wrote on Nov 21, 2008 9:14 AM: