It's that time of the year again, as Disney On Ice is scheduled to return to town in March to excite children and transport adults back to their childhood memories.
‘Disney On Ice Treasure Trove’ is coming to town this March.
"Disney On Ice Treasure Trove" is an ensemble of nine movies, with more than 50 Disney characters featured, from the classic forefathers like Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, to more recent ones like Princess and the Frog.
Producer Nicole Feld said only the greatest gems from the Disney treasure chest have been chosen for this production, and thus the name Treasure Trove.
"We went through our entire portfolio of Disney On Ice shows, trying to bring something very different to audiences. We wanted to pick action-packed stories that really resonated with not only kids today but with their parents as well. Treasure Trove has everything from the swashbuckling pirates in Peter Pan to the comedic duo Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King," he said.
Patty Vincent, director of the show, said that she went back to the archives to rewatch Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in order to appreciate the fact that we have gone from the 1930s to today, and that has been a fun challenge _ to bring such a wide variety of Disney animated features to life.
"It's amazing to see where we came from and where we are now, not only with the animation but also with the storytelling," she said.
Katrina Cahalan and Aislinn Munck, in charge of the show’s wardrobe, present a dress for the princess in Princess And The Frog .
The show opens with classic Disney favourites _ Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, exciting the little ones and entertaining the adults at the same time. The performance then proceeds to the first story, which takes the audience to Wonderland where Alice, the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee, Tweedledum and the White Rabbit are Painting The Roses Red for the Queen of Hearts.
The skaters are dressed to look like an army of cards in an amazing illusion concocted by choreographer Cindy Stuart.
"We have a complete set of cards that are two-faced, which made choreographing this number unique. I tried to trick the eyes of the audience by having the cards skate in all directions. The crowd will have to figure out whether the performers are skating forward or backward, said the choreographer," she said. Katrina Cahalan, head of wardrobe, added more about this special number, which is one of the most interesting in the show.
"There are 20 different cards, and they are two-sided. When the skaters are skating in this costume, their choreography is designed as such that you can't tell whether they are facing the red side or the black side. It's a really interesting number to watch," she said. From a skater's point of view, Aislinn Munck, one of the skaters, said that the challenge is not to reveal the trick.
"We skate both forward and backward, so we really have to work with our joints to make sure that when we walk backward, we don't give away the secret," she added.
Jesse, Woody, Buzz Lightyear and friends from Toy Story then entertain the audience with a happy vibe _ so happy that they need to make sure the wigs stay in place.
"The wigs for the girls in Toy Story are special because they have really fun waves made of yarn and different sorts of material. From a skater's standpoint, those wigs are phenomenal for skating because they are fabric, they stay in place very well, and they are very lightweight, which is very good for high-energy numbers. Those wigs are specially made for what we're doing on the ice. We can move our head and they stay in place," Munck explained.
Next in line is a trip to Neverland with Peter Pan, which has an interesting backdrop and props, with a rotating set and detachable pieces to allow transformation. From Neverland, the audience goes for a dip in the ocean, as the Little Mermaid comes out to play with her friends in costumes that glow beautifully under UV light.
As the show progresses, The Lion King characters greet the fans. This show's highlight is the lighting, which has been designed to reflect the mood and ambience perfectly. It starts out with warm hues of yellow, orange and gold to signify a peaceful morning, before young Simba gets into trouble, and changes to dark shadows to add a theatrical element. The performance ends with a parade of nine Disney Princesses, with exquisite dresses and gracious moves. This is quite a challenging number for the female skaters, as the princess dresses are quite heavy and frilly. The finale dance is a dream for young girls to watch, as the gorgeous princesses dance to Some Day My Prince Will Come.
All in all, the performance does not disappoint. It is quite an amazing inspiration, especially for young children, to see such talents with passion for what they are doing. There are 44 skaters on the show, each having to change their costumes five or six times. This takes a lot of rehearsal and practice, and that's something to learn from, whether for children or adults.
"Disney On Ice Presents Treasure Trove" will be performed from March 27-30 at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani (11 shows in total). Tickets are priced 300-2,500 baht and are now available at Thai Ticket Major counters and Major Cineplex counters. For more information, visit www.thaiticketmajor.com or call 02-262-3838.
An army of cards in Alice In Wonderland .
