CHARaCTERS COME TO LIFE IN DISNEY ON ICE
‘Immersive’ spectacle is about more than skating
Before her first routine in Disney On Ice: Mickey’s Search Party, Rachael Macauley has a ritual.
“All of the Green Army Men come off the ice right before I enter,” the Canadian skater said. “And I have a tradition with every one of them. Sometimes I’ll do a dance, or give them a high five. And they always give me encouragement, too, because they know I’m up next.”
Fans of Pixar (now owned by Disney) will recognize the Green Army Men from the Toy Story franchise. Macauley plays Moana, the title character from the 2016 animated Disney feature. The show features no less than 40 familiar faces from such cultural touchstones as Coco, Aladdin, Frozen, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid.
Along with professional skating, Mickey’s Search Party features aerial stunts, acrobatics, and hoverboard tricks.
“This show is so different than any other show I’ve been a part of,” said Macauley, a Disney on Ice vet who has skated in seven shows.
“It’s very immersive. It’s not just skating, there are acrobats, we have characters on the ice, in the
air, in the seats. It’s just different. It’s incredible.”
In the story, Captain Hook and his pirates have captured Tinkerbell. To save her, Mickey and friends form a search party to look for seven clues that will fill up the search meter and release the fairy. For every clue, we are introduced to a Disney movie.
“The audience gets involved with the live hosts,” Macauley said. “Wherever you’re sitting, you could be picked to try to solve the clue and the kids love it. They get to rub lamps, or play guitar.”
Each show in which she’s performed has been more complex and elaborate than the previous one, Macauley says. Mickey’s Search Party also features projection mapping to immerse guests in the worlds of the Disney stories.
“I think we’re trying to keep up with demand, and social media is so big these days. All these different companies are doing these different shows and we’re trying to keep up, and do it better.”
Macauley has two routines as Moana: an extended 10-minute sequence and the finale, and two more as other characters. One of these is as a napkin in the Be Our Guest number from Beauty and the Beast for which she had to learn a silk routine.
“It’s six girls, plus Belle,” she said. “It’s a lot of intricate training in trying to learn each other’s speed and strength, so it looks amazing.”
Macauley’s favourite part of the show that doesn’t involve her is the Coco segment.
“It’s probably the most amazing segment because of the black light and all the bright colours, and the crowd goes nuts for Miguel (the movie’s 12-year-old protagonist).”
For Macauley, who has been skating since she was six and competed at two Canada Games (and won provincials 10 times), Disney on Ice wasn’t seen as an option while growing up in small-town Prince Edward Island.
“Nobody even talked about it when I was a kid,” she said. “I was on YouTube when I was in university and looking up different things that I could do. I felt like I wasn’t done skating. I looked up the show, and thought that would be incredible.”
She always enjoyed performing more than competing.
“The local ice shows I got to do, I loved that so much more. And I love acting and just being silly. And when I saw the show on YouTube I thought I had to try.”