LET THE SHOW ( AND SNOW) BEGIN
This year’s Disney On Ice is a fun-filled spectacular that all the family can enjoy — and Frozen fans are in for a special treat
It’s almost a ritual for Disney fans, mostly young ones, to wait for this annual event to come. Disney On Ice, a show where various Disney characters come to life on the rink, arrives in Bangkok today.
Apart from Disney aficionados who will surely flock to the show, this year’s Disney On Ice underlines the success of Frozen. So if Let It Go is your kids’ favourite or if they own Elsa’s costume in their closet, they shouldn’t be disappointed since the Frozen part is one of the longest in the multi-character performance.
The entire two-hour show features stories from eight movies with more than 50 characters. Besides
Frozen, there’s also Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that should bring joy to the hall with the familiar Heigh-Ho. Also there are Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie and their fearless friendship. Simba, Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King show their proud African spirit. Buzz and Woody from Toy Story invite audiences to stomp along with them. And with The
Little Mermaid, the hall is taken into an underwater world that glows in the dark.
We saw the preview and Frozen is definitely the highlight. The story takes place when Elsa escaped after she accidentally froze the entire city and is unable to control her magical ability to create and manipulate ice and snow. Now for superheated Thailand in late March, the special effects will turn the rink into a snowy atmosphere and create a magical contrast of our own kind. And sure, sisters Elsa and Anna aren’t the only two favourites: the funny snowman Olaf brought out screams from the audience especially when, well, he removed his head from his body like in the film.
Last year’s Disney film Finding Dory is also featured in the show for the first time, narrating a story of the forgetful fish who’s searching for her parents.
“The challenge for this is putting together the shows because we want to bring something brand new to the people of Asia. This is the first time we have brought this show here and it’s a combination of a classic, like Snow White, mixed up with new contemporary movies that have been out for the last few years,” said performance director Stuart McDonald.
“We’re excited to bring Anna, Elsa, Hannes and Olaf to everyone here in Asia. So it’s got a great mix and great message behind the wonderful world of Disney On Ice.”
Overall, the show maintains its high standards, with skilled and lively figure skaters embodying the various moods and tones of stories.
“To make the show wonderful for you guys, we’ve practised so much. Now it’s a lot easier but it’s always hard to do live performances. It’s different every day. You never know what you’re gonna get so it’s always exciting,” said Aladdin performer Freddy Allain. “Our goal is to make the audiences feel like they’re really living in the movie so we’re really believing in our heart that we’re those characters.”
Undoubtedly, young children will find the experience enjoyable. But the show is designed to be suitable for the whole family. The most classic Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck and Goofy also appear as moderators, taking all generations for a walk down memory lane and linking the stories together.
“The great thing about what we do is not only Disney On Ice. The show we’re bringing is awaking memories for every generation. Grandparents may remember when Snow White came out decades ago and there are the more recent stories that children associate with Disney nowadays. It involves evoking the memory and the message is about good family values and bringing a feel-good factor,” added McDonald.
Allain, who has been with the Disney On Ice crew for eight years, thinks the show offers something for everyone.
“The show has different stories. I believe it is really for the whole family. All the movies have great stories and strong characters,” said Allain.