Bring on the boos, says Disney villain
Cobble Hill skater loves it when young fans jeer his sneaky Prince Hans — who’s not such a bad guy
When figure skater Rhys Anderson takes to the ice, he sometimes hears boos instead of woos.
But the 26-year-old from Cobble Hill says that kind of reception is all in a day’s work for a villainous Disney character.
In Disney on Ice’s Worlds of Enchantment here, beginning Nov. 23, Anderson portrays the sneaky Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, a.k.a. Hans from Frozen, Disney’s mega animated hit from 2013.
“No one, I guess, ever grows up thinking they’re going to play the villain, when you’re watching the Disney movies,” said Anderson, who first skated at age four. “Hans is a lot of fun. You don’t really know he’s the bad guy until the end.
“Everyone is so excited. But yes there is the odd time you get the boos and a couple of shout-outs,” added Anderson. “I love it when people do that. It means I’m playing my character well.”
The Frozen program is one of four Disney titles that are celebrated in the show. Also taking to the ice are characters from Pixar’s Cars, Toy Story 3 and The Little Mermaid.
All of those movies were big earners for the Mouse Corp., but as any parent with kids under age 10 can tell you, Frozen was a whole new level of crazy.
“You can definitely feel the energy. You know how much people love the movie. There are shows where you can barely hear the music because people are singing along so loud. It’s just a lot of fun,” said Anderson. “Everyone loves the movie so much, and then you can feed off the energy in the crowd and perform your best. Give a little extra boost from yourself.” And the song? “It does get stuck in your head,” said Anderson of the Idina Menzel-voiced mega-hit Let it Go. “I’ve probably heard it in five or six languages now.”
Anderson, whose skating past includes medalling at the junior national level and two trips to the Canadian senior men’s nationals, has been with Disney on Ice for three years now.
“At first it was overwhelming. There are a lot of talented skaters here,” said Anderson, whose first gig was in the ensemble, Worlds of Fantasy.
It was while he was coaching at Port Moody’s Inlet Figure Skating Club that Anderson decided to look into the life of a travelling performer.
“There were a bunch of people I knew who skated with Disney on Ice,” said Anderson. “It was just something I always wanted to do, so I decided to give it a try, and here I am.”
Here for now is Vancouver, but the life of a show skater is a transient one. For nine months of the year, the Disney on Ice troupe are on the road.
“I love it, so I never really get tired or anything like that,” said Anderson.
But that isn’t to say that his life on ice doesn’t come with some unique challenges.
“Skating in the costume takes a lot of getting used to, for sure,” said Anderson. “Hans wears this big jacket with epaulettes and coattails. That can alter your rotation and the pull while you’re spinning, and you can feel that. Then there’s the extra weight that’s added, as well. It’s heavy.”
And being heavy makes what Anderson likes to do the most a little more difficult. “I’ve always loved jumping, being up in the air. I have always worked to make sure my jumps are as big as they can be,” said Anderson. “I love jumping. That’s why I joined.”
At any given time, Disney on Ice has seven shows touring the world. Anderson says skaters sometimes transfer between shows.
“I love travelling,” said Anderson. “I love the cast because we’re such a big family. It’s such a mix of people, from everywhere. Getting to travel the world with your friends, doing the shows, experiencing the city. It’s great. I absolutely love it. I can see myself doing it for a long time.”