Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
‘Disney on Ice’ offers ‘Frozen’ summer treat with all your favorites
Ryan Santee has been skating since he was 2 years old. Now in his mid-20s, Santee is still on the ice, now as a lead character — Kristoff from “Frozen” — in “Disney On Ice Presents Mickey’s Search Party,” contiuing through Sunday at North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena.
“Both of my parents are former ‘Disney On Ice’ performers” and were his early skating coaches, Santee says. In fact, they met and married while skating together in a “Disney On Ice” show.
“My whole family [skates],” Santee says.
His Uncle David, also one of his coaches, was a figure skater. A cousin played Division I hockey for West Point.
His two younger sisters also skate for Disney — Sarah as Ariel the mermaid, a principal role, and Jessica as part of the ensemble — in another show.
“Ice is our life,” Santee says simply. In “Disney On Ice Presents Mickey’s Search Party,” Kristoff and his “Frozen” co-stars (royals Anna and Elsa) are among a team of Disney sleuths (Mickey Mouse and his friends Minnie, Donald and Goofy and characters from “Moana,” “Coco,” “Toy Story,” “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid”) seeking to rescue Tinkerbell, who has apparently been nabbed by pirates. (The cast doesn’t include Kristoff’s reindeer companion among the rescuers. “Sven was unable to make it,” Santee explains.)
What’s to look forward to in the show?
“You’d expect it would all be ice skating, but it isn’t,” he says. “There’s lots of really cool stuff, not just the ice skating — there are acrobatics and aerial [acts].” Some of the sets incorporate ramps, for example, making it possible for skaters to jump and do tricks.
The show puts new twists on Disney classics and on some newer Disney films, he says. “We do a good job of reinventing and creating new stuff.”
Santee joined Feld Entertainment, Disney On Ice’s parent company, in 2015, having been a competitive figure skater and coach. (Among his leftover superstitions or preperformance rituals? “I have to put my right skate on before my left.”) He closes out the current leg of the tour with the Little Rock shows, then gets a five-week break before the tour resumes in August in Philadelphia.