DISNEY ON ICE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF MAGIC COMES TO METRO DETROIT
Show plays at The Palace of Auburn Hills Sept. 30 – Oct. 4, 2009
I'd love to share our evening at Disney on Ice with you! Our daughter, Lillie, wrote her own review, which you can see here. It was so much fun - all of the kids there were so excited, and Lillie said, "This is the Best Day of my Life!" at intermission. The Palace is a great arena, with a very easy-to-navigate floor plan. But I digress - here's more about the show!
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends from Disney’s Mulan, The Lion King and Pinocchio, and Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles and Finding Nemo, will be taking to the ice while Stitch from Lilo & Stitch drops in to wreak his usual havoc during Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic. The show will run at The Palace of Auburn Hills Sept. 30 – Oct. 4.
Produced by Feld Entertainment, this fanfare production features more than 60 unforgettable Disney stars that span the decades, a sing-along score of award-winning Disney music and elaborate choreography, sets and costumes. It takes 10-14 hours to set up the production, and there are 11 show trailers needed to haul the equipment! With 20 skating genies, there are over 1,200 rehearsal hours by the incredibly talented skaters.
Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic is a lavish, visually stunning production that continues to thrill audiences around the world. Part of that success can undoubtedly be attributed to the elaborate, highly innovative sets that serve not only as a backdrop for the show but also a vehicle to Disney’s most memorable, magical scenes.
The creative imagination behind the transformation from ice rink to ice spectacular is designer David Potts, whose work has been seen in numerous Broadway productions, feature films and television series. To begin creating his vision for this production, Potts chose the castle as the one image that would “transcend the years and become the show’s unifying theme.” Standing 38 feet at its highest point and weighing in excess of 20,000 pounds, the show’s castle is an impressive structure of detail and light that truly succeeds as a centerpiece in this fantasy adventure story.
Sensational scenic moments appear from start to finish. Potts has designed breathtaking floats and more than 100 scenic elements. Monstro, the infamous whale from Pinocchio, also makes an appearance. The 36-foot-long creature is 12 feet wide and has a series of 14 custom-made arches that allow it to slither across the ice floor. In the “it’s a small world” segment, a parade of motorized floats represent Asia, Europe, Russia and Central America with vibrant colors and music from many diverse cities and countries ranging from India to Ireland. The floats, equipped with hydraulics, are electronically controlled and adorned with more than 33 intricately detailed moving dolls. The finale of the first act will leave audiences breathless, with a light parade representing countries the world over.
In the second act, the chill of a Siberian winter is felt as snow falls during Mulan’s battle with the Huns in a dramatic, elaborately choreographed scene. The African Pride Lands are imaginatively recreated as everyone’s favorite sidekicks, Timon and Pumbaa, delight audiences with their wacky antics and unique sense of adventure.
“Audiences don’t realize the amount of time and effort that goes into specially designing each of these one-of-a-kind scenic elements,” says Rick Papineau, director of scenic elements and costumes at Hagenbeck-Wallace, a division of Feld Entertainment located in Palmetto, Fl. “But that’s how it should be. We want our work to complement the other artistic aspects of the show…to enhance the excitement and celebration of the production as a whole.”
Emmy Award®- winner Sarah Kawahara, who previously worked with Michelle Kwan and choreographed the skating segment for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics, is the mastermind behind the choreographed production numbers.
Complementing Kawahara’s fabulous skate sequences are the memorable tunes compiled by music directors Art Kempel and Stan Beard that bring the wonderful memories of Disney to life on ice.
Outfitting this cast of more than 60 characters was the challenge facing Costume Designer Scott Lane. His dazzling designs range from Mickey’s Marching Band, to the “it’s a small world” dolls, to the stars of Mulan and Finding Nemo. The bright colors and minimal structure in the Nemo costumes allow the characters to move freely in order to mimic the natural movement in water. Renowned designer Bob Mackie also lends his talents to a red sequined evening gown worn by Minnie.
The tremendous production numbers, well-loved songs and dazzling sets of Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic provide fond Disney memories to audiences the world over.
All of these technical details don't overshadow the fact that the thousands of kids in the audience were spell-bound, LOVING the skaters, the athletic flips and twirls, the gorgeous Disney Princesses and their incredible figure skating moves. The whole evening was a treat - one which our daughter hopes to repeat soon. We were very impressed!
Disney on Ice has partnered with Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and the hospital will receive $1 per ticket from each of the first 2,500 tickets sold and $2 per ticket for any sold beyond 2,500 to the Friday, Oct. 2 show at 7:30 p.m.
Show dates/times:
Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11:30 a.m.; 3:30 p.m.; and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
To discover more about Disney On Ice, visit disneyonice.com
Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment’s productions have appeared in more than 60 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Feld Motor Sports, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.
Information provided by Feld Entertainment.