This past weekend, Milwaukee's U.S. Cellular Arena hosted "Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic" from Feb. 14- 17. The 1 p.m. Sunday performance attracted a large crowd of children and their parents to witness the Disney magic.
"Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic" is a particularly special show within Disney on Ice as it celebrates Walt Disney's legacy from "Snow White" through to "The Incredibles". There are certainly some Disney classics and newer favorites that were omitted, nonetheless there was an impressive array of characters spanning the years.
Figure skating enthusiasts have an incredible display in this show whether they like solo performers, duos, or ensembles. The skater portraying "Pinocchio"'s title character was particularly impressive of all the soloists. He performed mid-air splits, various spins, and more while still giving the impression of being a wooden marionette. A myriad of lifts showcased several gifted skaters' talents such as that of "Beauty and the Beast"'s Belle and Beast, and "The Lion King"'s Nala and Simba. Another equally, if not more impressive duo was that of "Aladdin"'s Genie and Aladdin to open the show. The two performed several stunts including back flips and an extended back bend almost placing the Genie's head on the ice, all the while maintaining the explosive cartoon personas. There were also elaborate ensemble performances from a trio between "Toy Story"'s Woody, Buzz, and Jessie to a huge array of performers skating together in the "Aladdin" number, and impressive "Mulan" sequences.
Ensemble performances cannot be mentioned, however, without taking note of the "It's a Small World" segment. Numerous skaters took the stage to pay homage to the famous Disney song and recreate a kind of Disneyland parade with representative costumes and musical variations from several countries such as Scotland, Sweden, Egypt, Russia, and Spain. This performance is also a fine example of the versatility of the "Disney on Ice" set. Throughout the show, there were subtle changes in the set that occurred to accommodate each Disney movie theme. The elaborately detailed set occupied the entire ice rink, backdrop and, in some cases, the skies as characters would float down to the rink via star, hot air balloon, etc. Parts of the set would move, turn, light up, or shoot fire depending on the scene, keeping audience members amazed and engaged.
Some performances were a shortened versions of the Disney movies, and some were simply a parade of Disney stars, but absolutely all of them were entertaining for both children and adults. The acrobatics, special effects, and famed characters made the experience like a combination of a circus and Disneyland parade on ice. Certain parts may be a bit frightening for some children as villains make their entrances and fire heightens the intensity, but a swift entrance by the famed Mickey Mouse eases the mood and the Disney favorites reclaim the stage.
"Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic" came to a close with an ensemble performance of all the Disney favorites as "The Circle of Life" and "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" played and Mickey Mouse closed the final bow. Children then ran to the rink with their parents to get high fives and handshakes from their favorite characters.
For more information on "Disney on Ice", visit http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/.
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