Disney princesses dazzle on ice: seven timeless fairy tales unfold in all their glory during this unforgettable royal skating extravaganza

These shows work best when the audience is into it--really into it! That certainly was the case at Feld Entertainment's 'Disney on Ice Presents Princess Classics" as Snow White unwittingly was about to take a bite of the Evil Queen's poison apple. Foolishly not heeding Grumpy's advice that she should not let anyone into the cottage while the Seven Dwarfs were away at the mines--"Hi-ho, Hi-Ho. It's off to work we go ..."--Snow White slowly raised the apple to her lips, only to take it away after being admonished by the impassioned shouts of the audience. With each attempted taste, the pleas of the crowd--not surprisingly, made up mostly of young children and their parents grow louder, even though they fully know what's coming. Sure enough, our heroine finally succumbs to temptation and the effects of the forbidden fruit.

Our nine-year-old daughter, although not among the many grade-school girls who came dressed as one of the seven featured princesses, loved the entire production. She was quick to contribute her notes on the show, imploring that there be made mention of "the costumes, especially Ariel's and Cinderella's. The songs, especially 'Under the Sea' and 'A Dream is a Wish.' All the skating acts, especially Jasmine's and Aladdin's. The scenery, especially the coral, magic lamp, and castle." Castle is underlined twice; we'll get to that later. She also thought "it was funny when Cinderella's stepsisters [skating in an unsteady and haphazard manner], sang, 'Sweet Nightingale' at the ball." For action and adventure, it was cool "when Prince Eric popped Ursula [with his scepter]." Moreover, it was romantic "when the first six princesses were kissed."

Those memorable lip-locks took place during the first half of the show, with the unfolding of a half-dozen of Disney's timeless tales. The story of Cinderella earned the second-half spotlight. The star of both halves, however, just may have been the eight-ton, three-story castle-making it larger than most Broadway sets--that twists, turns, and transforms to create a backdrop for the various scenes, each set in a different time period with unique yet recognizable styles: an 18th-century design for "Cinderella," an Arabian palace for Jasmine in "Aladdin;" an underwater kingdom for Ariel in "The Little Mermaid;" a medieval castle for Princess Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty;" a French-stained-glass motif for Belle in "Beauty and the Beast;" a far-Eastern fortress for the brave and beautiful warrior "Mulan;" and a Tyrolean texture for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Surrounding the castle are protective, intricately decorated gates. Lighting designs from within and on the outside add more detail to the structure. Hues include the fluorescents of Ariel's undersea kingdom; somber grays and reflective stained glass for the Beast's French castle; exotic fuchsias, purples, and burnished golds for Aladdin; sparkling tints of lavender, blue, and silver for Cinderella; and a finale filled with white and gold.

When it comes to ice, our young sons usually only care about hockey players, yet they couldn't get enough of the Castle. No wonder, since Disney and Feld always bring out the biggest--and best--guns for these extravganzas. The Castle was created by Eduardo Sicangco, a teacher of Scenic Design at New York University who has worked with Radio City Music Hall and the Kennedy Center. Meanwhile, costume designer Gregg Barnes-who says his point of reference for the dazzling outfits was the image of Tinker Bell sprinking pixie dust above the castle in the opening sequence of the old TV show, "The Wonderful World of Disney"--also deserves special plaudits For the elegant ballroom scenes, for instance, he designed bright, colorful gowns that sparkle from within. "There's a piece of material underneath that shimmers with glitter and sequins, but we mask it with three or four layers of sheer fabric," he explains. As the skaters move, folds from underneath become more present or catch air, supplying a glimpse of this sparkling layer. "It is like our skaters have been lit by twinkling lights from the inside."

In the end, though, the dazzling costumes, breathtaking set designs, evocative lighting, and superior skating choreography merely serve to help illuminate the central theme of all Disney fairy tales: Love is the unwavering antidote against evil as well as the ultimate redeemer of life for princesses and people everywhere.

"Princess Classics" is touring the country through May 14. For dates and venues to "Princess" and all other "Disney on Ice" shows, visit www.disneyonice.com.

Wayne M. Barrett is Publisher and Editorin-Chief of USA Today.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning