Thursday March 19, 2009
Princesses on ice
By SHARMILLA GANESAN
See your favourite Disney characters come to life in Princess Wishes.
THERE is just something about watching beloved Disney characters come to life – even the most jaded, cynical soul is bound to feel a tinge of warmth. What hope then, did I have of maintaining an unruffled demeanour at the Disney on Ice Presents Princess Wishes show, having been raised on a steady diet of Disney fodder?
I didn’t even try. Watching the show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, I instead let my inner child fly free, and watched wide-eyed as my childhood idols came to life.
Ariel is joined by her marine friends – her dream is to live her life above the ocean. The magic begins from the moment Tinker Bell sweeps onto the ice rink with her wand waving. The diminutive pixie acts as a kind of emcee for the show (joined occasionally by Mickey, Minnie and Goofy) as she takes the audience through each princess’ story and how their wishes come true.
Princess Wishes has a clever concept. The show revolves around the idea of wishes being fulfilled, and features defining moments from each princess’ story where her dream comes true.
While the stories are undoubtedly known to most of us, there is something about seeing these timeless characters gracefully flitting around on the ice – it adds a touch of fantasy and enchantment to seeing them live.
The structure allows the show to present us with something different, rather than just the film versions recreated on ice.
What makes Princess Wishes special is that it brings together seven different classic Disney heroines in one show. Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Mulan, Jasmine, Aurora (from Sleeping Beauty) and Snow White all graced the rink, and boy, did they draw cheers and cries of excitement from young fans!
Each princess’ entrance was greeted by a frenzy of applause and waving from the children in the audience, and the many famous songs had everyone clapping and singing along. Adding to the excitement were the costumes and props, that looked like they were lifted directly from the original films.
In my opinion, the best story of the lot is Ariel’s, which shows her fulfilling her wish to live a life above the ocean. Starting off with her life as a mermaid, we see how she becomes human and wins the affection of Prince Eric.
The underwater setting is fabulous, especially the Under the Sea song. This sequence is a real treat, with its riot of colours and movement as flashy “sea-creatures” perform a Vegas-style number.
The sailors’ song aboard Eric’s ship is also lots of fun, featuring some nifty skating and awesome acrobatics.
Cinderella’s tale, on the other hand, is like every little girl’s dream. She appears in her iconic dress at the ball inside a beautiful golden coach, eliciting sighs and gasps from everyone in the audience.
Then, the ballroom-dancing scene is brought to breathtaking life as skaters in gorgeous costumes perform routines to a romantic waltz number.
It’s not all about the princesses, however; many Disney princes have just as much time to shine. The most exciting are Aladdin and Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty.
In Princess Jasmine’s wish, Aladdin is introduced amidst a busy bazaar, where he zips around stealing from shops and escaping guards. This sequence features some fantastic choreography and skating, and is as funny as it is thrilling.
And you will not want to miss Prince Phillip’s action-packed adventure as he fights his way to wake Aurora – this amazing segment sees him battling his way through a forest of thorns and a huge dragon that really breathes fire!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Disney show without the much-loved sidekicks, and they are out in full force in Princess Wishes. The Genie, the Seven Dwarfs, Lumière and Sebastian all show up to provide some laughs as well as help our princesses achieve their dreams.
And don’t get too comfortable; a few baddies are thrown in too. Villains like Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Maleficient (Sleeping Beauty) and Cinderalla’s Ugly Stepsisters are there to add some delicious wickedness to the show.
The only letdown is that some of the princesses, particularly Belle and Mulan, are not given enough time to really shine. Belle’s story does feature a great rendition of the famous Be Our Guest with Lumiere and a troupe of skating cutlery, but otherwise doesn’t really explore much of her wish. The Beast (or his prince form) doesn’t even make an appearance!
As for Mulan, the show opts to use a segment from Mulan II, with the song, Lesson Number One, rather than from the original story. While it’s a fun scene with lots of energy and brilliant skating, it lacks the magic of the other stories and is also less familiar.
As hundreds of children (and quite a few adults) laughed, cheered and clapped around me, it wasn’t difficult to see the show’s appeal.
Disney on Ice may be impressive for its top-notch skaters, daring choreography and eye-popping sets and costumes, but what makes it really special is its ability to bring the magic of Disney truly to life.
Disney on Ice Presents Princess Wishes, presented by Feld Entertainment and PR Worldwide Live, starts tomorrow and will end on Sunday. It will be held at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. Tickets are priced at RM55, RM125, RM175 and RM225. To book tickets or for enquiries, call the Axcess hotline at 03-7711 5000.
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