It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 years since Disney On Ice last visited Australia, but Disney On Ice is finally back, and in one of their best shows yet! Presented by Feld Entertainment, this year’s show is titled Disney On Ice: Into the Magic, where the theme is dreams and finding the hero in yourself.
Some of our most favourite Disney characters take centre stage including Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel from Tangled, Cinderella, Miguel from Pixar’s Coco, everyone’s favourites from Frozen including Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Hans, and Olaf, from Moana we have both Moana and Maui, and the legends that need no introduction – Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy.
After a fun warm up and exercise to some catchy beats with the talented cast, hosts and MCs of the night Alex and Sophie lead the charge, and it wasn’t long before we were treated to some masterful storytelling and impressive theatrics. Never before have I seen Disney On Ice have a castle backdrop that rotates and transforms to suit the story that is being told on the ice. I found this to be an extremely clever addition to an already impressive production, which only enhanced the enjoyment of the experience.
Beauty and the Beast was the first story to hit the ice, its tale a classic and fan favourite among all ages. The production managed to highlight some of the most important moments in the iconic story that we rarely get to see performed, like when Beast gifts Belle a library.
It was also great to see Gaston duke it out with Beast, and the attention to detail with the costuming, right down to the lighting on the ice to replicate window reflections was a very nice touch. Although the ballroom scene isn’t exactly performed, we do get a wonderful rendition of ‘Be Our Guest’ with Lumière and Cogsworth entertaining Belle just like in the movie, and a lovely dance between Belle and her newly transformed prince.
Tangled was the next biggest story where Rapunzel and Flynn perform ‘I Have a Dream’ and ‘I See the Light’, complete with lit floating lanterns. Unfortunately, unlike the promotional footage, there are no acrobatics between the characters on aerial silks. However, what is actually performed in the Tangled segment is still entertaining and fun nonetheless, and still has Rapunzel equipped with her quick wit and trusty frying pan.
Cinderella is a beloved classic and on ice, its exquisite. What I adored about Cinderella and found unique in this production is that when Cinderella is reunited with her prince after the glass slipper fits, she dances with him not in a ballgown, but in her normal clothes. There’s just something so pure and wholesome about this moment that I really appreciated.
The cheers in the audience erupted when the characters of Frozen appeared. While Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and even Hans may be crowd favourites, it was actually Olaf that received the biggest cheer of the night. Although it was great to see and hear ‘Love Is An Open Door’ and ‘Let It Go’, I couldn’t help but chuckle when the younger members of the audience shouted “PUDDLE!” when Olaf was singing and dancing to his song ‘In Summer’.
As great and popular as Frozen is, my favourite portions of the production were surprisingly of Pixar’s Coco and Disney’s Moana. Coco is an underrated and wonderful film and seeing it on ice with Miguel doing technically impressive jumps, leaps, and tricks on the ice while characters around him danced in Day of the Dead style outfits under UV lights, making them look like they’re glowing in the dark, all was visually captivating and stunning.
But it was Moana that brought it home for me with its story of fire and water, and its songs including ‘How Far I’ll Go’ and ‘You’re Welcome’. Although we don’t get see Moana’s screamy chicken sidekick, Hei Hei, Moana does have some bonding moments with both Maui and her grandmother, which are just as beautiful and endearing as the scenes in the movie.
We also get to see shiny crab, Tamatoa perform the song ‘Shiny’, which was quite possibly the most ridiculously fun moment of the night, as whenever the crab would mention the word ‘shiny’, the lights in the arena would reflect from a disco ball all over the audience, making the moment an immersive experience, once again mimicking the scene from the movie.
Going to Disney on Ice: Into the Magic really reminded me of how much I love the Disney movies, how many generations have grown up loving these movies, as well as realising the origin of my love for musicals, and my appreciation for ice-skating both as a sport and as an art.
There’s a lot to love about Disney On Ice: Into the Magic. And while there were a quite few little ones wondering why The Little Mermaid‘s Ariel didn’t make an appearance, I promise you; this is one of the best Disney on Ice shows I have seen, and it is a must-see experience for everyone. But especially for those (regardless of your age or size) that really love their Disney movies.
Disney On Ice: Into the Magic is now playing at Rod Laver Arena and is in Melbourne until Monday the 4th of July. It then heads to Newcastle from Thursday the 7th of July until the 10th, Sydney from Wednesday July 13th until Sunday the 17 of July and concludes in Hobart from the 22nd of July until the 25th.
For more information and ticketing, visit: https://www.disneyonice.com/en-au