Stage REview
DISNEY ON ICE CELEBRATES
100 YEARS OF MAGIC
At TD Garden through Feb. 21. Tickets start at $15. 800-745-
3000, www.ticketmaster.com
At the opening night of “Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic’’ (at the TD Garden through Feb. 21), no encouragement was needed to get enthusiastic audience members (both young and old) to sing along to one well-known tune after another.
Even before the show started, there was an electricity permeating the arena, which was brimming with little girls wearing poofy princess dresses and/or bejeweled tiaras waving multi-colored snowflake wands ($30 at the venue — yikes) and little boys brandishing plastic flashing Buzz Lightyear swords ($20), sticking out their blue tongues, courtesy of the mouthfuls of cotton candy they’d consumed.
Even a strong representation of parents got into the spirit, some wearing pink-polka-dot Minnie Mouse ears or ill-fitting Olaf caps, and seemingly as eager as their young charges for the show to begin.
Once Mickey and Minnie Mouse took to the ice to kick off the nearly two-hour show (with one 20-minute intermission), the energy in the venue ramped up exponentially, punctuated by squeals of delight, cheers, and the aforementioned singing — lots and lots of singing.
Scenes from 14 of Disney’s most beloved animated classics including “Aladdin,’’ “Beauty and the Beast,’’ “The Lion King,’’ “The Little Mermaid,’’ and “Cinderella’’ were brought to life with beautiful costumes and sets, creatively choreographed skating routines, and a common theme that love — of friends, family members, or a romantic interest — is the greatest magic of all.
While there were many highlights from the fast-paced, pyrotechnic-infused spectacle, including more than 20 blue genies skating, flipping, and dancing to “Friend Like Me’’ from “Aladdin,’’ and seven skaters bringing a giant dragon to life during a scene from “Mulan,’’ the evening’s biggest hit was when the ice stage was turned into a winter wonderland — complete with falling snow — to replicate the village of Arendelle and re-enact scenes from Disney’s 2013 blockbuster animated film “Frozen.’’
Sisters Anna and Elsa paired up for graceful synchronized skating numbers, and mountain man Kristoff wowed the crowd with flips and spins, but when the character of Olaf took to the ice, the place erupted. The fun-loving snowman’s showstopper came when he sang his signature song, “In Summer,’’ as he frolicked with a bevy of skating butterflies, bees, and flowers, breaking into a deftly synchronized line formation a la the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
Before leaving the ice, Olaf skated around the perimeter of the rink and waved to the audience. Just about every little hand in the crowd waved back — and just about every little face had a huge smile on it.
DISNEY ON ICE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF MAGIC
At TD Garden through Feb. 21. Tickets start at $15. 800-745-
3000, www.ticketmaster.com
Juliet Pennington can be reached at writeonjuliet@comcast.net.
