Stepping Out

A 'Treasure Trove' of Disney favorites on ice

From film to skating spectacle

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Holiday treats make way for Disney treasures as Disney On Ice’s latest spectacle, “Treasure Trove,” is ready to enchant families during its run at Nassau Coliseum next week, Jan. 10-13.
Audiences will be treated to a medley of their favorite animated Disney movies throughout the years, including the very first full-length animated film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” and the 50th Disney film, “Tangled.” With eight movies and more than 50 Disney characters featured, “Treasure Trove” has a story for every generation, according to the Disney folks. 
Mickey and Minnie – assisted by Donald and Goofy – lead the way as they embark on a treasure hunt for the best of the Disney film legacy.
“We’ve chosen some of the greatest gems from the Disney treasure chest for this production,” said Producer Nicole Feld. “We went through our entire portfolio of Disney On Ice shows, trying to bring something very different to audiences. We wanted to pick action-packed stories that really resonated with not only kids today, but with their parents as well. “Treasure Trove” has everything from the swashbuckling pirates in “Peter Pan” to the comedic duo Timon and Pumbaa in “The Lion King.”
The production is jam-packed with characters and segments from the beloved Disney film vault. It includes moments from classic Disney films like “Peter Pan,” “The Lion King,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Aladdin,” and “The Little Mermaid,” as well as new favorites “Tangled” and “Princess and the Frog.”

The goal was create to a fast-paced action-packed show that explores classic stories in a contemporary way, according to Director Patty Vincent. “This treasure hunt is a fun, cute way to thread all these stories together,” said Vincent. “Families still love the classic stories and we’ve put a new twist on them.”
You’ll get a sense of that from the moment the show opens, which involves a new element never before seen in a Disney on Ice production: a warm-up involving the skaters prepping for their performance. Before the action begins, audiences have the opportunity to get a taste of what the skaters do to prepare themselves for every show.
The Incredibles lead a warm-up routine that will have everyone up on their feet. Audiences stretch with Mrs. Incredible, run in place with Dash, pump iron with Mr. Incredible, and work up some extra energy with Violet. The short warm-up routine promotes keeping kids active, while also allowing them to participate in the show.
“It’s so important for us to have interaction with our audiences,” said Vincent. “We don’t want the audience to be just staring at the ice. The intro explores how skaters prepare for a show and also gets everyone involved in the show’s energy and promotes fitness. I’m amazed at how many get up and run in place and wave their arms in the air and really get involved. We’ve included upbeat music to get everyone excited, and who better than The Incredibles to start things off?”
From there, Mickey and Minnie glide onto the ice and find a chest full of iconic props and those beloved films start to come alive. You’ll hear the ticking of the White Rabbit’s watch and it’s off to that magical world of “Alice in Wonderland.” Those memorable characters – Tweedledee, Tweedledum, the Queen of Hearts, and Alice – set the tone for this show with their big, colorful production number, the March of the Cards.
During this segment in Wonderland, Alice, the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the White Rabbit are “Painting the Roses Red” for the Queen of Hearts. The Queen beckons forth her army of cards in an illusion constructed by Choreographer Cindy Stuart. “We have a complete set of cards that are two-faced, which made choreographing this number really unique. I tried to trick the eye of the audience by having the cards skate in all directions. The crowd will have to figure out whether the performers are skating forwards or backwards,” said Stuart.
Audiences then escape to Never Land with Peter Pan and hang out in the Lost Boys’ hideout, complete with a slide. Wendy and Tinkerbell fly through the air and Captain Hook’s pirate ship emerges into a big production, complete with 32 pirates. “It’s an exciting action sequence that closes Act 1,” said Vincent.
Act II opens with Simba and Nala as audiences visit Africa in “The Lion King.” This theatrical segment involves a stampede and an emotional Circle of Life sequence. From there, Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs emerge. “The dwarfs come out in the dark and the kids get very excited,” said Vincent. This section involves a romantic pairs duet with Snow White and her prince.
The romance continues with Jasmine and her Aladdin as their exotic tale unfolds in the colorful kingdom of Agrabah, transported to the ice. “Audiences are in awe as Aladdin makes his entrance atop a 20-foot elephant,” said Vincent. “It creates quite an entrance and was a huge challenge for our set designer [James Younis]. The skaters dazzle the audience with another beautiful pairs duet between Jasmine and Aladdin.”
The mood quickly changes to a tropical motif as the familiar sounds of “Under the Sea” can be heard, to everyone’s delight. It’s off to that tropical underwater world of “The Little Mermaid.”
“Besides being fun, it’s a beautiful visual sequence,” said Vincent, with tropical sea creatures, and of course, Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian, and the entire gang. “The audience just loves this segment and sings along.”
Actually, families can be heard singing throughout the entire show. Audiences are caught up in the Disney magic from start to finish. “It’s such a fun show for everyone,” said Vincent. “Everybody gets involved from the top of the show. You can hear all these little voices singing, it’s just adorable. This production highlights everyone’s favorite characters and music and has everyone excited from beginning to end.”
Excerpts from Disney’s newest films – “Tangled” and “Princess and the Frog” – are also represented in this production. These recent additions to the Disney catalog serve as a lead-in to the grand finale, which showcases nine favorite princesses and princes. This captivating parade includes Aurora, Belle, Mulan, and Cinderella in an extravagant finale, full of pyrotechnics, which brings this adventure to a close.
“It is an amazing show with great characters and so much energy and exciting skating,” Vincent said, of her seventh directorial stint. It’s so much fun to see so many characters. I am so proud to be involved with this show.” Vincent, who was a skater with Disney on Ice, has been directing the shows since 2001.
“I love the contrast between the very first animated Disney treasure (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”) and the most recent, (“Tangled”),” Vincent said. “I went back to the archives to re-watch “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” so that I could appreciate the fact that we’re going from the 1930s to today in one production. It’s amazing to see where we came from and where we are now, not only with the animation but also with the storytelling.”

Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove
Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 10-13. Times vary. Tickets are $25-$165.
Purchase tickets at Nassau Coliseum box office, (800) 345-8000 or
www.ticketmaster.com.
Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale.