Simply Amazing Program Combines Athletics And Grace For An Evening Enjoyed By All

“75 Years of Disney Magic” Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the Spokane Arena

Distilling 75 years of Disney’s entertainment history into a two-hour show had to have been difficult, in a desert island quandary sort of way. What are the two dozen best Disney songs of all time, and which handful of scenes from the movies would you want to represent?

This year’s Disney On Ice tour is called “75 Years of Disney Magic,” and even the most curmudgeonly among us has to admit that magic is not an exaggeration. Walt Disney and the mega-corporation which now bears his name have been conjuring up quality family entertainment in many forms for most of the century.

So picking the best moments to put on skates must have been tough. Lots of lovable characters did not make the cut. Not that there was any sense of lacking; it seemed as if there were hundreds of heroes, princesses, villains and other animated images flying back and forth across the Spokane Arena rink.

The way it was done - the way the creators of the program covered so much without making it seem like a grocery list - was to spend some time re-creating the mood of several major animated features. There was not enough time to recap entire plots, but a few key elements and reminders were brought out, plus the most famous song or two, and that was plenty to remind audience members of their original movie experience.

Beginning with “Pinocchio,” one of Disney’s first feature-length efforts, the program presented excerpts from “Toy Story,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” “A Bug’s Life” and “The Lion King.”

The scenery and scene changes for the Disney On Ice productions always amaze me. First, it’s a traveling show, so all of the lights and lift wires come with the package. Second, it’s an ice show: The actors/dancers/skaters are not performing on a 50-foot-wide, 20-foot-deep stage only open on the front. The performance can be seen from three sides and covers the whole arena floor, so it seems there is no way to sneak props and set pieces on and off, yet they do just that. Characters appear out of nowhere, and things seem to appear and disappear easily.

The change in the overall mood between such diverse stories was phenomenal. Lighting plays a big role, and the coordinated costume colors make a huge difference. Special effects kept on coming: snow for the “Mulan” scenes, smoke and fog on several occasions, lighted set-pieces which must have been running on battery packs to float around the ice, and fireworks ranging from the magic-wand variety to major salvos off the castle wall.

The opening and closing numbers, plus a few scenes interspersed, included cameo appearances and other skits to give a small taste of many other memorable moments. One of these, the graceful ballet of ice hockey with Goofy goofing it up, was a slapstick blast.

But my favorite was the cameos of all the prince and princess pairs. This was a scene in which all the famous happy endings and happy couples came together: Pocahontas and John Smith, Ariel and Prince Eric, Belle and the former Beast, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Princess Jasmine and Aladdin, plus Snow White and her Prince. There was less of the cartoon in this, more reality and more serious skating.

While all of the scenes had amazing accomplishments on the ice (you try doing a backflip at 30 mph while wearing a blue genie costume and mask), the princess and prince pairs were pure poetry. This is Olympic-caliber choreography and performance that would be worth the price of admission by itself.

Stars among these pairs were Russian husband-and-wife team Marina Akbarova and Marat Akbarov, who portrayed Belle and the Prince, as well as Simba and Nala from “The Lion King” in another stunning routine. He was holding her fully up over his head with one hand and spinning; there is some strength, skill, practice and trust there. And there were plenty more beautiful and thrilling moves where that came from.

The most effective company number was the “Mulan” scene. There was a lot going on in the rink, but the choreography transformed the battle into a flowing dance that was absolutely entrancing to watch.

The final assessment from opening night is a recommendation to catch one of the remaining shows before Disney On Ice leaves town. There’s enough athletic and artful skating to keep the adults happy, and the kids will be jazzed by so much fast-paced face time with Mickey, Flik, Buzz, Jiminy and all of the other characters they know and love.

“75 Years of Disney Magic” continues through Sunday at the Spokane Arena. Tickets are available through G&B (325-SEAT, 1-800-325-SEAT or www.ticketswest.com).