New look for Disney characters in ‘ice magic’ show

MANILA, Philippines - This year, experience Disney on Ice presents Princesses and Heroes, another ice spectacular that will surely enthrall audiences, young and old. Beyond the well-loved stories, Disney on Ice continues to be staple fare during the Filipino holiday scene because of its magnificent production values including the fabulous costumes.

Costume designer Ilona Somogyi says that the costumes in Disney on Ice’s latest offering will be nothing short of captivating. “I would say that they are very true to the original Disney Princess films — they are very colorful and enchanting while still being skate-able. Because we are telling the stories of dreams of seven princesses and heroes being fulfilled and wishes coming true, there’s a great variety in what costumes look like, but all are imaginative and beautiful and contribute to the overall ‘dreamy’ feeling of the show,” she relates.

 Ilona says that her vision involved coming up with creative ways to overcome the design challenges that were inherent in taking “princes” and “princesses” from the beloved films to the ice. Since Disney on Ice is also about world-class skating, Ilona had to create skirts that would safely allow performers to execute the show’s exciting lifts, spins and leaps while staying true to what audiences expect princesses to look like sans the long gowns.

She found the task enjoyable as well as challenging. For research, Ilona viewed Disney films beside her 90-year-old grandmother. She found a treasure trove of ideas and at the same time, had tremendous fun bonding with her grandma especially while watching the classics like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella.

Apart from Disney films, Ilona also found inspiration for specific scenes from other sources. “For instance, the Under the Sea number had some Elvis Presley and Carmen Miranda in there — a very fun Vegas Extravaganza feeling. For the Cinderella ball, Faberge eggs were the basis for the graceful waltz dresses,” she reveals.

Another challenge she faced was finding fabrics that were very durable and wouldn’t weigh down the skaters. In the Aladdin marketplace scene for instance, Ilona used a lot of pinks, terra cottas and coppers to evoke the streets of Agrabah.

However, Ilona discloses that a lot of inspiration from the costumes came from children who would troop to Disney on Ice shows. “When I saw them, it took me back to when I was that age, and I tried to think about what it was that dazzled me as a young girl,” she reminisces. “As a young girl, I would draw little line-ups of princesses with different variations of tops and skirts. It is really fun to finally realize the things I did as a little girl for Disney on Ice shows. Truly, dreams do come true.”

Young girls and boys can dress up as their favorite Disney princess and hero, win special surprises and get hefty discounts to Disney on Ice tickets during the forthcoming Araneta Center Halloween Costume Activity slated on Oct. 27 at Gateway Mall, Farmers Plaza and Ali Mall.

Disney on Ice presents Princesses and Heroes is a holiday presentation from the Araneta Center, Smart Araneta Coliseum and Lactum. Official transport partners are Philippine Airlines and H&M Transport. Official residence is Holiday Inn. For ticket purchases, log on to TicketNet Online, www.ticketnet.com.ph or call Ticketnet at 911-5555.