Rosemont-bound 'Frozen' perfect for ice show, skater says
For nearly five months now, Taylor Firth has listened to the Academy Award-winning song "Let it Go" from the hit film "Frozen" over and over each day.
Yet she never tires of hearing it.
Firth, a national and international medal-winning figure skater, is currently starring as Princess Anna in "Disney on Ice presents Frozen," coming to the Allstate Arena Wednesday, Jan. 21, for 13 shows before moving on for 21 more to Chicago's United Center.
The ice show, presented in conjunction with Feld Entertainment, Inc., is based on the Oscar-winning 2013 Disney film that has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. It's the story of plucky Princess Anna and her older sister Elsa, who has the magical and at-times terrifying ability to conjure snow and ice at will - yet appears powerless to prevent it. So she flees from her kingdom and Anna, who risks her life to track Elsa down and bring her home.
"Every time I hear 'Let it Go,' it's new," Firth, 23, said in a telephone interview. "We have a completely different audience with every single show - and to see each audience singing along to their favorite songs, it makes it brand new every time."
Firth and her fellow cast members have been touring since September, bringing to life the chilly world of Elsa, Anna, iceman Kristoff and snowman Olaf.
"The whole premise of 'Frozen' is about ice and snow, so this Disney on Ice show lends itself perfectly to the ice," Firth said. "You are instantly transformed to being in Arendelle, or up in the north mountains. There is that special connection."
Firth has skated in other Disney on Ice productions, including "Disney Pixar's Toy Story 3" and "Rockin' Ever After," but sees the "Frozen" show as something "phenomenal."
"We have crowds that are nearing 10,000 a show," she said. "In our Philadelphia run, we performed for 300,000 people. Kids are coming in, dressed as their favorite Disney characters. And the audience is singing along to the songs. We have an incredible fan base. And I am really cherishing being a part of it."
Dan DiPietro-James, regional communications director of Feld Entertainment, says there are still tickets available to the show, but advises families not to wait.
"Disney On Ice always does well in the Chicago market, but this is without a question one of the most in-demand productions to date," he said.
That's no surprise given the popularity of the movie. The ice show features not only songs from the film, but the lines of each character are voiced by the film's actors as well, Firth said.
And a number of special effects add to the snowy feel.
"We have quite a few blizzard scenes. Even Elsa's ice powers themselves are represented by different effects," Firth said. "It's something I have not experienced before as a skater. They (the producers) have pulled out all of the stops."
Firth was just 6 years old when she first strapped on a pair of ice skates in her home state of New York. Through the years, she has been both a competitive figure skater and a performer, even starring in the 2010 remake of the skating-themed film "Ice Castles."
And although she remembers having jitters as a competitive skater, stepping into the spotlight in Disney on Ice productions does not make her nervous at all.
"The audience isn't looking at Taylor Firth," she said. "They are looking at their favorite Disney character."
"And Anna is a little awkward," she added, "so if I trip, or stumble on the ice, well, that's just Anna."
<b>By the numbers</b>
Number of cast members: 39
Age range: 18-47
Number of countries represented by cast: 11
Number of costumes: 108
Number of costume pieces: More than 650
Number of props: More than 200
Number of snow machines: 20
Quantity of snow produced for each show: 40 liters
Number of trucks it takes to transport the production: 16
<i>Information courtesy of Motion PR</i>
“Disney on Ice Presents Frozen"
Location: Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, and United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago;
When: Wednesday, Jan. 21, through Monday, Jan. 26, at the Allstate; Wednesday, Jan. 28, through Sunday, Feb. 8, at the United Center. Showtimes vary.
Tickets: Start at $20 at Allstate and $15 at the United Center