Some of the favorite Disney royals will be holding court at PPG Paints Arena in the latest edition of Disney on Ice: “Dare to Dream.”
The cast of the production, which opens Dec. 9 for a three-day run with six shows, features Rapunzel from Disney's movie “Tangled,” along with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from “The Princess and the Frog” and longtime favorites Snow White and Cinderella.
Hosted by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the skating show produced by Feld Entertainment Inc. includes capsulized versions of each of the stories and is based on the heroic premise that “nothing can stop a princess from a courageous adventure.”
Stephanie Steele, an Ontario, Canada, native who recently moved to Nova Scotia with her fiancé Joe Jacobsen, is an ensemble performer in the show. She plays supporting character roles in each of the four vignettes, including a boy who's a “thug” in “Tangled” and a member of Snow White's royal guard.
She occasionally substitutes for other skaters as needed and says the best part of being an ensemble skater is anticipating where she might be asked to fill in.
“We really get to be a part of the whole show,” she says.
Jacobsen also is part of the “Dare to Dream” cast, portraying Flynn Rider, Rapunzel's love interest in “Tangled.” The couple met in 2010 while performing in another Disney on Ice production.
Steele has been with Feld Entertainment since after high school, joining in 2007, and has performed in Disney on Ice productions of “Let's Celebrate!” and “Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour.” She has traveled throughout the U.S. and to Japan, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Canada with the shows.
She has been skating since age 5 and started taking lessons at age 7. Her skating accomplishments include three Canadian Gold tests and a bronze medal at Canadian Starskate Nationals. She says her interest in the sport came from her mom, who was a skater, and she supports breast cancer research because she lost her mom to the disease.
Adam Loosley of Tampa, Fla., formerly of Ontario where he was a competitive skater, is the performance director for “Dare to Dream” in his 13th season with the Disney ice shows. His job involves working with the skaters and crew prior to show time, as well as running rehearsals and directing the production.
He says audiences will especially enjoy the amazing special effects and impressive vibrant costumes in this show — and it's not just for girls.
“Four princesses do pack a strong punch, but there are a lot of fun elements for boys as well,” he says. “My two nephews came to the show and loved seeing Mickey — and Rapunzel and Flynn actually fly in the second act. You know with Disney you're going to get production value.”
Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
