Sophia Adams Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival Interview

Sophia Adams Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival Interview

This year's Disney On Ice is a brand-new ice show packed full of action, adventure and unforgettable characters. Weaving together four worlds of Disney royalty with Anna & Elsa, Ariel, Belle and Rapunzel, audiences will be whisked away as they embark on their own epic journey.

Produced by Feld Entertainment, Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival opens in Perth on 2 June and travels to Adelaide, Wollongong, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney, closing 17 July.

Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival showcases moments from beloved Disney stories, The Little Mermaid, Tangled and Beauty and the Beast to the newest feature film sensation Frozen and combines them with elements of comedy, music, colour and lights. Producers Nicole Feld and Juliette Feld lead a creative team of experts across choreography, set, costume and lighting design to develop a truly unique way to take audiences into each fairytale.

Producer Juliette Feld says Magical Ice Festival takes a fresh new spin on how the Disney stories are presented, also marking the first time the Academy Award winning animated film Frozen comes to life on ice in Australia.

'In our more than 30 years of producing Disney On Ice shows, Feld Entertainment has been waiting for a film like Frozen. The most exciting part of bringing characters like Anna and Elsa to the ice for the first time is knowing that they have a powerful and inspiring message that resonates with audiences as the sisters discover the true meaning of love," says Producer Nicole Feld.

A distinctive design element Magical Ice Festival is the various fairytales coming together to make one cohesive show, a vision conceived of by Director Patty Vincent. 'In -Under the Sea', during The Little Mermaid, we wanted to place the audience in that sea world. In order to do that, we used these pieces of seaweed emerging from 35 feet up and great colourful coral pieces on the ice. We also have a scene in The Little Mermaid segment where there's a storm, and we have fabric representing the waves that is 35 feet across the ice – our performers have never carried fabric that big! Where as in the world of Beauty and the Beast, much of it takes place in the interior of the castle where a gorgeous chandelier lowers in. Audiences will really feel the richness of the castle," says Patty.

As for the show's costume designer, Feld enlisted Cynthia Nordstrom as she has a wealth of experience working across multiple Disney On Ice productions, in addition to designing costumes for more than 15 original dance shows in downtown Walt Disney World.

'As this show has four major compotents, it was most important for me to have the audiences feel the journey in and out of these different worlds and have each be different in feeling, colour and characters.

In Ariel's world under the sea, neon brights were used. Then we morph into the world of Tangled and that's very much a sorbet palette. We move into full-soaked, jewel tone colour in Beauty in the Beast. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy host the show, and they're in classic shimmery white, pink and aqua, bringing all of the scenes together piece by piece," says Cynthia.

With so much talent and storytelling jam-packed into one show, Australian audiences will be left exhilarated from Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival.

For tour dates and further information on Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival, visit www.disneyonice.com.au.

Purchase Wollongong tickets through Ticketmaster: 136 100 or www.ticketmaster.com.au/disneyonice. Tickets for all other cities purchase through Ticketek: 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au/disneyonice.

Tickets start from just $34.50. Additional discounts apply on select performances. Credit card and transaction fees may also apply. For more information and to view a clip from the show visit www.DisneyOnIce.com.au.

Interview with Sophia Adams

Question: What are you enjoying most about playing the role of Elsa?

Sophia Adams: Elsa has been very well received throughout the world. It is so much fun to play one of the most popular Disney characters. I love showing off her powers and elegance in such a perfect setting: on ice!


Question: What qualities do you share with the character of Elsa?

Sophia Adams: I actually don't feel my personality is anything like Elsa. I believe that it is more my actual skating where I can display her character.


Question: Can you tell us about your Elsa costumes?

Sophia Adams: As we know, Elsa is an amazing dressmaker, and her dress in the show is nothing short of spectacular just as it is in the movie.


Question: How would you describe Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival?

Sophia Adams: I truly feel that Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival is one of the best Disney On Ice shows because of how it moves from segment to segment with such excitement. The stories of The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and of course Frozen, are all loved by all ages.


Question: What type of training and experience have you had leading up to your role in Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival?
Sophia Adams: I spent just as much time learning the character of Elsa off ice as I did on ice. It took about a month to learn the full show on top of learning the character of Elsa.


Question: What or who originally inspired you to begin ice skating?

Sophia Adams: I remember watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, and seeing all those beautiful skaters I think is what made me beg my parents to start skating.


Question: Can you talk about how you prepare for a show such as Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival?

Sophia Adams: Since the show is like second nature to me now, I have just my normal daily warm up routine before every show, put on my make-up, and I'm ready to go!


Question: What would we find you doing on your day off?

Sophia Adams: I enjoy walking around and sightseeing on my days off. I like busy cities but also love beautiful beaches. Anything and anywhere to feel relaxed on an off day is what I love.


Question: What do you enjoy most about travelling with Disney On Ice?

Sophia Adams: If it weren't for working with Disney On Ice, I would have never been able to see the places I have been in the last 2 years. The travel is the best part of this experience.

Question: What has been your proudest Disney On Ice moment, so far?

Sophia Adams: There hasn't been one particular moment because as cliché as it sounds, I have many. Seeing how much the kids and even adults love and relate to the story of Frozen and Elsa specifically really makes performing for them that much more enjoyable.


Question: What would we find in your ice-skating bag?

Sophia Adams: My skates of course! And of course food.


Interview by Brooke Hunter