Disney on Ice brings Disney favorites like ‘Frozen,’ ‘Little Mermaid’ to Salt Lake City
Anna (Jessica Leatham) and Elsa (Angie Lien) pose during the "Frozen" portion of "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."
Elsa (Angie Lien) performs during the "Frozen" portion of "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."
Ariel skates with Prince Eric during "The Little Mermaid" portion of "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."
Peter Pan faces off against Captain Hook during "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."
Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, Donald and Mickey welcome fans at the start of "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."
Rafiki skates onto the ice with Simba and Nala during "The Lion King" portion of "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."
A grown Simba and Nala perform together on the ice during "The Lion King" portion of "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."
In late November of 2013, two new Disney princesses were unveiled to the public, and an era of “Frozen” song parodies, heavy merchandising, and of course, princess idolizing began.
Three years later the “Frozen Fever” is starting to alleviate, but there’s no escaping the fact that some kind of magic happened when princess sisters Anna and Elsa of Arendelle first made their debut, and that magic is still enchanting Disney fans of all ages across the globe, and now, on the ice.
“Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure” will be skating into Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Thursday with shows daily through Saturday, including a “Frozen”-featured finale that couldn’t be much more appropriate for the frosty-themed film.
Before skipping straight to the finale, though, it’s good to note that Passport to Adventure isn’t just a passport to the “Frozen” kingdom of Arendelle. As a part of the Disney on Ice feature, guests will be able to join Disney stalwarts Mickey and Minnie on a tour around the globe that checks in on a solid variety of favorite characters and storylines.
The adventure will include a trip to the African Pride Lands where Simba will embark on his path to leadership with his comical buddies Timon and Pumbaa, a quick jaunt “Under the Sea” to glimpse Ariel’s enchanting realm in “The Little Mermaid,” and a breathtaking flight across London to Neverland with Wendy and Peter Pan. The show concludes with the unbelievable adventures of Anna and Elsa, as well as ice-selling mountain man Kristoff and huggable snowman Olaf as they all come to realize that love is where true magic and power lie.
In preparation for the show’s arrival in Salt Lake, Anna and Elsa themselves, as portrayed by professional ice skaters Jessica Leatham (of Gig Harbor, Wash.) and Angie Lien (of Superior, Wis.) took some time to visit with the Daily Herald about the show, their careers so far, and, of course, what it’s like to play two of Disney’s most favorite and beloved princesses.
Leatham has been with Feld Entertainment and Disney on Ice for eight years now, but it was long before that that her passion for ice skating surfaced.
“I just remember when I was a little kid, I’d watch (ice skating) on TV,” she said. “It was something I knew I wanted to do but I was so young my parents made me wait a couple years.”
The passion stuck, and as soon as she could, Leatham quickly dived into the world of competitive skating, winning a variety of medals and honors at both the regional and national levels before taking a break to attend college and focus on her education.
Leatham soon realized she was ready for something different, and soon found herself drawn back into the world of professional skating, this time as a performer.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect when joining,” she said. “I only planned on doing it for a short amount of time, but I ended up really enjoying it and falling back in love with skating on a different level.”
Leatham has now been skating nearly 20 years, a large portion of which have been traveling and performing.
“You’re no longer just competing for yourself,” Leatham said of performance skating. “You’re greeting people in the audience and bringing their favorite characters to life. It really kind of incorporates different aspects of (ice skating) that you don’t have growing up in competition.”
That difference, according to Leatham, is especially apparent with her current role of Anna. Not only did she go from being an only child in real life to finding a sister of sorts in Lien, but she’s also loved the excitement that comes with such a spirited character.
“It’s so much fun,” Leatham said of portraying Anna opposite Lien’s Elsa. “I don’t have any siblings in real life so it’s kind of fun to have a sister in the show. … I feel like we have a good friendship that reads well on the ice. It’s also fun to be portraying such popular characters right now and being able to play off each other. It’s definitely something special that you wouldn’t necessarily get with portraying a different kind of role, and it’s definitely different than everything I’ve done in the past.”
Just like the character of Anna that became so popular after the release of Disney’s “Frozen” in theaters, Anna on ice is full of spunk, and Leatham’s casting came after a very long and careful process.
“She’s definitely the most dynamic character to portray,” Leatham said of Anna. “It’s a lot of fun. She’s different than the other princesses.”
Those differences help to make Anna more real as a character, and, according to Leatham, a princess everyone can relate to on a personal level.
Though the “Frozen” segment of the show is her personal favorite, Leatham said the whole production is made up of parts that everyone can enjoy.
“There’s definitely something for boys and girls of all ages,” she said. “They can get really broad spectrum of Disney characters both old and new, and there’s a lot to take away from that — seeing their favorite Disney characters from the past and present being brought to life in a special way that they’ll remember forever.”
This isn’t Leatham’s first trip to Salt Lake City, and it won’t be the first for Lien, either. Both made their way to Utah in the past for skating competitions, and both are excited to make a return trip as a part of “Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure.”
Lien first hit the ice at age 3, thanks to the fact her mom was an ice skating instructor. She quickly progressed in the art, and excelled at competitions, earning national and world titles. Eventually, though, she found herself looking for adventures beyond the competitive world.
According to Lien, she coached a bit in college and helped with local ice shows, but still found herself searching for more.
“Something I wanted to do was further my knowledge of skating while I still enjoy what I’m doing,” she said. “I wanted to travel and enjoy the sport I’ve chosen.”
Lien earned her degree in exercise and sport science at the University of Minnesota Duluth, a major that went hand-in-hand with her passion for being on the ice, and eventually decided to dabble some more in performance skating before joining Feld Entertainment in 2013.
“It was a great stepping stone because every show is a different thing,” Lien said of the transition. “It’s been great to learn about the whole different world of show skating and how to embrace a character more than just a skating number.”
According to Lien, before Disney on Ice she performed a show in Mexico and on cruise ships, but her time on the ice with Disney has been something new entirely.
“It’s been by far the most education as far as show skating goes because you get to see so much of what happens backstage and on stage, building and taking down. You get to see what creates the show we perform, and it’s awesome to learn all these different things.”
Lien is also fortunate because she gets to travel as a part of Disney on Ice with her husband, who she met on a cruise ship. They’ve been together for six years now and married for well over five, but this time traveling, according to Lien, has been “the greatest experience we’ve been able to have.”
“Being able to do something I love, being able to travel, and to do this all together is a wonderful experience for us.”
Lien said she joined the show first, but it wasn’t long after that her husband was able to secure a position as a part of the show crew.
As to her roles in Disney on Ice, Lien said she’s been able to portray Wendy Darling from “Peter Pan” and Jessie from “Toy Story,” though being Elsa is a different experience entirely.
“She’s a very strong character and a very beautiful, regal character all at once, and that, for myself included, is a little bit harder to portray and bring to life,” Lien said. “You can be strong, and you can be regal and beautiful, but it’s hard to be both at the same time. It was a challenge on a whole new level.”
Despite the stress of portraying such a powerful leading lady, Lien said it’s been a challenge that she’s loved, and that has been made even more exciting with the help of Leatham as Anna.
“She is absolutely spectacular,” Lien said of Leatham. “We always have fun and she has the most spunky attitude anywhere. It makes life and work more enjoyable every single day.”
The show, and ice skating in general, is definitely the product of passion for Leatham, and it shows when she’s on the ice and off.
“I love to skate,” she said. “Whether teaching, portraying a character in show, doing competitions and even finding open ice in the winter where we live and skating with my husband. Something about it is just part of my heart and soul. It’s hard to imagine life without it most of the time.”
That passion has driven her to pursue her goals and follow her dreams throughout her life, and it’s something she would recommend everyone do.
“If it’s something that you’re passionate about, follow it, dedicate what you can to it,” she said. “You’ll have to make sacrifices along the way, but in the long run you’ll always be happy about what you’re passionate about. Go for it — just do it!”
Lien said she’s looking forward to her visit to Utah this week, and excited that she’ll be performing in the same center where she once was able to compete against acclaimed figure skater Michelle Kwan.
“I’m wholeheartedly looking forward to having that experience and making more great memories,” Lien said of the impending visit.
She also said she hopes everyone that comes can find something that they enjoy about the show as well.
“It’s really fun!” she said. “We’ve got pirates, the ‘It’s a Small World’ music from the Disneyland and Disney World parks, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Under the Sea’ with all its fun aquatic animals and creatures. I hope everyone can come enjoy the show as much as I enjoy performing it for them.”
DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS PASSPORT TO ADVENTURE
What: Some of Disney’s most popular stories brought to life in an ice skating spectacular
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday; 11:30 a.m. 3:30 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, 1 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, 301 W. South Temple in Salt Lake City
Cost: Tickets to most performances start at $20, with a special opening-night price of $15 for Thursday only general admission seats.
Info: Get tickets at Smithstix.com, select Smith’s Grocery stores, in-person at the arena box office or by phone at (800) 888-TIXX. Learn more about the show at disneyonice.com/passport-to-adventure.