How to go
What: Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic
When: Oct. 23-27
Where: Wright State University Nutter Center
Show times: Wed.-Fri. at 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Tickets: $12-$42, available at the Nutter Center box office or through Ticketmaster
When: Oct. 30-Nov. 3
Where: U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati
Show times: Wed.-Fri. at 7 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m., 5 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$56, available at the U.S. Bank Arena box office or through Ticketmaster
Disney on Ice: By the Numbers
10 – Number of countries represented by the cast
47 – Total cast members, 23 men and 24 women
160 – Costumes in the show, using 1,300 yards of fabric
1,200 – Total number of rehearsal hours by skaters
13,508 – Miles traveled during the tour
How Well do you know your Disney characters?
1. Who is Mickey Mouse’s girlfriend?
2. What is the name of the princess in “Aladdin?”
3. What is the name of the cowgirl who befriends Woody in “Toy Story 2?”
4. In which story did Jiminy Cricket make his debut?
5. In “The Little Mermaid,” what is the main character’s name?
6. Buzz Lightyear thinks he must defend the universe from what evil being?
7. What physical trait is Rapunzel known for?
8. What poisonous fruit does the Evil Queen give Snow White to eat?
9. What kind of fish is Nemo?
10. In “The Lion King,” what is Timon and Pumbaa’s motto?
Answers: 1. Minnie; 2. Jasmine; 3. Jessie; 4. “Pinocchio;” 5. Ariel; 6. The evil Emperor Zurg; 7. Her hair; 8. An apple ; 9. A clown fish ; 10. “Hakuna Matata” – it means, “no worries.”
Up before dawn and on the ice by 5:15 a.m., it wasn’t a typical childhood but it was Natasha Kuchiki’s childhood.
“I would change in the car on my way to school and I’d be back at the rink after school,” Kuchiki said. “It was hard work, but I wouldn’t have changed any of it.”
While her classmates were learning about far-off lands from textbooks, the young skater was seeing them firsthand. She and partner Todd Sand earned international acclaim as the pairs team won the U.S. National Championships (1991), earned a bronze medal in the World Championships (1991) and placed sixth at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Kuchiki, now 36, lends her skating talents to the Disney on Ice tour and will portray both Mulan and Jasmine when “100 Years of Magic” opens at the Nutter Center on Wed., Oct. 23, for the first of seven shows in five days.
“I love that it’s not just about the technical aspect of skating, it’s about giving joy to people,” Kuchiki said. “And it’s live entertainment, so there is still some pressure but it’s a different type of pressure than competitive skating. It’s up to us to give every audience the freshness of the show on opening night – we never want to cheat an audience.”
Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic has something for everyone with 65 of Disney’s unforgettable characters from 18 beloved stories all in one place.
Belle and the Beast, Woody and Buzz, Nemo and Dory, Aladdin and the Genie, Snow White, Pocahontas, Mulan and Mickey and friends will bring favorite Disney stories and familiar songs to life on the ice. And the performers know how important it is to stay true to their characters.
“Those 5-year-olds really know their characters and they know the stories,” Kuchiki said. “When I can get them to smile, I know I’ve done my job.”
While smiles are a major payoff, Kuchiki has also learned a thing or two from the characters she has portrayed, which have also included Belle and Jane, from “Tarzan.”
“So many of the stories are about strong, young women and I think there are some valuable lessons to be learned there,” she said.
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