We had a fun filled time at The United Center last night, checking out Disney on Ice Toy Story 3. After the show was upstaged by the 2011 blizzard, which put opening night and Thursday morning's shows on ice, the skaters were back and ready to shine. We'll have a full slide show of highlights up tomorrow.
Parents and kids of all ages were amused by the creative costuming and choreography. The set design was a bit simplistic compared to past ice show extravaganzas like Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. However, the skaters were so toy like in mannerisms and masks, that the show was a joy to watch. The Barbie army and Ken were particularly well rendered. And the aerial elements provided by parachuting little green army men nicely paralleled the claw and little green aliens.
We were also impressed with the lighting, which made excellent use of the ice surface as canvas. The musical numbers included a wide range of decades and something for everyone in style. My kids particularly liked the number based on Nancy Sinatra's hit, These Boots Are Made For Walking.
The difficulty of parting with well loved childhood toys resonated with my kids in particular. We do have a special box in the attic of keepers we're saving for the next generation. But I love the Toy Story 3 idea of giving the bulk of the toys to a little neighbor who loves and respects toys instead of letting them languish alone in the attic.
This past holiday, we invited a number of our friends with younger kids to literally come shop in our attic play room and give many of our outgrown treasures a new home. My kids laughed the hardest at Toy Story 3 when Andy read Woody's note, instructing his mom to give the giant box of his toys to Bonnie. Since that's my name, I wailed, "NOOOO. We have way to many toys as it is. Don't give them to me." and the kids dissolved in fits of laughter.
There's plenty of action, adventure and righting of wrongs in Disney on Ice Toy Story 3. The timeless themes of teamwork and good triumphing over tyrants make this a story worth seeing. And, on a more elemental level, what's not to love about watching classic toys come to life....on skates! Check it out now through February 13th.
You can see a sneak peek here at The United Center's page, along with Chi town specific show times and tickets. Check out the Disney on Ice website for videos, games, activities and more.
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