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Community Corner

A Performance the Whole Family Will Enjoy

Disney On Ice's presentation of Toy Story 3 will have you singing, dancing and clapping along as your favorite characters come to life on the ice.

It was nearly a full house Wednesday at the Long Beach Arena for Opening Night of , and the performance didn’t let adults or children down--in fact, it left the audience grinning and cheering for more.

The show, which is geared for the younger crowd, excited everyone in attendance. The biggest smiles came as crowd favorites Woody, Buzz and Jessie took the ice. All characters featured recordings from the original cast of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack.

To start the show, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck skated out in a surprise appearance that sent children screaming and jumping.

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The cast put on a spectacular show, and seemed to be very aware that they were taking on the role of a doll that is adored by millions of children — many of which sported their favorite characters costume. 

Professional ice skater Adam Loosley has spent the past several months on a cross-country tour as pull-string cowboy Woody from Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3, and he seemed to be well aware of his role, as he was high-energy and on-point throughout the performance. 

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Dressed in Woody's signature blue pants, yellow-and-red shirt, vest and cowboy hat Loosley skated as the star from the Academy Award-winning children's movie, which pulled in more than $1 billion worldwide.

The two-hour show, which includes an intermission to resurface the ice, follows the Toy Story gang's escape from Sunnyside Daycare, like the Disney Pixar film, with space ranger Buzz Lightyear, yodeling cowgirl Jessie and Woody as principal characters alongside Rex, Slinky Dog, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head and more played by a cast of 38 skaters from nine different countries. 

It featured a number of scenes from all three movies, including songs from the soundtracks as well as high energy pop music. All the performances, including group numbers, were very solid in nature and performance.

Fans of the Toy Story films can expect some of the most memorable moments from the first two installments as well as added effects — including plenty of acrobatics, lighting and video projections — unique to the ice adaptation. The characters dance, sing and keep the crowd engaged throughout.

Eye-catching scenes include a troop of aliens aglow in black light, Ken catching Barbie's eye from across the rink followed by a romantic three-minute pair skate set to disco balls and the 1970s pop hit "Dream Weaver," — that should satisfy fans of figure skating as well — and the show's opening scene in which the toys first come to life — a crowd pleaser for sure.

It is no small task to bring the scenes from screen to the ice — 22 performers dressed as green Army men spill onto the rink, crawling across the ice and parachuting 35 feet through the air before falling in line for a synchronized drill number.

Toddlers in the day-care center are crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum and measure more than 60 feet wide, 13 feet tall and weigh half a ton. The characters don colorful, custom-dyed costumes made from spandex fabrics used in football uniforms so they appear plastic.

Much of the show is set to song, which is considerably different from the film which as you recall was not a musical. But the performance effectively used song to tell the story, and quickly move from one scene to the next.

The playlist is one that will have the whole family singing and clapping along, including crowd favorites, "Walking on Sunshine," Michael Jackson's "Leave Me Alone," and "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," as well as "Woody's Round-up" and "Hoedown Throwdown," the audience participation segment featuring a dance made popular by Hannah Montana, another Disney star.

This is a show for the whole family. As families exited the Long Beach Arena, you couldn’t help but to overhear children sharing their favorite parts. In fact, most were singing and dancing their way home. 

Tickets are still available for all shows with prices ranging from $16 to $70 a piece. Tickets can be purchased though all TicketMaster outlets and at the Long Beach Arena Box Office, located at 3000 E. Ocean Boulevard, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can also be purchased before each show. 

Remaining Show Times:

Friday, January 6 – 11:00am, 7:30pm

Saturday, January 7 – 12 Noon, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Sunday, January 8 – 12 Noon, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

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