Disney princesses together — on ice

In a flurry of tulle, sequins, satin and bows, the seven Disney princesses — Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White — will appear together for the first time in Disney history.

"Disney on Ice Presents Princess Classics" is Nov. 11-15 at the EnergySolutions Arena, and all the princesses will be there.

"We have a cast of over 40 skaters," said director Jerry Bilik in a phone interview, "but the star of the show is emotion. Humor, excitement, romance, joy — we bring the magical feelings of these stories to life, but of course it's really about the princesses."

And any time you have princesses, you have gowns.

"The costumes in this show may be the best collection of any of the 30 of these we've done," Bilik said. "They are brilliant."

And creating them was no small task for costume designer Gregg Barnes, who went through nearly 100 swatches of fabric to pick the ones he wanted for the costumes.

"Not only do they re-create the looks of princesses," Bilik said, "they have to allow for world-class skating." And that includes the princes who also have to skate in heavy capes.

Bilik, who sat in on dress rehearsals, added, "actually, skating backward is the biggest challenge. You don't want the gowns and skirts going into the eyes of the skaters. It's amazing. The weight of the fabric, the length, it's all taken into consideration."

But the beauty is, "all the audience will see is a beautiful, sparkling show."

"We've staged these for 30 years, and we know how to keep the audience engaged," Bilik said. "We really make it about the story."

With a background in music and composition, Bilik wrote songs for many TV shows, including "Charlie's Angels." He then moved into writing, first the music, then the stories for the Disney ice shows. "The more I began concentrating on the stories and training the skaters to also be actors, I had less time for composition," he said.

"We've learned that if the story is great, then the audience forgets that the actors are wearing clod-hopper boots," he said, "and the artists are amazing. They look like they're flying, swimming, dancing, floating, all of that."

Center stage, or center rink, is a castle, nearly three stories tall.

"The castle is the set for all the stories," Bilik said. It transforms and sometimes is an Arabian palace, an undersea kingdom or a grand ballroom.

"The audience gives us their trust for two hours — we have to keep them engaged. We try hard to make sure every moment is part of a little story," he said, "and it's exciting."

If you go...

What: "Disney on Ice PresentsPrincess Classics"

Where: EnergySolutions Arena

When: Nov. 11-15, times vary

How much: $13-$45

Phone: 801-355-7328

Web: www.disneyonice.com

e-mail: ehansen@desnews.com