ALL-NEW DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS LET’S DANCE! January 23 – February 9, 2025

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JOIN AN EPIC PARTY WITH PLENTY OF MUSIC, ENERGY & AUDIENCE INTERACTION AT THE ALL-NEW 

DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS LET’S DANCE!

The all-star cast includes fan-favorite stories from Frozen 2, Wish, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Moana

**Brand-New Production Skating Into Chicagoland from January 23 – February 9, 2025**

Disney On Ice is bringing the party to hometowns across the country, and the guest list is jam-packed with audience favorite Disney characters! Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy have become DJ’s, remixing Disney tunes into colorful stories at this all-new state-of-the-art ice show. Get ready to turn up the fun when Disney On Ice presents Let’s Dance! visits Allstate Arena in Rosemont from January 23-26 and February 6-9 plus the United Center in Chicago from January 30–February 2, 2025!

This production invites guests to belt out Disney’s chart-topping tunes, as their favorite stories are brought to life on and above the ice. Fans are sure to be wowed by the cutting-edge figure skating, high-flying acrobatics, unexpected stunts, thrilling special effects, eye-catching costumes, and stunning set designs. 

Audiences will experience a nonstop party that encourages them to journey to unforgettable places, laugh, sing, dance, and make magical memories together. Through the magic of music, what started as a party transforms into a fantastic adventure! This all-new and thrilling Disney On Ice production features fan-favorite stories including:

WISH

Last year, Disney On Ice became the first live entertainment show to debut Asha before the animated film’s release. Now, the entire Kingdom of Rosas will magically come to life, featuring even more characters from Wish. Asha, Valentino, Star, and King Magnifico come together to bring to life “This Wish,” “I’m a Star,” and “This Is The Thanks I Get?!”

FROZEN 2

Journey to Arendelle and the Enchanted Forest in Frozen 2 with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf as they are reminded that “Some Things Never Change.” Visit the river full of memory, Ahtohallan, as Elsa asks memories of the past to “Show Yourself,” and Olaf thinks this will all make sense “When I’m Older.”

MOANA

The audience will immediately “Know The Way” when Moana shows them “How Far I’ll Go,” as she journeys from the island of Motunui to save her home from Te Kā. Along the way she meets Maui who reminds everyone “You’re Welcome.” The duo comes face to face with Tamatoa who hasn’t always been this “Shiny.”

THE LION KING

Escaping to the Pride Lands with Simba and Nala from The Lion King, audiences should “Be Prepared” as Scar and the hyenas plot to take over the throne. Timon and Pumbaa remind us it’s best just to say “Hakuna Matata” as everyone celebrates the “Circle of Life.”

THE LITTLE MERMAID

Skilled maestro, Sebastian, strikes a chord “Under the Sea” when he conducts Ariel, her seven sisters, and a colorful orchestra of sea creatures from The Little Mermaid. Guests will be singing along as Ariel serenades Prince Eric with a wish to become “Part of Your World,” and a symphony of lagoon insects perform “Kiss the Girl.”

R O S E M O N T 

WHEN:       

Thursday, January 23 7:00 PM                     

Friday, January 24 10:30AM & 7:00 PM                     

Saturday, January 25 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Sunday, January 26 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM

WHERE:      Allstate Arena – 6920 North Mannheim Rd. Rosemont, IL 60018

TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or in-person at the venue box office.

It’s easier than ever to experience the Disney magic. With a variety of family-friendly ticket pricing options, choose what fits best for an enchanted experience. 

*Ticket pricing is subject to change based on market demand.

C H I C A G O

WHEN:       

Thursday, January 30 7:00 PM                     

Friday, January 31 10:30AM & 7:00 PM                     

Saturday, February 1 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Sunday, February 2 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM

WHERE:      United Center – 1901 West Madison St. Chicago, IL 60612

TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or in-person at the venue box office.

It’s easier than ever to experience the Disney magic. With a variety of family-friendly ticket pricing options, choose what fits best for an enchanted experience. 

*Ticket pricing is subject to change based on market demand.

R O S E M O N T 

WHEN:       

Thursday, February 6 7:00 PM                     

Friday, February 7 10:30AM & 7:00 PM                     

Saturday, February 8 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Sunday, February 9 11:00 AM & 3:00 PM

WHERE:      Allstate Arena – 6920 North Mannheim Rd. Rosemont, IL 60018

TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or in-person at the venue box office.

*Ticket pricing is subject to change based on market demand.

“Frozen Fun” Character Experience

Guests can enhance their Disney On Ice show ticket with a preshow Character Experience that includes games, crafting, a sing-along and interactive photo opportunities with Anna and Elsa. 

NOTE: Each guest (ages 2 and up) must have both a Character Experience ticket and a Disney On Ice show ticket to attend; children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more info about Disney On Ice, follow Disney On Ice’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & TikTok.  

Subscribe to the Disney On Ice YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/DisneyOnIce

About Feld Entertainment®

Feld Entertainment®, family owned and operated, is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that bring people together and uplift the human spirit. Properties include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Monster Jam®, Disney On Ice, Jurassic World Live Tour, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the Super Motocross World Championship. Across the brand portfolio, Feld Entertainment has entertained millions of families in more than 80 countries and on six continents. Visit feldentertainment.com for more information

REVIEW: Joffrey Ballet’s Chicago Premiere of The Little Mermaid April 19–April 30, 2023

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THE JOFFREY BALLET MOUNTS CHICAGO PREMIERE OF JOHN NEUMEIER’S HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL THE LITTLE MERMAID

With sets and costumes of the grandest scale, critically acclaimed production is the largest-ever in Joffrey’s history

Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg

Guest Review 

by Flo Mano

This is not your ordinary/ common/ well known Disneyfied Little Mermaid. In John Neumeier’s unique interpretation of the classic Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, he weaves a complex and intense portrayal of unrequited love and the resilience of the human spirit.

With choreography, sets, costumes, and lighting, all by Neumeier, this ballet is as much theater as it is dance! John Neumeier is truly a jack of all trades and choreographer extraordinaire!

In the opening scene we see the deck of a ship with a giant, blue neon line spanning the stage, resembling the shape of waves below it. As the ship’s Captain, Edvard (Dylan Gutierrez) and his guests celebrate his wedding day, the Poet (Stefan Goncalvez), dressed in a black top hat and a redingote wipes away a tear. As the music begins, he slowly delves in the deep-blue ocean, and thus begins a Mysterious, magical, beauty of a production, revealing the depths of the choreographer’s imagination. 

We enter a sapphire-serene-swirling-smooth underwater wondrous world! The Mermaid’s wide-legged silk pants added fluidity to her ethereal movements, fanning out like fins when she is held aloft to “swim.”

This Mermaid, danced with grace and emotion by (Victoria Jaiani), falls for the Prince (Gutierrez) and trades her fins for feet, with the help of the very forceful and passionate Sea Witch (Yoshihisa Arai), who flies like a Japanese Samurai.

Neumeier elevates a fantasy into a sophisticated portrayal of psychological transformation. The stylised, dramatic, nonverbal format demands the dancers venture into deeply emotional terrain in order to convey the ballet’s full message.

Requiring strong athleticism by the entire company, the choregraphy is at times very modern and frantic. The sailors were amazing! 

The Mermaid is treated poorly on land and rejected by the prince who marries a princess (Anais Bueno) instead. As Ariel is treading on an emotionally disturbing path, we see the world through her eyes. She’s ultimately driven to madness by the nightmarish atmosphere, feeling trapped and claustrophobic by ceilings and walls.

The earth world, which she so desired, turns out to be a poor tradeoff for her prior life. After re-creating herself, at the cost of extreme personal pain, she discovers life as a human has sharp edges, and is very difficult. We visibly see the physical, searing pain she endures, as she walks on the feet she so wanted. 

At last the poet arrives to pick up the pieces, and lamenting alongside the Mermaid, he sheds his clothes, and bare chested they dance in a passionate and uplifting last pas de deux uniting their minds and souls.

The score by Lera Auerbach sets the scenes, evoking both atmosphere and the emotional tone/discomfort of being out of one’s element. 

This fable about personal sacrifice, unconditional love, and failures, ultimately leads not to tragedy, but to endurance in an unexpected togetherness.

Photo Credit: Kiran West

This visually stunning ballet is a force of wordless emotions and a must see. 

Flo Mano is a CPS elementary teacher/librarian, hairdresser, and theater/film fanatic who catches hundreds of Chicago shows annually. She volunteers at numerous film venues and theaters.

The Joffrey Ballet closes its 67th season with the long-awaited Chicago premiere of John Neumeier’s beautifully haunting interpretation of The Little Mermaid. 

Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg

A gripping tableau of shadows and colors, Neumeier’s world-renowned production of Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 tragic folktale follows the tormented mermaid heroine on a journey between the divergent worlds of land and sea—one utterly complex, the other magnificently serene. With sets and costumes of the grandest scale, this heartbreaking tragedy, based on Andersen’s original and complex themes, will mark the largest production ever mounted by The Joffrey Ballet. The Little Mermaid will be presented at the historic Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, in ten performances only, from April 19–April 30, 2023.

In The Little Mermaid, Milwaukee-born, Hamburg Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer John Neumeier blends dance, dramatic storytelling, and spectacle into a stunning interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fable. The story follows a mermaid who saves a ship’s captain--a Prince--from drowning after a terrible storm at sea. Awakening to a group of onlookers on shore, the Prince mistakes his savior for a human Princess for whom he falls instantly in love. Begging for help from the underwater Sea Witch, the mermaid receives a human body with two legs—but as she watches the Prince’s love for the Princess grow, she suffers the pain of human disappointment and the heartbreak of unrequited love.

Neumeier created The Little Mermaid for the Royal Danish Ballet in 2005 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Andersen’s birth. Received with critical acclaim, the cautionary tale has since toured with premier ballet companies around the globe. The Little Mermaid is Neumeier’s tour de force, featuring his original choreography, sets, and costumes that come together to create a ballet that is as much theater as it is dance.

"John Neumeier's adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid is a poignant depiction of the complexity of unrequited love and unwavering resilience," says The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE. "At its heart, the story proves the strength of the spirit, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The production's choreography and stage design beautifully illustrate the contrasts between land and sea, and hope and despair. Neumeier's emotional journey reminds us that no matter how fervent, and although sometimes unreturned, love is a powerful force which transforms us into our best selves."

President and CEO Greg Cameron adds, "Marking the largest production ever mounted by the Joffrey, the long-anticipated Chicago premiere of The Little Mermaid closes out an extraordinary season of milestones, including the record-breaking remount of Anna Karenina, which became the highest-grossing non-Nutcracker production in the Joffrey's history. This season's closer is a stunning interpretation, bringing to life one of Hans Christian Andersen's most revered tales."

The Little Mermaid features an original score by Lera Auerbach that combines moody harmonies with the use of the theremin to convey the beautiful, otherworldly voice of the mermaid. Live music will be performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.

Ticket Information

The Joffrey Ballet presents John Neumeier’s The Little Mermaid from Wednesday, April 19–Sunday, April 30, 2023 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive. The full schedule is as follows: Wednesday, April 19 at 7:30 PM; Friday, April 21 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, April 22 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM; Sunday, April 23 at 2:00 PM; Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 PM; Friday, April 28 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, April 29 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM; and Sunday, April 30 at 2:00 PM.

Single tickets start at $36 and are available for purchase at Lyric Opera Box Office located at 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr. and by telephone at 312.386.8905, or online at joffrey.org.

Photo Credit: Kiran West

About The Joffrey Ballet

The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies in the world today, with a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for more than 60 years. The Joffrey repertoire is an extensive collection of all-time classics, modern masterpieces, and original works. 

Founded in 1956 by pioneers Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey remains dedicated to artistic expression, innovation, and first-rate education and engagement programming. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE and President and CEO Greg Cameron.

The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the support of its 2022–2023 Season Sponsors: Abbott Fund, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, The Florian Fund, Anne L. Kaplan, Nancy and Sanfred Koltun, and Live Music Sponsors Sandy and Roger Deromedi, Sage Foundation, and The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music. The Joffrey also acknowledges Season Partners Chicago Athletic Clubs, and Athletico Physical Therapy, official provider of physical therapy for The Joffrey Ballet.

Special thanks to The Little Mermaid Major Production Sponsor Ethel & Bill Gofen, and Production Sponsors Pamela Crutchfield, Jeanette Stevens, and Ron & Ann Waters.

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org. Connect with the Joffrey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Photo Credit: Kiran West

FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOWS ON OUR RADAR: The Little Mermaid Delights at Drury Lane Now Through June 6, 2015!

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Family Friendly Theatre in the Chi, IL Region

**Select Dates Include Breakfast with the Characters! ** Little swimmers embark on a journey under the sea when Drury Lane Theatre for Young Audiences (100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL) presents THE LITTLE MERMAID, the whimsical retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, now through June 6. As the perfect opportunity to introduce little ones to a new and exciting adventure, the reimagined THE LITTLE MERMAID by Marc Robin features a dynamic show with lively choreography and score. Drury Lane Theatre also offers children and their families a one-of-a-kind opportunity to have breakfast with characters from THE LITTLE MERMAID on select performance dates with a kid-friendly buffet. The Chicago Reader says Robin’s version of THE LITTLE MERMAID has “Much to delight young senses and sensibilities!”  This exciting underwater story follows inquisitive mermaid, Melody, who embarks on an adventure to explore a whole new human world even though her father King Poseidon forbids it. When Melody decides to leave her own birthday party, she rises to the surface during a storm and rescues a drowning prince. When she and the prince fall in love, Melody must decide whether to leave her home under the sea to live life as a human. The production is directed by Scott Weinstein (Fairy Tales at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Griffin Theatre) and will be choreographed by Daniel Spagnuolo. Additionally, the production will feature music direction by Alan Bukowiecki, scenic design by Joe Schermoly, costume coordination by Erika Senase, lighting design by Lindsey Lyddan and properties design by Jesse Gaffney. The cast will be led by Erin Oechsel as ”Melody,” Liam Quealy as “Prince Alexander,” Matthew R. Jones as “Poseidon,” Lisa Estridge as “Seaweed,” George Keating as “Fogerty,” John Keating as “Turtell,” Jonathan Butler Duplessis as “Bobell,” and Caitlin Collins as “Flutter.” The cast will also feature Zach Colonna, Tommy Lucas, Krystal Worrell, Hannah Dawe and Garrett Lutz.  Remaining Dates for The Breakfast Buffet package Little ones may enjoy a live experience by dining with THE LITTLE MERMAID characters May 16, May 23, May 30 and June 6 at 11:30 a.m. The Breakfast Buffet package features kid-friendly dining option in Drury Lane’s Dining Room and is available for $30.00 for adults and $25.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets for THE LITTLE MERMAID are now available by calling (630) 530-0111 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com or www.drurylane.com. Shows are available Wednesdays through Fridays at 10 a.m. Saturday performances are both at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Performance only tickets are available for $15 and a group rate of $12 per person is available for parties of 20 or more. About Drury Lane Theatre Drury Lane is a beautiful, unique and versatile facility that combines ideal location, functionality and elegance to make it one of Chicagoland's finest facilities. As the premier destination for dining, theatre and events, Drury Lane is home to the nation’s most spectacular Broadway – quality theatre productions. For more information about Drury Lane, please visit its website or Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages.