DISNEY ON ICE: HAPPILY EVER AFTER FEATURING HERCULES, Delta Center, 301 W. South Temple; continues through March 21; performances at 7 p.m. Thursday, 4 & 7:30 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 & 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 & 5:30 p.m. Sunday. All seats reserved. Tickets are $9.50 (upper bowl), $12.50, $17.50 and $22.50 (rinkside seating), with $2 discounts for children's tickets for specified performances, excluding rinkside seats. Telephone orders: 467-8499 or 1-800-888-8499. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Delta Center box office or any Smith'sTix outlet. For group sales, call 325-2554. General information: 325-SEAT (7328) or 1-800-358-7328. Running time: two hours (one intermission).
For historical accuracy, this show would never pass muster as part of the University of Utah's annual "Greek Theatre Festival." But if you're in the mindset of "ancient history is Greek to me," you'll get a kick out of Disney's fun-filled spin on the legendary Hercules, who's joined by Mickey and Minnie Mouse and a trio of other famous Disney couples.Feld Entertainment has bookended the adventure-filled "Hercules" plot with snippets of other famous "happily ever after" pairs -- Cinderella and her Prince Charming (played by Mickey and Minnie -- the latter in a polka dot gown), Snow White and her sleeping Prince (the Dwarfs are here, too), Aladdin and Jasmine, and Beauty and the Beast.
Spread across 16 scenes in two acts, most of the show focuses on Hercules and Meg.
The production's five principal skaters, all former competition medalists, include Troy Goldstein (Hercules), a gold medalist in all five U.S. figure skating categories; Larissa Zamotina of Russia, as Meg, and Swedish skater Joel Mangs as the villainous Hades.
Pratfalling Mark Farrington, a native of Bradford, England, is Hercules' scrappy trainer, Philoctetes ("Phil"), and Georgian skater Besa Tsintsadze has the dual roles of Young Hercules and Hermes.
Closely copying Disney Studio's animated film, "Hercules," features five classy, sassy women as a Greek chorus -- the Muses. The production's tape-recorded music/dialogue track has them telling the "gospel truth" about the star's Herculean feats.
Costumes, scenery and high-tech special effects play a big role as well. Patrons were probably wondering how the skaters managed to maneuver around the rink attired in cumbersome, larger-than-life outfits -- especially the towering (and kind of scary) Cyclops, the hideous Titans and Nessus, the centaur.
There's plenty of smoke and fire, too, from lightning bolts to the fearsome Hydra, as Hercules journeys from Mt. Olympus to Thebes and back.
On opening night, there was romance off the rink as well as on. During intermission, Jay (Jeremy) Elggren of Layton proposed to Laurie Hiatt of Kaysville, anticipating a true-life version of "happily ever after." She said "Yes," after which Mickey and Minnie presented her with a huge bouquet of red roses.
Also during intermission, Feld Entertainment publicist Bill Powell dedicated the performance to the late Eugene Jelesnik, who had longtime connections to the company's touring ice shows and circuses.
Sensitivity rating: Some of the mythological creatures, such as the multi-headed Hydra and the giant Cyclops, may frighten younger children.