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Disney on Ice presents Princess of Wishes was a whirlwind ice fantasia with Micky Mouse, Minnie, Goofy, Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, Prince Philip, a wicked witch, a wily octopus, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, stringing together vigorous vignettes and sparkling performances, in the genre of a 1001 Nights, extremely well done, with enough professional props to hold up the economy. The boat floating on ice was convincing, carrying passengers from the audience to prove it, the motorized fairy carriage glided fantastically across the ice, while the dragon breathing fire seemed in serious danger of melting a hole in the ice and falling through it. Family entertainment and Disney are selling wishes and wonderment while the world around us is only just (maybe) leveling out from an economic nose-dive. Children love Disney anyway, but mums and dads also need a little bit of magic to take their minds off their mortgages and their money, (or the lack of it). Like Disneyland, Indonesia, through the mystical traditions of Java, is also a land of wonders and mysteries, and the proverbial struggle between good and evil, with princes, princesses, genies, jins and fairies taking on the powers of the underworld. The slaying of dragons is more than mythology. It reflects a human need to identify evil and be seen to slay the dragon that represents it, whereas in real life the struggle for survival, economic and social development and justice, is never so black and white. So the dragon breathing fire was slayed on ice, but by prince charming and not by St George of England. So much easier if Aladdin or a benevolent Caliph could ride in on a white horse and slay your dragons for you, and not bring with him more evil than he disposed of. But this is dreamland, and we live in reality. So when the wicked wily octopus Ursula, with many hands in nearly everything, sets up the enchanted mermaid Ariel to take the charming prince away from the fair princess Jasmine, then Indonesians could see the shadows of the “wayang kulit”, the Javanese shadow puppets, animated by the strings of power. We are used in Indonesia to understanding society that way, and have long used this traditional Javanese entertainment genre to be able to shine the light of understanding on darker places and relationships, where we are still afraid to go and which many would prefer to leave alone. In the Javanese mysticism that still haunts the mind of Indonesians, the evil under the sea is still there and can take your life if you do not respect its power. So the modern global world of wishes and wonder of Disney, was not so far from the heart and soul of traditional Indonesia as we might think. And when the Fairy Godmother told Cinderella “That the road to true love may be barred by many dangers” we were coming back to reality! I asked Gig Siruno the Performance Director for Feld Entertainment how the show was doing in the midst of a global economic crisis, but clearly they and their local partners, Sentra Enterprise, took a gamble, that Indonesia was riding out the economic storm. Good for them! With a capacity at 85,000 seats in one week, Dahlia Asmat of Sentra confirmed they would be very happy to fill 70 percent. The genie on ice offered Aladdin in Jakarta three wishes. However he warned, being familiar with Indonesia, that using one of the wishes to wish for three more wishes, would be wishful thinking. Lets all wish for the best, especially for our kids, and how nice to see them love Disney on Ice so much. I wish the Americans would put on a lot more good shows in the next few years. We live in hope. Dr Terry Lacey We welcome the submission of all articles for possible publication on WardheerNews.com So please email your article today Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WardheerNews |
