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AUBURN
HILLS, Mich. -- Disney
on Ice
returns to the Palace of Auburn Hills for its annual wintertime
run. This year's musical is titled Treasure Trove and
it will be completely new from the ground up. It commemorates
the legacy of Disney's animated films over the last 50 years.
Treasure Trove will feature Rapunzel and Flynn, Cinderella,
Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Snow White, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Simba,
Pumbaa, Alice and Mad Hatter. Tickets starting at $15 will go
on sale starting Friday, Jan. 20 at all Ticketmaster outlets.
"I'm
actually from Port Huron, Mich. and I grew up learning to skate
and playing hockey for a couple of years," said performer
Justin Williams in an exclusive phone interview. "Through
a friend in the family, I switched over to take figure skating
lessons. I trained as a competitive figure skater for quite a
few years in Rochester Hills. Then in 2008, I joined the Disney
on Ice tour."
He will
be one of the performers in
the new Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove musical.
"It
is a brand new show that is being put out this year by Feld Entertainment,"
Williams explained. "It features over 50 Disney characters.
It goes through what we call the treasure trove vault of movies.
It features the very first features film of Snow White and
the 50th film, which is Tangled. It also has Princess
and The Frog, Lion King, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland
and many more."
Which
characters will you be playing in the show?
"I
play several different characters throughout the show and can
be seen many times," he added. "There's so many and
it can change from show to show. But many different ones. It's
a really great family show to brings kids of all ages to enjoy
the show even mom's and dad's. It's going to be very enjoyable
for everyone to see."
How does
it feel to be returning to play in your hometown of metro Detroit?
"I'm
very excited for it, it will be my first time in over four years
that I'll be able to play in Auburn Hills, Mich.," the figure
skater and performer said. "It will be very exciting and
hopefully, a lot of fun. I have never played any shows at the
Palace before."
What was
the audition process like? Was there only one audition or several
rounds of them?
"For
the audition process, I had one audition," Williams explained.
"When I finished my competitive career, I got in contact
with the lady who does the hiring and I sent her an updated video
of my skating. Then, I got contacted via e-mail and she had a
spot open and offered it to me."
How many
cities are you going to visit on this our all together?
"I
believe this tour is close to about 26-30 U.S. cities," he
added. "We started in October, we began in San Diego, Calif.
We moved through California and have been working west to east.
There's about three months left right now."
What's
next for you after Disney on Ice wraps up?
"I'm
not quite sure, this is something I'm hoping to be doing for quite
some time, the figure skater and performer said.
What advice
would you offer to kids who are growing up who dream to be a figure
skater/performer like you?
"I
just always say with anything you're going to be doing whether
it's figure skating, always practice and try hard and keep at
it."
Tickets
for Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove are available at the
Palace of Auburn Hills Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations,
The Palace Locker Room Stores and www.ticketmaster.com.
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-745-3000. Group calls 248-377-8638.
Tickets start at $15.
For
more information on Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove, visit
disney.go.com/disneyonice.
Photo
credit: Disney on Ice
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be featured in the new musical.
