Law of the jungle: Disney show roars

The show brings three Disney movies to life.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
vindicator entertainment writer
YOUNGSTOWN -- In its short history, Chevrolet Centre has seen its share of successes.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra sold out two shows in a single day, and the energy and atmosphere at the opening weekend concerts by 3 Doors Down and Tony Bennett are still fresh memories.
It's also had its flops. The Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz concert drew fewer than a thousand folks.
While figuring out what kind of entertainment Youngstowners will turn out for is an ongoing process for the downtown arena and its promoters, one thing is certain: Disney On Ice is huge.
Witness Wednesday night's sold-out performance of Disney's "3 Jungle Adventures."
The show kicked off a five-day, 10-performance run. Only eight shows were scheduled originally, but popular demand prompted the addition of two more.
"It's an absolute home run," said Matt Hufnagel, the arena's director of marketing and sales. "It bodes well for family shows here in the future."
Three stories
"Disney On Ice -- 3 Jungle Adventures" retells condensed versions of three Disney classics: "The Jungle Book," "Tarzan" and the great "The Lion King."
The common thread that connects the three parts is a quest by Timon and Pumbaa. The lovable pals from "The Lion King" provide comic relief in their search for their home.
The familiarity of the beloved films makes the adaptation so effortless. Anyone who has small kids, or had them, probably owns one, two or all three of these movies and is very familiar with the timeless tales.
Most parents have seen them, oh, say, 150 times apiece. And if their rapt attention was any indication, the majority of children in the seats had, too.
However, "3 Jungle Adventures" isn't of interest only to kids.
The skaters who play Mowgli and his girlfriend; Tarzan and Jane; and Simba and Nala show off their talent in extended ice dances.
But the highlight of the show -- at least for adults -- has to be the rope dance by Tarzan and Jane. In a display of amazing athleticism, the two take their dance to new heights by shinning up a rope and performing graceful and acrobatic moves, as jungle creatures dance beneath them.
Tarzan does a lot of rope swinging, but nothing tops the rope dance's daring and choreography.
Costumes
The costumed dancers also deserve credit, especially whoever's inside that Pumbaa suit. It can't be easy to skate wearing a four-legged warthog suit, let alone capturing the herky-jerky, rampaging movements of the character, but he (or she) does it.
And the costumes themselves -- most notably the elephants from "Jungle Book" -- bring the home videos to life for the kids. Some are oversized and others form-fitting, but the characters are instantly recognizable.
The show comes in at under two hours, and includes an intermission to repair the ice, so the young ones never get a chance to get fidgety. And some of the kids in the front row -- and their parents -- get really into the show when Baloo the playful bear stops by for a visit.