Disney's magic on ice

By John Benson

In looking over the history and career of Natasha Kuchiki, it’s clear the former Olympian was born to skate.

A child of Ice Capades performers, Kuchiki, who stars in the “Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic” production coming to Youngstown tonight through Sunday at Covelli Centre, said her path to the ice was evident early on.

“When the Ice Capades were around, I was brought up in it,” said Kuchiki, calling from Rockford, Ill. “My parents met in the ice shows, and then my family settled in Los Angeles. There are two venues that most athletes in figure skating can go. They can go into the coaching side or show skating. And there is nothing better than to say you do something that you love as a career, so to be able to do that each day is great. And after my competitive years, I became second generation touring with Ice Capades. And when that company folded, I moved to Feld, which produces “Disney On Ice.”

Kuchiki’s amateur career was highlighted by three U.S. National Championships, a bronze medal in the 1991 World Championships and sixth-place finish in the 1992 Winter Olympics. Since turning professional in 1994, the talented skater has appeared in ice productions of “Grease on Ice,” “3 Jungle Adventures: Disney’s The Jungle Book, Tarzan and The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

However, it’s Kuchiki’s role as Mulan in “Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic” that has her excited.

“I would say it’s one of the most dramatic parts in the entire show,” said Kuchiki, who at the age of 33 is a “Disney on Ice” veteran. “The focal point is she wants to honor her family’s name, so she goes to war for her family so her father doesn’t have to. It’s like all Disney stories, very family oriented. And this is a wonderful show with 60 of your favorite characters, from the classics to the Pixar movies. It’s a wide variety and a fantastic show.

“We have a great creative team, and concept intertwines very smoothly with our icons Mickey and Minnie, who present the story very smoothly. We open with ‘Aladdin’ and then go into ‘Finding Nemo.’ We even have ‘It’s a Small World’ with a huge, electrical-light parade.”

In addition to the all-star list of popular cartoon characters included in “Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic.” Kuchiki believes the stars of the show are the top-notch performers.

“We have a cast of 47 skaters from 12 different countries,” Kuchiki said. “We have Olympians other then myself, so it really is a talented cast and a high-energy show. And once the house lights go down and the show lights come up, even the adults get into it. There’s an inner child in everyone.”

if you go

What: “Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic”

When: 7 tonight; 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: Covelli Centre, 229 E. Front St., Youngstown.

Tickets: $16, $21, $32, $44 at the box office