Disney Puts A Favorite Fairy Tale On Ice

The Walt Disney folks call "Beauty and the Beast" the most romantic story ever told, and then they add: "Just wait 'til you see it on ice."

You can this weekend at KeyArena as Walt Disney's World on Ice brings the beautiful fairy tale alive in a fantasy of color and characters.

All the favorites are there, from Belle and her hulking Beast to the rude Gaston who wants to marry her, the perky Chip and Mrs. Potts and their wacky castle crew. And since no Disney show is complete without Mickey Mouse, the opening and closing numbers feature the whole gang, including Minnie, Donald Duck, Daisy, Goofy, Chip 'N Dale, Baloo and Scrooge McDuck.

The show has 19 male and 28 female professional skaters, who change costumes an average of six times each, and 26 scenic backdrops with 8,000 lights. Producer Kenneth Feld, who also takes Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on tour every year, says this show cost $6 million. It opened in Portland last week and will tour 42 cities around the world over the next couple of years.

The cast is also international. Victor Baryshevtsev, who plays the braggart Gaston, is from Kiev, Ukraine. He landed his starring role by mailing a videotape of his high-flying double axels, Russian splits and back flips to the World of Ice's skating director. His wife, Oxana, skates in the chorus. Their son, Max, 4, tours with them, though he's not a professional skater - yet.

Tatiana Ratchkova is Belle. She began skating in Russia at age 5. Through the years she has competed in many international events, including the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France.

Mark Walker, the Beast, was born in England. He studied lighting and stage production, eventually landing a job on the Blackpool Hot Ice Show lighting crew. There he decided he'd rather be in front of the curtains. So after performances, he'd stay late to practice his skating. Two years ago he auditioned for Disney, and now he's traveling the world with the show.

This is the first time the World of Ice has played in Seattle. For the last eight years the shows were at the Tacoma Dome. The new KeyArena layout brings spectators much closer to the ice and the action.

Ticket information

"Walt Disney's World on Ice Presents Beauty and the Beast," noon, 3:30 and 7 p.m. today; 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. tomorrow, KeyArena at Seattle Center. Tickets are $10.50 to $15.50 at the box office. Information: 684-7200.