ICY DESERT OASIS : For ‘Aladdin,’ Disney Does More Than Skate By With the Suggestion of Sand

Aladdin zipping over a field of ice may seem as unlikely as a walrus trudging across the Sahara, but the show biz mavens at Disney are hoping kids and their parents can see beyond the incongruity.

Their newest family-geared skating blitzkrieg, “Walt Disney’s World on Ice--Aladdin,” comes to The Pond of Anaheim on Wednesday through Jan. 16. What audiences will get is Aladdin and his now-familiar friends and enemies from the animated movie spinning, leaping and sending up sprays of ice shavings as they make their way through a little Arabian Nights adventure.

It’s hard to imagine what a real Arab, accustomed to sun-dried days and sandy horizons, might think of all this chilly action. But Robert Little, one of the program’s creators (he helped adapt it and designed the sets), says youngsters here will just think it’s cool.

“There will be pair numbers, romantic numbers, thrill acts, jump-skating--all tied to elements of the story that are both romantic and exciting,” he said during a recent telephone interview from Tampa, Fla., where he’s helping to produce the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ latest touring show.

“With all that, how can we go wrong? Well, we think people who loved the movie will enjoy this. . . . We tried to create the same feeling as the movie--the hustle and bustle of the bazaar, the arid dunes of the desert, the opulence of the palace.”

Even Little agreed that putting on ice Aladdin, the poor boy who dreams of being a prince, seems an odd concept. But if Disney could make a skating extravaganza out of “Beauty and the Beast,” another popular full-length cartoon, then why not “Aladdin”?

Besides, he said, the staging attempts to create an environment that conjures up the desert.

“There’s usually an area that separates the audience from the rink; well, we’ve done some interesting things with that,” Little explained. “We’ve actually turned it into sand dunes to give the right feel.

“Then there’s the lighting and sound effects. They give the impression of a sandstorm raging away, especially at the (show’s) beginning . . . this is an exotic production.”

As with “Beauty and the Beast” and other Disney “World on Ice” programs,”Aladdin” uses overlapping taped recordings of dialogue and music while the “skater-actors” go through their routines.

The plot closely follows the movie: Aladdin and his monkey pal, Abu, try to save the kingdom from the bad-guy sorcerer, Jafar, with the help of Genie. Aladdin’s sweetheart, Princess Jasmine, gets in on the act.

Little said that much of the program’s family appeal comes from the sets, which cost about $1 million. Elaborate, colorful designs closely reflecting those of the film are featured in each scene, Little explained, adding that he’s most proud of the climax, when Jafar is transformed.

“It’s when Jafar finally gets hold of the lamp, then he first changes into a giant cobra snake, then a gigantic evil genie,” Little said. “It’s like a magic trick at mid-ice, using very complicated special effects. I think it’s a real accomplishment.”

Little also isn’t worried that the controversy hounding the “Aladdin” movie will leak onto the ice show. Some Arab Americans protested the film, charging that it portrayed Arabs in unflatteringly stereotypical ways. Disney denied the criticism but did agree to change some lyrics in a signature song, “Arabian Nights,” which had been condemned as racist.

“This is just my opinion, but I think that was a pretty minor dust-up,” he said. “Disney solved the whole thing by changing a few lines. I don’t think there will be any lasting effects.”

Little and Kenneth Feld, the lead producer for the show, also want fans of the “Beauty and the Beast” ice show to know that “Aladdin” will be a different experience. “Beauty and the Beast” was more romantic, they said, while “Aladdin” is geared toward action.

* What: “Walt Disney’s World on Ice--Aladdin.”

* When: Wednesday, Jan. 4, through Jan. 16. Show times: Jan. 4, 6, 10, 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 5 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 7 and 14 at noon, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 8, 15 and 16 at 1 and 5 p.m.; Jan. 11 at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

* Where: The Pond of Anaheim, 2695 Katella Ave., Anaheim.

* Whereabouts: Take the 57 (Orange Freeway) north to Katella Avenue and head east.

* Wherewithal: $10.50, $13.50 and $16.50.

* Where to call: (714) 704-2500 (information) or (714) 740-2000 (Ticketmaster).