BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
Doha is all poised to become a nucleus of family-friendly entertainment in the region, thanks to world class shows such as Disney On Ice which has witnessed huge following locally and regionally in recent years.
For two consecutive years, Disney on Ice; which is brought to Doha by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), organised by Sport & Entertainment Solutions (SES) and produced by Feld Entertainment; has been a sellout show.
“QTA has a long-term vision for Doha as hub for family-friendly entertainment and part of its strategy is to bring the biggest shows in the world including Disney shows,” SES founder and CEO, Ali Haidary, said in an exclusive interview with The Peninsula.
“The last three years have seen a massive turnaround in Doha’s entertainment scene with shows of international standards such as Disney On Ice,” said Haidary.
Disney on Ice’s Doha debut in 2013 saw over 40,000 spectators making it the most successful family entertainment event in Qatar’s history. Tickets to “Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Magic” was sold out in just two weeks and organizers had to add one more show just to accommodate the huge demand.
“Doha is one of the cities, that really loves Disney and it is very special for us because it is the birthplace of Disney in the Middle East,” he said, adding it is their goal to make Doha the main hub of Disney On Ice in the region as they bring brand new shows yearly.
“Since 2013, QTA has supported us a lot. They understand that Disney On Ice not only does add to the local market but also regionally creating inbound tourism,” he said, adding Disney shows have seen many spectators from neighbouring countries mostly from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.
The popularity of Disney On Ice has been proven through the years with more than 30 million people in 275 cities in over 70 countries watching the shows annually.
For this year, Disney fans in Doha is set to be mesmerised by “Disney On Ice presents Princesses & Heroes” another exciting and unique ice spectacular to take place from May 27 to 30 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
The show is set to provide a new experience to Disney fans as it includes the record-breaking “Frozen” as an integral part of the show.
“A quarter of the show will be on “Frozen” featuring royal sisters Anna and Elsa as well as the hilarious snowman Olaf.” Haidary noted, adding, it also features all eight famous Disney Princesses namely Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana, Jasmine, Aurora and Snow White.
More than 100 cast and crew are coming to Doha for the show. They include around 60 performers and over 40 technicians in charge of various aspects of the show such as sound and lighting, ice, stage, costumes and choreography.
The performers, Haidary said, are world figure skating champions from the US, Canada, Russia and all over Europe set to provide performance of international standards. “The crowd will witness a visual feast of high level of skating, stunning costumes and breathtaking choreography complemented by amazing music and well-loved Disney stories.”
“We hope to break last year’s record because of the characters, the story, superior technical aspect and so much pyrotechnics and of course the icing on the cake is Frozen. This will really be a super show.”
Ten days prior to the show, 40 containers and the technicians will arrive to Doha to build the stage and the ice floor turning the QNCC into a magical venue which can accommodate up to 4,500 spectators.
There will be eight shows for the public. Tickets are on sale at Virgin Megastores and online at www.virginmegastore.qa. Ticket prices are QR150, QR250, QR450, VIP QR1,000 and Royal QR2,000.
With a long-term partnership among QTA, SES and Feld Entertainment, Doha can expect for more globally renowned shows in the near future.
“There’s definite plan to bring high quality shows in Doha such as Ringling Bros Circus, Monster Jam and Marvel Universe,” said Haidary.
The Peninsula
