MAGIC' AN ICEBREAKER FOR DISNEY.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

Through a jaundiced eye, ``Disney on Ice Celebrates 75 Years of Disney Magic'' might be seen as a two-hour commercial for the franchise aimed at selling even more videos, dolls, plush toys and overpriced concessions, a privilege for which one shells out up to $32 a seat.

But it's best enjoyed after checking that cynicism at the door.

Kids can savor the show as a sampler of all their favorite movie characters, from Mickey and Snow White to Simba and Mulan, with lots of sing-along songs, a quick pace and just enough flash to keep it interesting.

Parents can marvel at the fine skating executed in some extremely clumsy get-ups.

The first movie the show depicts is ``Pinocchio,'' complete with whale and windup toys. In this number, Disney, usually so secretive about its effects, offers a rare glimpse of the trick inside a slightly contorted pair of skating dolls.

The ``Toy Story'' segment features Woody and Buzz Lightyear in their ``You've Got a Friend in Me'' duet, and the green soldiers in a formation routine that's nice but far less intricate than the march in ``Toy Story on Ice'' seen here last year.

``Beauty and the Beast'' proves a nice showcase for the Russian husband-and-wife team of Marina Akbarova and Marat Akbarov. The same couple really shines later in ``Can You Feel the Love Tonight?'' from ``The Lion King,'' which has them relatively unencumbered in sleek body suits and smaller headdresses, allowing them to do more difficult maneuvers.

Jerry Bilik, who adapted the stories and directed the production, wisely compiled six of Disney's romantic couples - Pocahontas and John Smith, Ariel and Prince Eric, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Princess Jasmine and Aladdin, and Snow White and Belle with their own princes - into a medley of the love ballads they made famous.

Scott Irvine seems to have been skating all his life in a fuzzy blue Genie costume, judging from the ease with which he pulls off a back flip in that outfit. The circus bit from ``A Bug's Life'' is amusing, and the battle scene from ``Mulan,'' complete with falling snow, is a good spectacle.

This production is not limited to the movies. The Mouseketeers make an appearance (there's no Annette or Cubby but other charming retro names such as Bonnie and Jerry are included), and Disneyland's late great Main Street Electrical Parade gets a nod with a very scaled-down re-enactment.

The show also includes ``It's a Small World'' in a way that makes that tune far more palatable than it is on the Disneyland boat ride. Several skating pairs are costumed according to varying regions, and they dance to orchestrations of the melody that capture the flavor of their cultures.

For those who can't (or won't) buy tickets and $8 Sno-Cones, some of the ``Disney on Ice'' performers will be downtown for a free live performance on Pershing Square's outdoor rink at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The public is welcome to skate at 7 p.m. while viewing a ``glide-in movie'' of some popular scenes from Disney productions. For more information on this event, call [phone] or go to www.disneyonice.com or www.laparks.org.

``DISNEY ON ICE CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF DISNEY MAGIC''

Where: Long Beach Arena through Sunday; Los Angeles Sports Arena Wednesday through Jan. 15.

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays, and various matinee times.

Tickets: $10 to $32. Call Ticketmaster, [phone].

Our rating: Three stars

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(1 -- 2) Animated characters from the movies ``A Bug's Life,'' left, and ``Mulan'' come to life in ``Disney on Ice Celebrates 75 Years of Disney Magic.''