Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove to heat up Royal Farms Arena
Josh Bindon knows Disney on Ice. It’s been his job for 14 years, performing as a pirate from Peter Pan, a playing card for Alice in Wonderland, Scar from The Lion King and more princes than he can name during a career that’s spanned nearly 5,000 shows on five continents.
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll keep doing this,” Bindon, a 32-year-old native of Edmonton, Canada, said. “But every time I go out there on the ice, it’s an honor to be part of Disney.”
Bindon can tell you how he met his wife, Shelley, eight years ago when they were both playing fairies in a Disney on Ice show. He can rattle off pretty much all of the 50 Disney characters who are part of his latest tour, Treasure Trove. He can even detail how he went from pursuing Olympic gold to Disney magic.
“I had been a competitive figure skater for seven years, beginning when I was 11,” Bindon said. “I just never enjoyed competing. Disney was having an open audition for Toy Story. I spoke to my coach and went to the audition. I got cast shortly after.”
But here’s perhaps the only thing Bindon won’t discuss: Which character he plays in Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove, which skates into Royal Farms Arena for nine shows from Wednesday through Sunday.
“I’m not allowed to say,” he said. “But if you see something that makes you laugh, there’s a good chance I’ll be involved.”
Though Bindon won’t reveal who he plays in the two-act show, the audience will have plenty of guesses since Treasure Trove features a who’s who list of Disney characters. Is he Mickey Mouse? Donald? Goofy? How about Peter Pan or Captain Hook? Simba or Pumbaa? Maybe Aladdin or Sebastian the crab? Or will he be one of the princes trying to woo Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Jasmine or Ariel?
“Still can’t tell you,” he said. “What makes this show unique is that we have characters for everyone because we ‘re spanning 50 years of Disney. There’s Snow White and Cinderella for the older adults and then you have The Lion King and The Little Mermaid for the younger audience. You’re going to see the whole crowd singing because they grew up with these characters.”
Bindon, who has been part of several Disney on Ice tours, said what separates Treasure Trove is the level of skating.
“We have triple jumps and big, innovative tricks that you don’t see in competition skating,” he added.
Since its first show in the building that’s now Royal Farms Arena in 1986, Disney on Ice has been a staple at the downtown
relic on the corner of Baltimore Street and Hopkins Place. It has stopped there 50 times, including two stints annually since 1995, with the most recent being 100 Years of Magic last October.
“It’s an honor to visit historic arenas like the one in Baltimore,” said Bindon, who will be performing at the arena for the fourth time. “It has this aura that strikes a cord with me. I’m into music and want to perform in places that have had a big impact on music. It’s an honor for me to say that I performed on the same stage as The Beatles.”
Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove
Where: Royal Farms Arena
Shows: Wednesday: 7:30 p.m.; Thursday: 7:30 p.m.; Friday: 10:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m., 4 p.m.
Tickets: $60, $45, $25, $20, $15 and can be purchased by clicking here. Children 2 and older need a ticket. The $15, $20 and $25 tickets for Opening Night (Wednesday, Feb. 3) are half price.
Jon Gallo is an award-winning journalist and editor with 19 years of experience, including stints as a staff writer at The Washington Post and sports editor at The Baltimore Examiner. He also believes the government should declare federal holidays in honor of the following: the Round of 64 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament; the Friday of the Sweet 16; the Monday after the Super Bowl; and of course, the day after the release of the latest Madden NFL video game.