Canadian figure skater Robbie Harrison is taking his career to infinity and beyond. No, we’re not talking about raking in skating awards, which Harrison has his fair share of. Harrison, 21, is currently playing Buzz Lightyear in “Disney On Ice: Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 3.”
Q: You’ve been skating since age 4. How did you get involved with “Disney On Ice"?
A: As a skater, you grow up knowing about "Disney On Ice." It's always there. After a while you compete for so long and decide to take your career in a different way, because maybe you didn't work out so great on the competitive edge. I was still doing all right, but I thought it was about time to get away from home, get out and see the world, and Disney On Ice just seemed to be way to go.
Q: You play Buzz Lightyear in the show. What sort of things did you do to research for the role?
A.: I watched the movies quite a few times. I watched "Toy Story 3" almost as soon as it came out. I also was Buzz Lightyear on my old show, too. So I had experience being Buzz Lightyear before coming to "Toy Story 3." That helped a lot. The director helped out a lot and gave me some of the mannerisms of the toy. Things down to like which foot Andy [Buzz Lightyear's owner] scrawled his name on.
Q: Do you do some of the flamenco dancing that the character does in “Toy Story 3”?
A: Yes we do. A long time ago at a seminar when I was competing in skating, we had a flamenco dancing instructor come in and work with us. So I think that helped a lot. Other than that, it was just seeing what worked and looked Spanish.
Q: What do you enjoy most about playing the character?
A: I enjoy being that over-the-top heroic guy. It's a lot of fun. There are a lot of cool things I get to do during the show, a lot of flying around. It's a great role for me.
Q: Do you literally fly around during the show? Are you hooked up with wires?
A: Yeah. My whole first entrance is a bunch of special effects and me flying in from outer space. It's really cool.
Q: What are some of the challenges of skating in costume?
A: It's not too bad. The Buzz Lightyear costume is quite nice to skate in. It's very close to your body, so it doesn't flop around. I can see perfectly fine, and I can do all my tricks and everything.
Q: Disney is kind of particular with its characters. Were you given a list of dos and don’t to abide by when you’re in costume?
A: There are quite a few different things like Buzz Lightyear poses and mannerisms that you try to take into account when you're portraying the character. But after a while, it becomes sort of second nature. You put on the costume and just become Buzz Lightyear, and it's not that difficult anymore. It's all just drilled into your head.
"Disney On Ice: Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 3." Oct. 13-17. $11-$82.75. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com .
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