Feb. 01--A driving wind and piles of snow did not deter kids in colorful costumes and their bundled-up families from attending Disney on Ice's Frozen show Sunday morning at the United Center.
The 7 p.m. show was canceled because of the weather, but two matinees were on as scheduled, to the delight of young fans and the relief of parents who made hourslong treks in blizzard conditions.
Jerry Pezdek, attending the show with his two kids and their cousins, said he gave little thought to skipping the show.
"As if I had an option!" he said.
One group exited a limo before scurrying inside the arena, while others wore the costumes of the characters Elsa and Anna beneath winter coats. The show is based on "Frozen," an animated film and pop culture phenomenon among children about a stubborn princess who sets off to find her estranged sister, whose untamed magical powers lead her to accidentally curse her kingdom with an eternal winter.
Vesna Radjenovich drove to the show from Northwest Indiana this morning with her 7-year-old daughter Ana and some friends.
They mulled over staying home, Radjenovich said, but decided to make the trip, which ended up taking about two hours.
"We considered it but we didn't want to disappoint the kids," she said. "We thought, 'Elsa gave us a little surprise.'"
Radjenovich said the group probably would get a hotel room if conditions worsened by the end of the show.
Erin Debartolo, 40, of LaGrange, said the family didn't consider missing the event. Their 5-year-old son, Patrick, got the chance to attend as a reward, she said.
"It's all about 'Frozen'" for her son and 3-year-old daughter Olivia.
Her husband Michael Debartolo said the roads were not too bad this morning, with few cars out and about.
"The only people on the roads were people coming to 'Frozen,'" he said.
Jennifer Paoletti said they meet friends every year for Disney on Ice and already had tickets, so they didn't give much thought to staying home. Paoletti brought 5-year-old Chloe to the show from Lake Bluff.
"My husband wanted us to stay home," she said.
Exchanges will be offered to ticketholders who could not attend the two Sunday shows as planned.
Tickets for Sunday's 7 p.m. performance are now good for a newly added performance at 7 p.m. Tuesday, organizers said. Patrons are asked to keep their original tickets. Existing tickets will be recognized for use on the newly scheduled Tuesday performance.
Ticketholders unable to make today's 11:30 a.m. or 3 p.m. shows may exchange their tickets at the United Center box office for tickets to the Tuesday evening performance or the 3 p.m. performances on Thursday or Friday.
Ticketholders may call (312) 455-4500 for more information.
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