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“Have faith in your dreams and someday\/Your rainbow will come smiling through.”<\/em><\/p>\n It’s hard to hear Matthew Cangelose’s story and not be reminded of those magical Disney lyrics.<\/p>\n He was a competitive ice skater when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and derailed his career, which he had trained for since the age of 10.<\/p>\n Retaining a deep love for the artform, he didn’t know where to turn next when the world re-opened. As he tried to plot his future, a friend in the cast told him about “Disney on Ice.”<\/p>\n More magic: <\/strong>You can now get engaged on a Broadway stage at ‘Aladdin.’ Here’s how.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n He thought the chance to skate, travel and bring joy to audiences sounded “extraordinary” \u2212 and has happily skated around the globe with “Disney on Ice” ever since, recently marking five years with the organization. He’s gotten the chance to perform in 46 states in America, spent 2.5 months in Japan and toured Western Europe.<\/p>\n This week, the 30-year-old skater visits Trenton with “Disney on Ice Presents Frozen & Encanto,”<\/a> at the CURE Insurance Arena through March 15.<\/p>\n The show is “very special because it has two of the most award-winning Disney properties, and it is very magical,” Cangelose said. “It has all of your favorite characters including Anna, Elsa, Mirabel and her whole Madrigal family, as well as Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy,” he said.<\/p>\n Coming from the world of competitive skating, he’s enjoyed getting the chance to explore acting through his performances with “Disney on Ice.”<\/p>\n “It can be really challenging not coming from an acting background and getting to develop that skill on the ice,” he said. But “getting to see the audience members just light up whenever they see those characters that you help to bring to life, it’s really cool.”<\/p>\n