lookingglass alice at the alliance theater

My family was invited to the premier of Lookingglass Alice at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. It was an 8 o’clock show, which is pretty late for the kids. They made it through the whole thing, which gives you some idea of how good this show is.

Lookingglass Alice is written and directed by David Catlin of Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company. The play is adapted from both Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. The Lookingglass Theatre Company has put on this show since 1987 when David Catlin and David Schwimmer scraped together enough cash to start a theatre group.

Lookingglass Alice is every bit as magical as the Lewis Carroll stories that inspired the play. It is a musical, but also a circus. It is childlike, but also philosophical. It is funny, and also tragic. It is full of special effects, but reveals its own secrets. As Alice travels through time, desperate to become queen, the audience is both mesmerized by the make-believe wonderland and rudely jolted back to reality, over and over again.

This particular production lets the audience in on the creation of Wonderland. As Alice flies through the air, harnesses are left in plain site. Costume changes sometimes happen on stage. It’s unsettling at first. Was the curtain supposed to fall like that? Were we supposed to hear that? You find yourself rooting for both Alice, the character, to become queen, and Lindsey Noel Whiting, the actor, to make it through the performance without crashing to the stage.

The acrobatics, the vivid costumes, and the wild characters kept my kids entertained for the entire 90 minutes of this play. It is somewhat mature in its content, compared to say, Dora the Explorer, but I found it appropriate for my children. Also, the audience is asked to remain seated for the entire play, so keep that in mind! My six year old daughter was completely enthralled, and it was wonderful to see her face light up. This was an experience she is sure to remember for years to come.

Take a peek of Alice in action:

LOOKINGGLASS ALICE

Music and lyrics by Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman; adapted from the stories of Lewis Carroll; set design by Daniel Ostling; costume design by Mara Blumenfeld; lighting design by Christine Binder; sound design by Ray Nardelli; production stage manager, Dennis Conners; choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi; written and directed by David Catlin. The Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center, (404) 733-4650. Through May 2. Running time: 90 minutes.

WITH

Molly Brennan (Red Queen and others)
Kevin Douglas (Mad Hatter and others)
Anthony Fleming III (Cheshire Cat and others)
Doug Hara (White Knight and others)
Lindsey Noel Whiting (Alice)

Lookingglass Alice is running through May 2, 2010. The Alliance Theatre is offering $15 stage tickets. Here’s your chance to be a part of this amazing production at The Alliance! Just enter the promo code Wonderland15 when ordering tickets. Buy tickets now.

The Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 733-4650