"Alice in Wonderland, Jr."
By Michael Spinetta
Staff Writer
Mind the segués and windy turns ahead
in this review, no apologies offered, and backseat driving not
necessary here. It is a great road to Wonderland traveled – with
kids in the driver’s seat. Earlier today, I had in hand a copy of
the 1864 manuscript "Alice's Adventures under Ground" by Lewis
Carroll. In calligraphic form, a grand "Chapter 1" adorns the top
of the first of many hand written and illustrated pages in this
script by Carroll. Alice is penned in bored and pensive, right fist
on cheek, resting an elbow on her sister’s knee. This Alice was
nodding to the edge of the first dream from which would come many
future interpretations, pop songs, and references in our
English-based culture.
The El Dorado Musical Theatre presentation of
Disney’s "Alice in Wonderland, Jr." is one such future story. The
Clubs Cast showed the Sunday night audience how well kids can
present a "‘tween fittin’ in" story. EDMT’s Rising Stars – children
between 6 and 13 years old – perform this once-a-year production
that is literally, and literarily, their own show. The Hearts Cast
alternates with The Clubs Cast, and hey folks, there are multiple
dozens of children on the stage! It begs the mention of two group
performances. My mom, daughter and I agreed that the most colorful
scene was the Servers lined up at the Tea Party belting out ‘neath
balloons.
Photo: Servers lined up at the Tea Party belting out ‘neath
balloons.
In the first scene, Alice (Kelly
Maur) follows in-step with all the cliques of preteens mobbing by.
All at once, my mom and I picked up that the group of snoots would
be the flowers later. And they were the girls of the Golden
Afternoon in the garden! Alice went on through the play alternately
matching wits with dimwits and ditzes and dodos and Dums. She,
Kelly the actress, hinted at her full voice in "Very Good Advice"
sung with the Clock Pieces before intermission, and after the tea
party’s unclockwork-like surgery, let us hear the reprise in front
of the stage curtain. With great sound. My daughter’s favorite
song, the first Act’s send-off, "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah", lead by the
fascinatingly armed Caterpillar (Madison Sykes). My daughter liked
this most because it, "...made me a little bit sad. I really liked
the part when Alice came into Wonderland and that part." Ms. Maur,
at 12 now, previously made the audition for Hairspray, and
did well under the golden locks tonight.
Photo: Caterpillar (Eric Hurst)
and Alice (Claire Soulier) -- HEARTS CAST
So, where does she belong, the Alice
of this future-now-present turning of pre-age story? We all know
she should be with her sister, where no queen’s vocal chords wave away all
others precedence: the speech pattern of which my mom enjoyed the
echo of the most. My mom also thought the best actress (other than
the Two of Diamonds) was the Cheshire Cat (Kylie Adams).
Photo:
the girls
of the Golden Afternoon in the garden
The cool cat, Kylie, is the daughter of regional band Full Funky
Gorilla’s vocalist. I published a review on 'Charlotte’s Web' in
May 2009 in which Kylie played a very important pig in Sutter
Creek. We agreed the cat had great body movement, good narration
skills, mind-bending makeup, and shocking Bowie-like hair. Mad
smiles to you! All three of us noticed how well everyone stayed in
character, especially the Doormouse. (I do not have your name
currently, little mouse, I apologize!) When the White Rabbit’s
horn accidentally fell off the Jury Box’s rails, the Doormouse
wriggled its nose and deftly picked up the instrument like it was
fresh cheese. Way to go!
My five-year old’s
favorite costume was The Little Mermaid during "The Caucus Race".
My favorite "use" of a costume were the Flamingos miming as sticks
while kicking Hedgehogs through Cards. My mom’s favorite was ... oh
wait, my daughter changed her mind. Now, her favorite costumes were
Mathilda’s and Alice’s... because they were like 'Little House on
the Prairie'. Okay. I liked the singing of Tweedle Dee (Emily
Fritz), since we’re being incongruous now. And not likewise, the
Hatter (Amber Hartigan) was way, way caffeinated.
Photo: King of Hearts (Nick
Adams), March Hare (Asten Fallavollita), Queen of Hearts (Emily
Martorana), Mad Hatter (Amber Hartigan), Alice (Kelly Maur),
Caterpillar (Madison Sykes), White Rabbit (Ireland Bonds), Cheshire
Cat (Kylie Adams) -- CLUBS CAST
Let’s have an aside, and say that this whole weekend I’ve gone back
in time. Friday, a brand new local amphitheatre in Amador County
hosting a band playing music from 500 years ago and today.
Saturday, a wedding in a country barn with 
an interrupting horse (no, not an
interrupting cow) nudging on metal barn wall from the corral
outside the sheet behind the lucky couple during the ceremony. And,
Sunday, 'Alice' and not quite a full deck of cards for fellows of a
company in their modern renaissance of time on stage in El Dorado
Hills. Yes. The point to this review is the show is for all ages,
even when the generations cover more than half a century and the
story covers three times that. Huh? "What's one and one and one and
one and one and one and one and one and one and one?" "I don't
know," said Alice, "I lost count." (If one would’ve asked late
polymath and Alice scholar Martin Gardner the answer, he would’ve
known.) Photo: Mad
Hatter (Amber Hartigan)
Please contact the Three Stages theater for tickets to the
remaining shows of the series: Friday, July 15 at 7 p.m.; Saturday,
July 16 the Hearts Cast performs at 7 p.m. and the Clubs Cast
performs at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (go to two shows at least that
day!); and finally, the stage darkens after the last show Sunday,
July 17, at 2 p.m. and then the King of Hearts will leave the
building. Next up at Three Stages is, "Curtains" July 22 - July 31,
2011 with seven shows scheduled. The new season will be announced
very shortly, so frequent the group’s website,
www.edmt.info/index.html
Go now.
Three Stages at Folsom Lake College, 10 College Parkway, Folsom,
CA. Visit: www.threestages.net
or call 916-608-6888. Based on the 1951 Disney Film "Alice in
Wonderland" and the novels "The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland"
and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Director: Rick
Wilson; Choreographer: Kat Bahry; Vocal Director: Samantha
Arrasmith; Costumer: Tina Wojcik.
For additional questions or information regarding "Alice in
Wonderland, Jr", contact Producer Alicia Soto at
mediease@aol.com or
call the EDMT office at (916) 941-SING (7464). EDMT’s Production of
'Alice in Wonderland, Jr.' is sponsored in part by Raley’s, Sir
Vesa’s, Gift of Kids Daycare and Preschool, Mechanics Bank, and
Parker Development Company.
For more information about registration, roles or fees, visit
www.edmt.info or call (916)
941-SING. EDMT is an award winning regional theater company based
in El Dorado Hills, California featuring performers aged 6-20. EDMT
was founded in 2001 and is a Non-Profit Organization. EDMT produces
five major productions per year. Remaining productions this season
include 'Curtains'. Additionally, EDMT produces an annual training
show for performers ages 5-9, no experience is required.
All photos courtesy of EDMT
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