STAGE TUBE: A Look Inside Wildhorn's WONDERLAND at the Alley

WONDERLAND, the new musical adventure by Frank Wildhorn (The Civil War and Jekyll & Hyde), with lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book by Phoebe Hwang, is currently playing at Houston's Alley Theatre through February 14.  BroadwayWorld brings you a look inside the production, directed by Gregory Boyd (also the Ally's Artistic Director).

WONDERLAND is set in present-day Manhattan and a timeless Wonderland. The new musical tells the story of author Alice Cornwinkle (a descendent of Lewis Carroll's muse Alice Liddell), who is struggling with her career and her daughter, Chloe. With a chaotic Wonderland in danger of disappearing into nothingness, only Alice can restore balance and joy. Audiences will journey with her through the Looking-Glass from New York City to a strange-yet-familiar place where she must reclaim her daughter, defeat the Queen of Hearts and learn to follow her heart.

The principal cast of Wonderland includes Julie Brooks (Fiddler on the Roof national tour) as Chloe, Janet Dacal (In the Heights, Good Vibrations) as Alice, Jose Llana (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as El Gato, Karen Mason (Sunset Boulevard, Mamma Mia!) as the Queen of Hearts, Darren Ritchie (Dracula: The Musical) as Jack/White Knight, Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde) as the Mad Hatter, Ed Staudenmayer (Forbidden Broadway) as the Rabbit and Tommar Wilson (Hair) as The caterpillar.

The design team for Wonderland includes choreography by Marguerite Derricks, music direction and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose, costume design by Susan Hilferty, set design by Neil Patel, lighting design by Paul Gallo, sound design by Jon Weston and video and projection design by Sven Ortel. Judith Lisi, president and CEO of the Straz Center is the producer.

The production had it's world premiere at Tampa's Straz Center for the Performing Arts last fall.

Tony and Grammy nominated composer Frank Wildhorn, who, in 1999, had three shows running on Broadway simultaneously, is about to duplicate that feat in Europe, with three new original musicals, RUDOLF: THE MAYERLING AFFAIR, CARMEN, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and CYRANO all open or opening later this year. 

Wonderland will play a limited engagement at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas, beginning Jan. 15, 2010. For more information, visit www.alleytheatre.org. For more information, visit Wonderlandthemusical.org.