DCT Academy Expands Programming, Youth Cast Performs Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND

When children take classes at Dallas Children's Theater (DCT), the results are nothing less than astonishing. Audiences can see the magic that students enrolled in the DCT Academy create after just two weeks of work when over 30 students come together in the all-youth cast production of Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND. For three performances only, public audiences will travel down the rabbit hole to join Alice and DCT Academy students on madcap adventures in a musical that features updated songs from Disney's thrilling animated motion picture. ALICE IN WONDERLAND opens at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts on Friday, July 27, 2018.

"I'm so excited for our inaugural summer musical theater all-youth production! This is a great opportunity for our Musical Theater Conservatory students, and others, to apply what they are learning in class during the school year. This production is full of wonderment and excitement. We have a great production team, and we have made sure that the young actors are learning as well as having a great time putting on a Disney musical," said K. Doug Miller, Director of the Musical Theater Conservatory.

The all-youth cast of ALICE IN WONDERLAND has been under the creative leadership of Miller since early July when rehearsals began. Many of the designers and backstage crew are also teens who were recently enrolled in tech classes with DCT staff as instructors to teach them professional techniques while contributing to the production. With professionals from D-FW as teaching artists, the academy students have the benefit of working under the expert guidance of actors they have seen on the DCT stage and throughout the metroplex.

Miller assembled a team of the best musical theater artists in town to share their knowledge with the cast. Adam Wright is the musical director tasked with teaching the cast songs that are snappy and fun, and Megan Kelly Bates has created ingenious choreography. Lyle Huchton is bringing to life these classic characters with splendid costumes and Aaron Johansen is lighting the performance to create color and movement. All of these professionals have been a part of mainstage DCT productions as well as other professional theaters in the DCT community.

"We are so excited to offer this performance opportunity to our community. We have so many talented young people who have trained with us and want the opportunity to perform in a real musical, and I think our audiences will enjoy seeing an all-youth cast on stage presenting a much loved family favorite," said Nancy Schaeffer, DCT's Education Director and Associate Artistic Director.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
By Lewis Carroll
July 27 - 28, 2018
Recommended for ages 5 and up

Cast

• Mathilda / Rock Lobster: Paige Simpson
• Alice: Charlie Grace Addleman
• Cheshire Cat 1: Abby Waugh
• Cheshire Cat 2: Keira Ruibal
• Cheshire Cat 3: Zoe Helms
• Small Alice: Chloe Taylor
• White Rabbit: Anna Schuldenberg
• Wonderland Chorus / Royal Cardsmen: Amelia Spencer, Ruby Milliken, Vicki Vassen, Felix Ferrantello, Ivy Peikari, Kenna Ruibal, Luka Anderson, Quin Montanaro, Zoe Emrick
• Doornob: Zoe Emrick
• Dodo Bird: Elizabeth Jiede
• Tweedle Dee: Lily Monday
• Tweedle Dum: Lily Mccollum
• Rose: Vivian Osborne
• Petunia: Shelby Gerstner
• Lily: Violet Milliken
• Violet: Emma Daffin
• Daisy: Georgina Le-Henderson Caterpillar: Judge Madden
• Young Caterpillar: Caroline Ricketts
• Young Caterpillar: Layla Allen
• Mad Matter: Kai Mcghee
• March Hare: Caroline Bush
• Doormouse: Lulu Valentin
• Queen Of Hearts: Alex Johnson
• King Of Hearts: Teak Esneault

Production Team

• Director: K. Doug Miller
• Stage Manager: Amanda Renner
• Lighting Design: Aaron Johansen
• Set and Properties Design: Lauren Wheat
• Costume Design: Lyle Huchton
• Sound Design: Marco Salinas
• Education Intern: Cassidy Kaye

Student Costume Designers: Reese Armentrout, Trinity Cherry, Katelyn Dietrich, Kate Dillingham, Brey Funderburg, Layl Hudson

Backstage Student Tech Crew: Kristina Brewster, Daniela Cedillo, Layl Hudson, Jami Johnson, Lillianne Stanford, Olivia Weeldreyer, Maggie Wentzel

Performance Dates and Times

• Friday, July 27, 2018 at 7:30 pm
• Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 1:30 pm
• Saturday, July 28 at 7:30 pm

Ticket Prices: $15 - $20. For tickets, call the Box Office at 214-740-0051 or buy online at dct.org

2017-18 Season Sponsors are: Texas Instruments, City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, TACA, Anonymous Family, The Shubert Foundation, and The Carlson Foundation. General Sponsors Include: The Rosewood Corporation, Melinda & Jim Johnson, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, The Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, Inc., Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation, March Family Foundation, Maintenance, Inc./Maintenance, Inc. of America. Additional Support is Provided By: Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, Legacy Texas Bank, Frost Bank, Orien Levy Woolf & Dr. Jack Woolf Charitable Trust, The Graham & Carolyn Holloway Foundation, Stephen M. Seay Foundation, TXU Energy, Karen & Jim Wiley, Green Mountain Energy, DCT's official renewable energy partner. Sensory-Friendly Sponsors Include: The Crystal Charity Ball, Bank of America, Anonymous Foundation, The Aileen and Jack Pratt Foundation, W.P. & Bulah Luse Foundation. DCT's National Touring Sponsor is Neiman Marcus.

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