WONDERLAND Gets a Rock & Roll Makeover at ATC Kids, Starting Today

The Atlantic for Kids 2016/2017 Season will resume today, March 4, with the family rock concert meets live theater adventure Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure, a New York premiere musical based on Lewis Carroll's beloved Alice and Wonderland tales, featuring book and lyrics by Rachel Rockwell, music and lyrics by Michael Mahler, and direction by Marshall Pailet.

Carroll's beloved, poetic tale of self-actualization is brought to life with an eclectic, live rock soundtrack as Alice journeys through Wonderland in search for her own inner voice. Along the way, she faces many challenges and fears, but in learning to believe in the impossible Alice learns to believe in herself. Wonderland is recommended for children aged 8 and up, but kids of all ages are welcome!

Wonderland will feature an ensemble cast of performers doubling as the show's musicians, including Crystal Arnette (Queen of Hearts), Anna Chicco (Bianca), Nathaniel Dolquist (Felicite), Lily Fryburg (Alice), Armando Gutierrez (March Hare/King of Hearts), Paul Hinkes (Dinah/Chesire Cat), Emily Ide (Mad Hatter/Four), Sam Saint Ours (White Rabbit/Tweedle Dee), James Stafford, (Caterpillar/Tweedle Dum/Seven) and Mina Walker (Lorina/Dormouse/Unicorn).

In addition to Rockwell, Mahler and Pailet, the creative team showcases musical direction and orchestrations by Andy Roninson, and choreography by Misha Shields. Additional team members include Reid Thompson (Scenic Design), Loren Shaw (Costume Design), Oliver Wason (Lighting Design), and Kelsy Durkin (Production Stage Manager).

Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure received its World Premiere Production at Chicago Children's Theatre, April 2015, Jacqueline Russell, Artistic Director; and is produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois.

Wonderland performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30am, beginning March 4 through March 26 at Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues).

Single tickets to Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure start at $15 for Kids (ages 10 and under) and $20 for Adults. Group tickets are also available. $10 and $15 tickets are available for all Atlantic Preferred A-Passport holders. To purchase, please visit atlantictheater.org or call Ovation Tix at (866) 811-4111. To learn more about Atlantic's A-Passport program, visit atlantictheater.org/passport.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Michael Mahler (Music, Lyrics) is the award-winning Chicago-based composer/lyricist of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, October Sky, Hero, The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes, Rockne, Painted Alice, How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?, and others. His songs have been performed in concerts and showcases around the globe including an evening at the Kennedy Center. Michael contributed additional lyrics to Cameron Mackintosh's new Broadway-bound production of Miss Saigon, and served as the premiere English lyricist for Boublil and Schönberg's La Revolution Francaise. Visit www.michaelmahler.com

Rachel Rockwell (Book, Lyrics) is an award-winning, Chicago-based director/choreographer. Some of her directing/choreography credits include Ride The Cyclone (US premiere) at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Brigadoon at the Goodman Theatre (Jeff award-Best Musical, Best Choreography); Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, The Musical at the Children's Theatre Company; Enron at TimeLine Theatre (Chicago premiere, Jeff nomination-Best Play in a Mid-size Category); Mary Poppins (Jeff nomination-Best Musical, Best Director), In The Heights, Music Man, Annie and Hair at the Paramount Theatre; Billy Elliott (Jeff award-Best Choreography), LES MISERABLES (Jeff nomination-Best Musical, Best Director), Sweeney Todd (Jeff nomination-Best Musical and Best Director), The Sound of Music (Jeff nomination-Best Musical, Best Director), Ragtime (Jeff award-Best Musical, Best Director), Oliver! (Jeff nomination-Best Musical and Best Director) and Miss Saigon (Jeff nomination-Best Musical and Best Director) at Drury Lane Theatre; October Sky (World premiere), 42nd Street (Jeff nomination-Best Musical, Best Director); Shout!; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Jeff nomination-Best Musical), A Christmas Carol, Disney's High School Musical, Seussical and Disney's Aladdin (Marriott Theatre); Disney's The Little Mermaid, Shrek, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, SS! The Taming of the Shrew, SS! Romeo and Juliet, The Adventures of Pinocchio; The Emperor's New Clothes (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Leaving Iowa (Fox Valley Repertory); John and Jen (Apple Tree Theater); and It's A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play and Married Alive (Noble Fool Theatricals). Rachel was named Best Director of 2010 by Chicago Magazine, and Chicagoan of the Year in Theatre, 2013, by the Chicago Tribune.

Marshall Pailet (Director) is a director, writer and composer for theater, plays, and animated films. Off Broadway: Who's Your Baghdaddy; or How I Started the Iraq War (New York Times Critics' Pick); Triassic Parq (Chance Theater '13; Ovation Award, Best Musical; Ovation Nom; Best Director). Other Theater: Claudio Quest (winner of six 2015 NYMF Awards for Excellence); Loch Ness (Chance Theater '15; Best Musical, OC Weekly); Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks Theatricals); The Chocolate Tree (NAMT). Film: VeggieTales: Noah's Ark starring Wayne Brady (Original Songs). He is also on faculty at Molly College, Cap 21, and the Broadway Dreams Foundation. Graduate Yale University. www.marshallpailet.com

Andy Roninson (Musical Director/Orchestrator) is a composer, pianist and music director. In NYC, he's worked at The Public Theater and Playwrights Horizons and music directed a workshop of Triassic Parq (directed and cowritten by Marshall Pailet). In the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, he was awarded the Robert B. Sherman Scholarship and the Harrington Award. He is the creator, producer and co-writer of TAKE A TEN, the all-original ten-minute musical podcast. Episodes have been produced live from Los Angeles to Paris, France and have won numerous awards. To hear every episode for free, visit TakeATenMusicals.com.

Misha Shields (Choreographer). Misha's dance and aerial circus choreography credits include: Who's Your Baghdaddy; or How I Started the Iraq War (Actor's Temple), The Orion Experience (XL Nightclub), I Was Most Alive With You (Huntington Theatre), Milk Like Sugar (Huntington Theatre), Doll's House (Huntington Theatre), We're Gonna Die (Company One/A.R.T. Oberon), Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. (Company One), Spelling Bee (APAC), Merrily We Roll Along (APAC), Rocky Horror (Yale), Company (St. Bart's Players), Follies (TheaterWorks), The Travels (NYMF), Company (Fordham), Cabaret and Sunday In The Park... (Boston Conservatory). Upcoming in 2017: Bridges of Madison County (Speakeasy Theater Company). Love to Ben. mishashields.com

Crystal Arnette (Queen of Hearts) is pretty excited to be rocking a flamingo guitar with this awesome company! Most recently, Crystal served as co-producer of #serials@theflea. Also at The Flea: but i cd only whisper, Mary-Kate Olsen Is In Love and Looking At Christmas. Other faves: The House of Von Macramé, F#@king Up Everything and The Consequences. Film & TV: What We've Become, You Can't Kill Stephen King, Polaroid Girl, "Power" (Starz) and "I Love You... But I Lied" (Lifetime). Upcoming: Unicornland. Crystal creates films with Adventure We Can and fronts the folk-chamber-rock experiment Ladybird. BFA: UNCSA. crystalarnette.com

Anna Chicco (Bianca) is a newly transplanted Brooklynite and recent BFA graduate of SUNY Fredonia. So excited to be in her second Off-Broadway show in a month and getting the chance to flex her rock muscles! Favorite credits include: The Video Games, I Love You Because..., Balm in Gilead, Everything With Be Different, James and the Giant Peach, RENT, and Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Thank you to my mother and father for never saying there was something I couldn't do. ILYM.

Nathaniel Dolquist (Felicite). Recent credits include Dido and Aeneas (First Sailor) at New York City Center, Newton's Cradle (u/s Michael) at NYMF, Broadway Close Up: Broadway's One-Hit Wonders at the Kaufman Music Center and Scorched with The Araca Project. National/International tours: Yale Spizzwinks and Whiffenpoofs. Thanks to VC, DH and all his high school orchestra directors. Yale University 2015. nathanieldolquist.com

Lily Fryburg (Alice) is delighted to be making her Atlantic for Kids debut! Recent/favorite credits include Seussical, Hairspray (Muhlenberg Summer Music Theater), A Charlie Brown Christmas (Jenny Wiley Theater), Quirky: A Character Cabaret (one-woman show; writer) and Anyone Can Whistle (Fay). Lily is also a sketch comedy writer and performer. Graduate of Muhlenberg College and the Accademia dell'Arte (School of Physical Theater) in Italy. She is grateful to her family for helping her believe in the impossible. "Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality." - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

Armando Gutierrez (March Hare/King of Hearts) is currently the band leader for the Brooklyn Folk group, Morgy and Mess. Past theatrical credits include HAIR (Chance Theater, California) and The Girl, The Grouch and the Goat (World Premiere, Mark Hollmann). Thanks to the cast, crew and my wife Lanae.

Paul Hinkes (Dinah/Chesire Cat) is a Chicago-born, New York-based actor and musician. He's a recent graduate of Yale University, where he studied film and theatre. New York Theatre credits include Dust Can't Kill Me (New York Musical Festival, winner of 6 awards including Best Ensemble), Scorched: A Fiery New Musical (Araca Project), and The Winter's Tale (Underling Productions). He's thrilled to be joining the cast of Wonderland! More credits and info at paulhinkes.com. @paulhinkes

Emily Ide (Mad Hatter/Four) is thrilled to be back at Atlantic for Kids, where she was most recently seen playing Nancy in Ivy and Bean. Favorite credits include Ivy and Bean (1st National Tour and Atlantic Theater Company), Urinetown (Pennywise), My Sweet Edible You! (Joe's Pub), and Love's Labour's Lost (Princess). BFA Drama NYU Tisch/CAP21. Love to my family and friends, and many thanks to the Wonderland cast and creative team!

Sam Saint Ours (White Rabbit/Tweedle Dee) could not be more excited to be making his NYC debut with Atlantic Theater! A recent graduate of James Madison University's Musical Theatre program, this small-town-boy-turned-rock-star-rabbit's past credits include performing in Assassins, The Aliens and Still Alive at JMU. Sam has also composed music for such shows as The Tempest, Yellow Boat and The Cherry Orchard. For giving him every chance in life and shaping him into who he is today, Sam would like to thank his friends, loved ones, and, most importantly, his massive family and incredibly supportive parents.

James Stafford (Caterpillar/Tweedle Dum/Seven). James Loves to play with friends. Prior to being a caterpillar, he has recited Shakespeare near hungry crocodiles in the Outback with the Australian Shakespeare Company, been The Cat in the Hat at the Sydney Opera House, flown through the air as Dracula at Universal Studios Japan, and wiggled with Captain Feathersword around Australia in Dorothy's Dance Party. This is James' New York City debut!

Mina Walker (Lorina/Dormouse/Unicorn) is an NYC based actor, singer/songwriter, and painter. She was born and raised in New Orleans, and recently graduated with a BFA in Acting from NYU Tisch where she studied at the Atlantic Acting Studio and the International Theater Wing in Amsterdam. Mina has an indie pop/rock band called Daisy the Great. Mina also has an improvisational voice band called Subtle Pride. Both are great and you should check them out if you like music and fun. minawalker.com

Atlantic for Kids has presented fun, quality children's theater for more than 15 years. In addition to its weekend performances for families, Atlantic for Kids has welcomed thousands of NYC public school children to see weekday performances. These performances include talkbacks with cast members and discussions about the themes of the play.

Atlantic Theater Company AND ATLANTIC ACTING SCHOOL (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director; Mary McCann, School Executive Director) Inspired by the Group Theater, Stanislavski and a passion for ensemble acting, David Mamet and William H. Macy formed the Atlantic Theater Company with a select group of New York University Undergraduate Drama students. Since its inception in 1985, Atlantic has produced more than 150 plays and garnered numerous awards including 12 Tony Awards, 19 Lucille Lortel Awards, 21 Obie Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards, 6 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 3 Drama League Awards, 3 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Atlantic also operates the internationally acclaimed Atlantic Acting School, which has helped aspiring actors fulfill their dreams for over 30 years by creating a student ensemble that allows emerging actors to hone their craft in a safe yet challenging environment. Atlantic has the only conservatory program in the world that offers in-depth training in Mamet and Macy's unique and influential approach to the acting profession: Practical Aesthetics. Atlantic Acting School offers a full-time, two-and-a-half year conservatory program, three-semester evening conservatory, and part-time adult acting classes, and is proud to be one of the professional studios included in the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University Drama Department. Atlantic partners with schools and teachers throughout the greater metropolitan area offering in-school teaching artist workshops and semester long theater residencies. Additionally, Atlantic offers a variety of acting and theater programs for ages 4 - 18 in an after school and summer camp setting.

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