Director Peter Hinton's highly anticipated adaptation of Lewis Carroll's beloved tale Alice in Wonderland begins previews today at The Shaw's Festival Theatre. This ambitious new work was written specifically for the Shaw Festival's acting ensemble and marks the first time a brand new piece of theatre will appear on the Festival Theatre's stage. Known for his brilliant theatrical conceptions and wildly imaginative staging, Hinton's Alice in Wonderland remains loyal to its Victorian origins - fully embracing all the whimsy, delight and joy of the original story - while marrying awe-inspiring visual special effects with delightful theatre magic to create Alice's epic journey through Wonderland.
Working alongside Hinton, designers Eo Sharp (set), William Schmuck (costumes)
Kevin Lamotte (lighting),
John Lott (sound), Beth Kates and
Ben Chaisson (projections); and Denise Clarke (choreography) have created a magical Wonderland on stage that will engage both children and adults alike. Composer Allen Cole adds to the richness and wonderment of Alice's journey with 19 original songs.
In the centre of the production is Tara Rosling as the curious and brave Alice. On a trip along the river with her sisters, she is told a story by Rev. Dodgson that has her tumbling down a rabbit hole, where she meets a plethora of peculiar characters, such as the White Rabbit (Ben Sanders), Cheshire Cat (
Jennifer Phipps), Mad Hatter (
Graeme Somerville), the Duchess (
Donna Belleville), March Hare (
Kyle Blair) and the Queen of Hearts (Moya O'Connell), who ultimately help her to grow up to face the adult world to which she must inevitably return.
This magical, musical experience also features
Guy Bannerman,
Neil Barclay,
Patty Jamieson, Élodie Gillett, Kiera Sangster,
Jonathan Tan, Jacqueline Thair,
Jay Turvey and Kelly Wong.
Alice in Wonderland is on stage at the Festival Theatre (10 Queen's Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake) from April 27 to October 16 (opening May 14).
Major funding for the Shaw Festival's production of Alice in Wonderland was provided by Michele Darling and Michael Eagen.
Alice in Wonderland is sponsored by BMO Financial Group and has received support from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport through Celebrate Ontario; Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (Tourism Industry Partners Program), Tourism Partnership of Niagara (RTO2); and the Niagara Region through the Niagara Investment in Culture program.
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