Alice, the Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts are heading to town; Alice in Wonderland is getting a fanciful new stage adaptation. This production of Lewis Carroll’s beloved book opens at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood in February. It sold out an entire run in Australia and is just now hitting American shores.
A series of elaborate, large-scale puppets set this Alice in Wonderland apart from earlier versions, as does a colorful set design focused around a group of large mushroom structures. Also distinctive, one notable bit of casting: Karen Crone, an Australian actress, plays the Mad Hatter, a role that has historically almost always been performed in by a man.
“There would be no point in producing a show that was a cookie cutter of every other Alice in Wonderland production,” producer Ethan Walker said in a press release. “We needed to think outside the box to ensure that this production would be extra special, while at the same time staying true to the essence of Lewis Carroll’s work.”
After the show’s brief winter run at El Portal, the producers expect to stage the play in New York later in 2017.
Alice in Wonderland plays at the El Portal Theater Main Stage, 5269 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, on Friday, February 10 at 6pm; Saturday, February 11 at 11am, 1pm and 6pm; and Sunday, February 12, at 1pm and 3pm. Tickets are on sale now for $23.90 to $47.90.
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.