Wonderland (musical) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wonderland
Wonderland pre-broadway logo
Music	Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics	Jack Murphy
Book	Jack Murphy Gregory Boyd Ava Eldred (UK adaptation)
Basis	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Through the Looking-Glass
Productions	2009 Tampa 2010 Houston 2011 Tampa 2011 Broadway 2012 Japan 2013 Portugal 2017 UK Tour

Wonderland: A New Alice is a fun musical. It was once called Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure. The story and words were written by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd. The music was created by Frank Wildhorn.

This musical is a modern take on the classic books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. The story happens in New York City. It follows a writer named Alice Cornwinkle and her 10-year-old daughter, Chloe.

The show had try-out performances in Tampa, Florida and Houston. It then opened on Broadway in New York City on April 17, 2011. It ran for about a month, closing on May 15, 2011.

Major Productions of Wonderland

The musical Wonderland was the first show helped by the Broadway Genesis Project. This project aims to create new theater shows. These shows are first performed in the Tampa Bay area. Then, they might move to other places or even to Broadway.

Frank Wildhorn started working on this musical in the late 1990s. He first imagined Alice like the one in the 1951 Disney movie. The show was first tested in Tampa, Florida, in 2007. Four songs from that test are still in the show today.

In 2009, the musical had its first full reading in Manhattan. Lauren Kennedy played Alice. Nikki Snelson was the Mad Hatter. Julia Murney played the Queen.

Early Shows in Tampa and Houston (2009–2010)

Gregory Boyd was the director for the first big production. Marguerite Derricks created the dances. The set designs were by Neil Patel. Costumes were designed by Susan Hilferty.

Auditions for the show were held in April 2009. The main cast was chosen by August. Janet Dacal played Alice. Karen Mason was the Queen of Hearts. Nikki Snelson played the Mad Hatter.

Wonderland started previews on November 24, 2009. It officially opened on December 5 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida. The show ran there until January 3, 2010.

After Tampa, the musical moved to the Alley Theatre in Houston. It started previews on January 15, 2010. The show opened on January 20 and closed on February 14. The story of the musical was changed after the Tampa performances. New songs were added for the Houston show.

Return to Tampa (2011)

The musical came back to the Straz Center in Tampa. These shows ran from January 5 to January 16, 2011. This was a special run before the show went to Broadway.

The show had a new name: Wonderland: A New Alice. A New Musical. The story was rewritten a lot. Some characters were played by new actors. These included the Caterpillar, Chloe, and the Mad Hatter. A new character, Morris, was added. Another character, Jabberwock, was removed. The music also included new songs.

Broadway Debut (2011)

The musical opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on April 17, 2011. Previews began on March 21. The main cast included Janet Dacal as Alice. Darren Ritchie played the White Knight. Karen Mason was the Queen of Hearts. Kate Shindle played the Mad Hatter. Carly Rose Sonenclar was Chloe.

The show faced some challenges. After getting some negative reviews, the production closed on May 15, 2011. It had 31 preview shows and 33 regular performances. An album with the original Broadway cast was released on May 3, 2011.

UK Tour (2017)

Wonderland had its first European show in January 2017. This was at the Edinburgh Playhouse in Scotland. It then started a tour across the UK. Lotte Wakeman directed this production.

Kerry Ellis played Alice in the UK tour. Wendi Peters was the Queen of Hearts. Natalie McQueen played the Mad Hatter. Dave Willetts was the White Rabbit. At some shows, Rachael Wooding also played Alice.

In July 2017, the last 24 shows of the tour were cancelled. This was because of ongoing technical problems. Also, there was a disagreement with one of the show's suppliers.

The Story of Wonderland

The story of the Broadway production goes like this:

Act 1

Alice Stetson, a writer, and her daughter Chloe move to Queens, New York. Alice wants space from her husband, Jack. Chloe is sad about the move and her family's problems. Alice feels her life is not going as she hoped ("Worst Day Of My Life").

Alice hits her head and then sees a White Rabbit. She follows him down into Wonderland ("Down the Rabbit Hole"). In Wonderland, she meets strange people and creatures. They are dressed like the original Alice in Wonderland. She tries to find out why she is there.

Alice meets the Caterpillar. He tells her to follow El Gato (the Cheshire Cat) to find out who she is ("Advice from a Caterpillar"). El Gato thinks he is invisible, but he isn't. The Caterpillar tells Alice that no one has the heart to tell him.

El Gato leads Alice to the White Rabbit. Then, the White Knight appears. He promises to save her ("One Knight"). He invites her to the Tea Party ("The Mad Tea Party").

At the party, the Mad Hatter says she wants to rule Wonderland ("The Mad Hatter"). The Queen arrives. She says she is the ruler and everyone must obey her ("All Hail the Queen"). Alice promises to bring the Queen a new kingdom: Queens, New York.

The Hatter gets angry. She goes with Morris the March Hare to get revenge on Alice. The Rabbit, El Gato, Caterpillar, and Jack the White Knight agree to help Alice. Alice just wants to go home ("Home").

The Mad Hatter, also called Maddie, and the March Hare go to Chloe's room. They convince Chloe to come to Wonderland. They say it will help Alice and Jack's marriage. But the Hatter takes Chloe prisoner. She takes her to the Land of the Looking-Glass. There, she turns prisoners' "brains to tapioca."

Jack agrees to help Alice if she kisses him. The White Rabbit tells them about the Hatter's plan. Alice, Jack, Rabbit, El Gato, and the Caterpillar decide to go through the Looking-Glass to save Chloe ("Through the Looking Glass").

Act 2

The Hatter locks Chloe in a tall dungeon. She also captures the Caterpillar, El Gato, and the White Knight. The Hatter says she will win ("I Will Prevail"). Alice finds a door with theater masks. She sees the word "THEATRICAL" above it. The Rabbit tells Alice he can turn back time with his watch. Alice tells him to get captured and use the watch to save everyone.

Alice meets Lewis Carroll (the Victorian Gentleman). He tells her to write something important to her ("I Am My Own Invention"). The Hatter gives the Queen a list of people to be beheaded. The Queen is happy to say "Off with their heads" ("Off With Their Heads").

Lewis Carroll leads Alice to a hall of mirrors. Alice thinks she sees Chloe. But she realizes she is talking to a younger version of herself. She finally learns why she came to Wonderland. It was to remember and love who she is ("Once More I Can See").

The Rabbit is captured. He gives his watch to Morris. Jack tells the Rabbit not to be afraid. They will get the watch back. They fight the prison guards, who are Jack's Boy-Band Knights. The Hatter had controlled them. They get the watch back and free the guards.

The boy-band, Jack, Caterpillar, Rabbit, and El Gato save Alice. They learn that together, anything is possible ("Together"). Morris gives Jack the beheading list. They learn the Hatter plans to overthrow everyone, even the Queen.

The Hatter comes to challenge Alice. Alice realizes the Hatter is her own alter-ego. Alice did not come to Wonderland when she was supposed to. This was because her mother died and her childhood ended. The Hatter was created from Alice's bad moments.

The Queen learns of the Hatter's plan. She banishes the Hatter to the underworld. Alice tries to defend the Hatter. Jack saves Alice but is also pulled into the underworld. Alice is happy she can leave with Chloe. But they are sad about Jack ("Home (Reprise)").

Alice wakes up from her dream. Her husband, Jack, arrives with Chloe's forgotten doll. He says he came to protect his family. Alice hugs him. She realizes her family is together again. As they go to dinner, Alice writes down what she learned. She learned that time goes by fast. She also learned that "ordinary magic happens every single day." It is all around us in simple ways ("Finding Wonderland").

Main Characters

Here are the main characters and who played them in the original Broadway show:

• Alice - The main character. She recently separated from her husband Jack. She moved with her daughter Chloe. Alice is stubborn and doesn't want to believe in Wonderland. She also tries to ignore her feelings for Jack/White Knight. Played by Janet Dacal.

• White Knight - Alice's hero. He is based on her ex-husband Jack. He wants to help Alice go home in exchange for a kiss. He is brave and caring. Even when captured, he wants Alice to save her daughter and go home. Played by Darrin Ritchie.

• Mad Hatter - The main villain. She uses the Queen to gain power in Wonderland. She is sneaky and a bit crazy. Later, we learn she is a part of Alice's personality. She is always ahead of others in her selfish plans. Played by Kate Shindle.

• Caterpillar - A mysterious creature who always speaks in riddles. He tries to help Alice, even if his advice is hard to understand. He guides Alice on her adventure. Played by E. Clayton Cornelious.

• El Gato - An excited creature Alice meets. He is like the Cheshire Cat. He has the same traits, but he doesn't know he can't float or disappear. His name means "The Cat" in Spanish. Played by Jose Llana.

• White Rabbit - He is the one who brings Alice to Wonderland. He is willing to help Alice go home. He is jumpy but brave enough to save his friends. Played by Edward Staudenmayer.

• Chloe - Alice's daughter. She wants her family to be together again. She is sad about living without her dad. She is the one who needs to be rescued. Played by Carly Rose Sonenclar.

• Queen of Hearts - She is not truly cruel, but she is easily used by others. She thinks she controls Wonderland. But she doesn't know she is being tricked. She is a proud woman who likes to make accusations. Played by Karen Mason.

• Morris - The Mad Hatter's helper. Like the Queen, he is being used. The Mad Hatter uses him for her plans. He follows her orders willingly. He is the opposite of the White Rabbit. Played by Danny Stiles.

Characters and Original Cast Members

For the 2017 UK Tour, El Gato was called The Cheshire Cat. Chloe was renamed Ellie.

Musical Songs

Here are the songs from the 2011 Broadway production:

† - Means the lyrics or music are different from the Broadway cast recording. †† - Means the song is not on the Broadway cast recording.

Some new songs were added for the 2017 UK Tour. These were "Cat Shoe Shuffle," "Love Begins," and "This Is Who I Am."

Recordings of the Musical

Several songs from Wonderland have been recorded.

• Singer Linda Eder recorded a song called "Anything Can Happen." It was on her CD It's No Secret Anymore. This song is no longer in the show.
• In November 2009, an original cast album was released. It featured the cast from the Tampa production. People said it was a great pop album with catchy songs.
• A European theater star, Thomas Borchert, recorded the song "Together" for his 2010 CD If I Sing.
• Linda Eder also recorded "The Mad Hatter Attacks" for her 2010 album Now.
• An official Broadway Cast Recording was released on May 3, 2011.
• A cast recording with the Japanese Premiere Cast was released in March 2013.

Awards and Nominations

The musical Wonderland was recognized for its choreography.

• In 2011, Marguerite Derricks was nominated for an Astaire Award. This award is for Broadway Choreographer.

Images for kids

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  Wonderland pre-broadway logo