Youth Theatre to present 'Alice'
Christian Youth Theatre plans to bring a new look to Alice -- the girl that drops in on Wonderland, that is.
Students ages 8 to 18 of Christian Youth Theater Lake County will present "Alice in Wonderland" starting Friday.
Performances will run through May 18 at the Christian Arts Auditorium in Zion.
A 90-member cast will present the Chicago premiere of the original Christian Youth Theatre production, featuring the story and songs written in 2004 by John Lawrence.
Audrey Cashman, who plays Miss Duchet, said she likes this version much more than the Disney story.
"The Disney version scared me a bit. Some of the characters are out there. In this, everyone is more normal," said Cashman of Libertyville.
The story begins as Alice, played by Marissa Vlaming of Wadsworth, is unsure how to answer an assignment by her high school teacher who asks what she wants to be when she grows up.
It is when Alice later is prohibited by her mother to see a concert by the band Red Queen that she sneaks off and ends up falling into a world of characters, familiar from the Disney story.
Alice walks upon a table where she meets the Mad Hatter, played by David Cramer; the March Hare, played by his brother Jonathan; and the Doormouse, played by Madison Bennett of Gurnee.
Because they don't want Alice to sit with them, Bennett said the trio quickly change their accents. They start enjoying high tea in British accents but then quickly put on cowboy hats and go Western.
"She sees she can't keep up with the changes of her life," said Cramer of Lake Villa.
Alice also meets Tweedledee and Tweedledum, who are wannabe rock stars and practice on air guitars.
When Alice attends a concert by the Red Queen, the queen gets so upset that her assistants brought the wrong color of flowers that her head explodes. The back-up singers, who know Alice knows her songs, ask her to sing. But Alice, too pressured to perform, runs away.
It is then she meets the white knight, also played by David Cramer. Through a pop song called "A Song to Comfort You," Alice learns to find the courage to not follow the crowd, to be an individual and create her own story.
"Then, she comes out of her dream and she realizes, I can be myself and this is perfectly fine," Lapp said.
Adding a new sound to the story is the music. There are pop songs such as "Everything Else Can Wait 'Til Tomorrow," sung by Alice's class as they await the Red Queen concert. Then there is a '70s dance tune called "Mad, Mad Wonderland," sung by the Cheshire Cat.
In addition to the range of music styles, audiences may be shocked after seeing the Disney story many times to see "Alice in Wonderland" that comes with a message.
"People will wonder what will Alice teach me?" Lapp said.
Lapp said the story speaks to a junior high and high school audience who are trying to find their own identity. This story says it's OK to not follow the crowd and to bBe your own person.
Cramer said he sees a message through the show, a message his grandfather gave him before he died a month ago.
"He used to say to me don't figure out who you are now. You have plenty of time," he said.
If you go
What: Christian Youth Theatre presents "Alice in Wonderland"
Where: Christian Arts Auditorium, 2500 Dowie Memorial Drive, Zion
When: 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; 7 p.m. May 16; 2 and 6 p.m. May 17 and 2 p.m. May 18
Tickets: $8 to $12 if purchased in advance. Tickets cost $2 more if purchased at the door
Details: Call (847) 516-2298 or visit www.cytchicago.org