Dramashop Erie Reimagines Wonderland in Alice By Heart

Contributed

In Dramashop's final performance from their space in Erie's Renaissance Centre, they're pulling out all the stops for Alice By Heart. This musical takes the story of Alice In Wonderland and sets it during the London Blitz, themes include drama, love, grief, and coming-of-age.

BEGINNING FRIDAY, JUN. 7

Dramashop Erie is taking audiences on a trip down the rabbit hole in its production of Alice By Heart. First commissioned by the Royal National Theater in London, the musical takes inspiration from Lewis Carrol's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and retells the story in the aftermath of the London Blitz during World War II as Alice and her friend Alfred take shelter in an underground tube station.

The synopsis from Music Theater International expands the poignant tale with themes of first love, grief, and courage: "When the ailing Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland."

Dramashop showcases staging and set design that sets the musical apart from other adaptations of the novel. "Wonderland is made of found items that are icons of war, from cots to rifles and helmets. While it is a beautiful story about young love, it doesn't shy away from touching on grief and loss."

Kiizera Lee stars as Alice Spencer in her Dramashop debut, with fellow performer Alexander Aranda in the dual role of Alfred and the White Rabbit. The production is directed by Anna McJunkin, with musical direction by Julya Polaski and choreography by Jennifer Dennehy.

With music and lyrics composed by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater and the book co-written by Jessie Nelson and Sheik, the musical was first performed in the United Kingdom by over 30 youth theater companies as part of the National Theater's Connections program.  "We're attempting to explore the power of a book and what the story has meant to this girl," Nelson describes in an interview with Playbill in July 2018, "How do you return to a book the older you get? Can a book change, or do we change? Can it grow with us or do we have to leave it behind? [It's about] the power of literature in a really dark time."

Fridays and Saturdays, June 7 - 29 at 7:30 p.m., Sundays June 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. // Dramashop, 1001 State St. // $17 // For tickets and info: tickets.eriereader.com