Frank Wildhorn talks "WONDERLAND"

[philly03]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 1:48pm

"This show reminds me of Jekyll, even though it's completely different in it's musical vocabulary and story, in that there are half a dozen moments we bring the house down a night. Jekyll had that, and the audience gives that back to you every night. I'm learning we have that hear, and it's true.

Songs like "One Knight," the boy-band song and they deliver it, and it's not a pastiche of a boy-band song: It's a real boy-band song. They kill it! Karen Mason's version of "Off With their Heads" brings down the house every night."

Also talks about the addition of Kate Shindle, and some other new additions to the show!


Frank Wildhorn on Updated On: 1/1/11 at 01:48 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 1:55pm

* Pastiche

[philly03]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 2:05pm

Whoops... thanks ljay. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 3:01pm

I might make this a new guilty pleasure if there are hot guys in the chorus.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 3:26pm

Is a comparison to Jekyll really what he wants to be advertising? I don't remember anything on the financial success of the show, but the score is less than inspired... Even though it gets plenty of play in my apartment around Halloween!

[philly03]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 3:42pm

Jekyll had a successful world premiere (extended several times & was the first musical at the Alley ever), had a very successful year long tour, and ran four years on Broadway, followed by two additionals tours and played (& continues) around the world.

I think Frank drew the comparison partially because Gregory Boyd is directing (who directed the world premiere & tour of Jekyll), as well as the response Jekyll received with fans, songs, etc.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 8:35pm

I'm excited to hear the two new songs written for the 10 foot tall Kate Shindle.

[boydowncenter2]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 8:38pm

i hated Jekyll. But not gonna lie, I am actually looking forward to this one.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 8:46pm

The music is very different from "Jekyll & HYDE." The only reason why the "comparison" was made was to highlight the out of town audience's responses.

I'm (of course) very excited and will be seeing this in Tampa very shortly!

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 12:07pm

Didn't want to start a new thread for this; adding it on here.

Pretty lengthy feature article from St. Petersburg Times that includes talk on the changes made...

Since Wonderland closed in Houston last February, Boyd and Murphy have done rewrites that led to the recasting of a major role, the Mad Hatter. Also recast were Chloe, Alice's 10-year-old daughter who runs away to Wonderland with her mother in pursuit, and the Caterpillar. The Jabberwock, a character with a big second-act number, was eliminated. Whole scenes have been added (a tea party in Wonderland) and subtracted (a cocktail party in New York). Wildhorn and Murphy wrote four new songs, and several were cut.

Of course, what was cut can always be restored. Don't Wanna Fall in Love, a bouncy argument song for Alice and her husband, Jack, was in the score in Tampa, out in Houston and now is back in again, but in a different place.

So Worst Day of My Life has been (shortened/cut?), and Don't Wanna Fall in Love is back in, plus four new songs as of right now. And this answers the Jabberwock question.

Lots of other fun and interesting talk in the article, down to talk of changing Dacal's red dress to get rid of the Annie vibe (ha- they really didn't notice that?)
'Wonderland' streamlined for Straz Center, then Broadway

[philly03]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 2:57pm

"Worst Day of My Life" was not cut, and last I heard is still the opener.

Finally a good article with some of the "backstage drama" (if that's what you even want to call it), as the many changes in creative team have been covered!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 3:04pm

Sounds like there will be a lot of changes! Please post a review Philly! I want to know how the show is in Tampa before it comes to Broadway.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 3:07pm

I want to pinch his cheeks.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 3:14pm

I actually like this article because it's not all praise -

"But there were too many times in the Tampa and Houston shows when [Janet] made a rather vague, unconvincing impression."

I hope this means that Janet has gained some star power. I don't know how she'll mesh with Kate Shindle, but she was overshadowed by Nikki Snelson in the premiere. But she's got a new leading credit and plenty of other Wonderland performances...

Also interesting is that they say Julie Brooks looked old enough to play Alice... but I heard more people say they had no idea she was in her 20's! (Though it is ideal to have a child in a, well, child role!)


For anyone else just skimming - the producers from TBPAC say that Menken's Sister Act is WONDERLAND's biggest competition, and they are prepared to not get the best of reviews as long as word of mouth is good!

[jennafan]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 4:31pm

Slightly off-topic:

I know we aren't supposed to discuss *personal lives*, but just wondering if Janet and Darren are together?
I had met Darren years ago after a show and he had a fiance named Joy (I think?).
But after seeing recent pics of him and Janet, I was just curious. Both are very talented (Janet & Darren).

Updated On: 1/2/11 at 04:31 PM

[HistoryBoy2]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 4:44pm

It's like Jekyll and Hyde?! GET ME A TICKET.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 4:47pm

jennafan: Since it's Broadway, there's no "official" speculation, but it seems like it to me.

Darren definitely had a fiance previously while he was working on DRACULA, the musical on Broadway, as I remember. Things happen, again not our business, but how cute if Darren & Janet are together.

This was on Darren's old website, always used to make me laugh:

It's Darren, Joy Suprano, Christian Borle & Sutton Foster!

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 5:11pm

I recently got my hands on the recording, and it would be a shame if Worst Day was cut...it's most definitely my favorite in the show.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 5:18pm

The opening is most definitely reworked (as also proven with the article)... It's not focusing on Alice's book career as much as the previous incarnation, to my understanding. They were toying around with a few different things. But at the last presentation "Worst Day" was still in the opening. (Seems like this seems to be getting a lot of praise - Apparently they wrote it once they got Dacal, as the opening was much different previously)

"Nick of Time" (the flashy dance number written for Snelson) has been cut as well apparently, and the rock anthem "I Will Prevail" has been installed in it's place for Kate Shindle.
Updated On: 1/2/11 at 05:18 PM

[trentsketch]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 5:29pm

No Jabberwocky sequence? Boo. That's my favorite part of the Alice in Wonderland universe. Oh well, at least there's always Elisabeth Swados' Alice in Concert/at the Palace for my stagecraft Jabberwocky fix.

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 8:53pm

The Straz center is also doing a production of Forbidden Broadway right now in one of the smaller, club-like theaters in the complex. Saw it on Saturday night and a large portion of the Wonderland cast was there (Janet, Darren, and Jose as well as several other ensemble members). I was very happy to see that the cast of FB here added in a Wonderland bit to "You Can't Stop the Camp." It was great to see them doing Janet Dacal on stage (which used several pieces of the Annie costume...) with Janet in the audience.

Can't wait to see the show on Saturday!

[jennafan]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 8:57pm

philly03: Thank you! I did get to meet Joy when I met Darren so that is why I remember her.

In any case, I think he and Janet make a cute couple.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 10:25pm

I was very happy to see that the cast of FB here added in a Wonderland bit to "You Can't Stop the Camp." It was great to see them doing Janet Dacal on stage (which used several pieces of the Annie costume...) with Janet in the audience.

This? Is my new favorite thing ever!

Random question- is anyone following any of the cast besides Darren (who is *hilarious*, btw, you should all follow him) on Twitter?

I am looking forward to reviews and info about the new songs from all of you going this week! :)

And I love this quote from Karen Mason about a One Knight vs Off With Their Heads competition...
"Darren and I used to have a little competition about that,' Mason told me in early December during rehearsals in New York. "We could judge the age of the audience by who got the bigger hand. The young girls and medium-aged women love the boy band, and then I have my older people.'
'Wonderland' diary: Showstoppers prevail

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 10:30pm

The opening is most definitely reworked (as also proven with the article)... It's not focusing on Alice's book career as much as the previous incarnation, to my understanding.

ps, refresh my memory: did they cut out the her being a descendant of Alice Liddell before Houston, or during Houston?

And so from what you hear Worst Day... is still the start of the show, the song just no longer happens at that book party?

[philly03]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 11:12pm

I know they were toying around with another song in the musical being thrown in the middle as the "She hasn't got it anymore"-type number was thrown in before. I know the latest book needing to be completed is still one of the issues, but they're trying to highlight more of the family aspect now.

It is once again Chloe who obsesses over the book "Alice in Wonderland" - Alice is no longer linked in any way to Alice... which is both good & bad. Bad because it puts a plot hole in why does Alice have any relation to Wonderland (which the "link" I'm hearing about it is.... just random and weird). Good because Janet Dacal looks nothing like Alice, nor have any similarities.

They cut the notion that she was related to them after Tampa, just before Houston performances began.


Judging from the picture from the article, it appears they still kept that ridiculous and lame concept of the "Backstage Pass" - I've don't the books well at all, so I don't know if she travels door to door in them, but seems to give the musical a structure not needed. I remember cringing at some of the dialogue scenes as transitions - hope they worked on them!

Also most likely in: Two new songs for The Mad Hatter; and "Together" (which was recorded by European Theatrical star Thomas Borchert on his newest CD), a boy-band number that received a lot of fanfare, and "Don't Wanna Fall in Love," which was a crowd-favourite in Tampa, are back in.

I'm hoping this leaves two more songs to be the new songs! I hope they kept the hilarious "Welcome to Wonderland" sequence, and cut the "All Hail the Queen" ensemble number. I'm curious what they're going to do as the big Alice-Mad Hatter square off, as many didn't like the Chess game in the last premieres!