Frank Wildhorn talks "WONDERLAND"

"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

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

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!

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

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!

"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!

I want to pinch his cheeks.

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

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!

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

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!

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

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!