Frank Wildhorn talks "WONDERLAND"- Page 2

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 12:26pm

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

Thanks, I could not remember when that happened.

I hope they kept the hilarious "Welcome to Wonderland" sequence, and cut the "All Hail the Queen" ensemble number.

Agree with both of these. And of course I have to insert a "leave I Am My Own Invention alone" comment here.

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!

Not to mention that now Shindle/Dacal are more physically unmatched than Snelson/Dacal were... the Hatter could just step on Alice, and done.

Wonder if the Hatter's getting a tea party song to go with the new Wonderland tea party scene...

And I'm curious to see where Don't Wanna Fall in Love fits back in; I really liked the move of Love Begins to Act I, wondering if they'll put the two songs together again.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 1:49pm

...and so this is going up today:



Half D&M, half Wonderland:

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 2:05pm

Haha love the D&M sign with the "Journey to a place" underneath it.


Ritchie is still credited as Lewis Carroll, btw. I remember a lot of the underscoring was "I Am My Own Invention," so I'm guessing it'll appear somewhere if that song doesn't. (But I would assume it would)

"And I'm curious to see where Don't Wanna Fall in Love fits back in; I really liked the move of Love Begins to Act I, wondering if they'll put the two songs together again."

Last I heard "Don't Wanna" will appear towards the end of Act 1. Can't remember where "Love Begins" falls!

[GatorNY]

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

A little bird told me that we will be seeing hot chorus boys on the stage again soon at The Marquis....so looks like I'll get my wish. Don't get me wrong, I care about the others aspects of the show as well, but someone needs to ask about the hot hoofer factor.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 2:50pm

Don't get me wrong, I care about the others aspects of the show as well, but someone needs to ask about the hot hoofer factor.

Um, have you seen the White Knight's boy band? :)


Last I heard "Don't Wanna" will appear towards the end of Act 1. Can't remember where "Love Begins" falls!

"Love Begins" was in Act II in Tampa (before the scene leading to "Home,") then was moved to Act I in Houston (before "Through the Looking Glass,") so that sounds like maybe the same place you heard "Don't Wanna..." is reappearing.

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:09pm

Here's the Scene List and Musical Numbers for the new Tampa production...the Straz uses one "Centerbill" for all the shows, so my recent Forbidden Broadway trip got a sneak peak at this...

Scenes
1. A Conference Room
2. Chloe's Bedroom/Apartment 8A
3. Elevator
4. Wonderland
5. Caterpillar's Den
6. A Chevy Impala
7. A Garden
8. A Mad Tea Party
9. After Tea
10. Chloe Meets Hatter
11. Through the Looking Glass

Act II
12. The Other Side of the Looking Glass
13. Door #6
14. Other Side of Door #6
15. The Prison, Then a Sun-Filled Garden
16. Hatter Command and Control
17. The Chess Board
18. Chloe's Bedroom/Apartment 8A

Musical Numbers
1. Worst Day of My Life (Alice, Company)
2. Home (Chloe)
3. Down the Rabbit Hole (Alice)
4. Welcome to Wonderland (Alice)
5. Drink Me (Voices)
6. Advice from a Caterpillar (Caterpillar, Alice, Legs)
7. Go With the Flow (El Gato, Alice, Cats)
8. One Knight (White Knight, Knights)
9. A Tea Party (Company)
10. The Mad Hatter (Hatter, Company)
11. Hail the Queen (Queen, Company)
12. Don't Wanna Fall in Love (Alice, White Knight, Company)
13. A Nice Little Walk (Hatter, Chloe, Morris)
14. Through the Looking Glass (Alice, Jack, Caterpillar, El Gato, Rabbit)

Act II
15. Through the Looking Glass - Reprise (Company)
16. Off With Their Heads (Queen Court Ladies, Company)
17. I Am My Own Invention (The Writer, Alice)
18. Once More I Can See (Alice)
19. Together (Jack, Knights, Alice, Caterpillar, El Gato, Rabbit, Morris)
20. I Will Prevail (Hatter, Company)
21. Heroes (Alice, Rabbit, Caterpillar, El Gato, Company)
22. Finding Wonderland (Alice, Company)

Hope that helps those of you curious about what numbers are in/out. I'm also impressed by the size of the orchestra - looks about 20 musicians strong, and I don't think it was that big the first time it was here.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:16pm

Thanks for posting.

As assumed, the new opener is "Worst Day of My Life" with the publisher, with "Home" thrown in the middle as I understand it.

I am baffled at how they didn't put "Love Begins" in, as I find that some of Murphy's best lyrics (and many in this show can be very bad!). I hope "Once more I Can See" goes back to the original lyrics as well, as opposed to that awful change they did in Tampa last year!

Certainly looks interesting... and looks like they tried to go after a more Alice in Wonderland approach then the randomness of the original!


Also.. who is Morris?! Updated On: 1/3/11 at 04:16 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:19pm

dtzumbrunnen:

The orchestra is a full 18 piece this time around! Last year they had 12 or 13 I believe, which was cut in Houston to about 9!

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:25pm

Thank you so much for that dtzumbrunnen!

In no particular order:
- They've cut "Love Begins"?!?
- "Once More I Can See" is actually my favorite of the Alice numbers, though, so I am glad that's still there, but... they've cut "Love Begins"?
- Wasn't "Together" just a White Knight/boy band number in Houston, or did all of those people sing it then too?
- Morris?

[GatorNY]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:25pm

I've asked my Tampa and St Pete FB friends to go scope it out, so look forward to hearing their thoughts; one has a friend in the orchestra.

Updated On: 1/3/11 at 04:25 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:33pm

Exactly Anakela... "Love Begins" was not only some of Murphy's best lyrics ever, but it set a tone to the show. I'm guessing they went for flashier, pop music. Ugh!

I still say they trim up some of Act I, and throw in "Love Begins" and put "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" FOLLOWING it, to add to some sort of "comic" irony. Or "Love Begins" could easily be sung SEPERATELY (as in not looking at each other) while they're finding Chloe or something... Yikes!

"Together" ... hmmm I wonder if it's seperate verse (the two groups), seperate verse, then they find each other? It was originally just a boy band number.

Act II naturally looks like a total mess already. "I Am My Own Invention," though I love the song has NO logical place in this show, other than maybe Alice's reason for gong to Wonderland or something.

Whomp whomp the Chess Board scene looks to still be in it... Hmmmm!

I am baffled at who Morris is - the family dog? A human? Was it a character in the books? Chloe's love interest at 10 years old?


I cannot wait to report back on this one!!!

[rentfan2]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:44pm

THEY CUT THE NICK OF TIME BUT LEFT IN MAD HATTER(the song not the Character)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:46pm

Yeah... can you really imagine Kate Shindle dancing and quick singing "Nick of Time"? No... they made a new song for her to cater to her speciality (as "Nick of Time" was catered to Nikki Snelson).

Linda Eder sang "The Mad Hatter" at the Frank Wildhorn & Friends concert in Vienna and did a wonderful job, btw, so I'm sure Kate will do a terrific version as well!

[rentfan2]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:47pm

I guess you have a point, I just think it's silly to cut the song audiences loved. All the reviews ive read complain about Mad Hatter Attacks, but maybe it was a Nikki Snelson thing.

I am sooooooooo excited for this show!!!!!

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:53pm

I loved "Nick of Time" as well and it will be missed!
The first songs that were presented in one of the first workshops were "Once More I Can See," "The Mad Hatter Attacks," "Go With the Flow" and "Advice from a Caterpillar," so I assumed they wouldn't be cut. They've been in all along (though it's funny, many people complain about the 3 character songs!). "Anything Can Happen" was the first released Wonderland song back when it was called Alice, but it never made it to the stage version!


BTW - Morris is a new character, who is the aide to the Mad Hatter.

Edit- The role will be played by Danny Stiles, who was previously the Jailer (and had a mini part in the song "Home" and a reprise of "Through the Looking Glass" following the scene).

The website has been fully updated with information now, including actual cast bios, etc.!

Mrs. Everheart and Richard (the agent) still exist, and Kate Shindle's new dual persona is "Ms. Quizzle." Chloe is understudied by April Berry and Mallauri Esquibel (who performed as the Ballerina and understudied (& performed) as Chloe last year).

WONDERLAND on Broadway Updated On: 1/3/11 at 04:53 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 5:01pm

I'm going to miss "Nick of Time". I still don't understand why Snelson was replaced. Did she just not want to continue with the show?

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 5:05pm

BTW - Morris is a new character, who is the aide to the Mad Hatter.

Edit- The role will be played by Danny Stiles, who was previously the Jailer (and had a mini part in the song "Home" and a reprise of "Through the Looking Glass" following the scene).

Ha, I was just wondering if Morris is the Guard, and they'd just decided to give him a name, as that was the only character I could come up with. So Morris is a minion of the Hatter, who is working for/trying to overthrow the Queen... sounds like a lot of villains.

[rentfan2]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 5:07pm

She wanted to continue with the show, but the role was rewritten with very little/no dancing, so she was let go in favor of Kate Shindle, so the role will probably be more sinister then Snelson's crazy evil version.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 5:11pm

CATS: They have rewritten the role vastly, and chose to let Snelson go. She asked to re-audition again as they gave her excuses ranging from appearance to not being able to handle the score, but they wouldn't let her.

She thinks of the experience highly, and said she was crushed not to be able to continue with it. (She did an interview about it on a podcast - read the Article that Anakela posted it's in there as well)

I've said it before and I'll say it again - she was the best part of the premiere (along with Ritchie, and Mason - but Mason's part is rather small), I wouldn't be surprised if they let her go because she IMO was the STAR of the show, overshadowing Janet Dacal (who I'm sure they wanted to keep - The producers love Dacal).

They auditioned a lot of .. interesting names for the Hatter, and from the ones I heard, I'm glad they picked Shindle, who I had assumed would be asked once Snelson was gone.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 5:16pm

Sorry for the post binging today, but it's also interesting to note:

Morgan James, who is appearing in The Addams Family currently is understudying Alice. She is what you'd expect of Alice - Blonde! I assume they've really just cut any Alice is Alice or Alice is the same but different Alice type lyrics (like in the original opening).

If you visit her website you can also get a sneak peak of Frank Wildhorn's newest musical, "Tears of Heaven" which has it's world premiere at the end of January!

[sweetTb'way]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:11am

Can't wait to hear back about the performances in Tampa. From what I hear, the show is drastically different in story and aesthetic.....most for the better. There's also apparently another 2 swings (not yet listed on the website) who will be joining the show once it is back in NY. It seems as though everyone is writing this show off already. Maybe that's just my perception though. Any chance it can find a family/mother-daughter audience to keep it running?

[philly03]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 4:41am

They're trying to bill the show as "multigenerational".. and it may work. As Frank says from his working with Whitney Houston, you have to love it, your mom has to like it, and your kids have to like it - I've seen all types of fans for this one.

People on this board will write this off whether this is the next piece of theatre trash or masterpiece before it opens simply because it is a musical by Frank Wildhorn. A shame really! They just haven't been posted in THIS thread.

Luckily, this will certainly pack in the tourists, more so than any other of Frank's shows I believe!

[JRybka]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:30am

I have to say this.... I find the song "Finding Wonderland" to be one of the best Wildhorn has written since his old Linda Eder days. I listen to it all the time.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 11:44am

Happy First Preview Tampa!

D&M are now gone from the Marquis marquee...

[jennafan]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 1:43pm

Uh.. "A New Alice. A New Musical"


Wow... that is really bad. lol
Updated On: 1/4/11 at 01:43 PM