Frank Wildhorn talks "WONDERLAND"- Page 3

[philly03]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 5:27pm

The marketing team apparently decided they should change the tagline since the producers insisted that this was a "NEW Alice." Meh, they should have kept the old one to trick people into buying tickets if they were smart.

I miss the old tagline and the old logo, the more I think about it (The bunny & loopy writing) with "Alice's New Musical Adventure" (although sounds like "The Scarlet Pimpernel: The New Musical Adventure").

[minicko88]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 6:09pm

They cut my two favorite songs, and I am a little disappointed. "Misunderstood" was by far the best experience in the show. I laughed the entire number, and the Jaberwock was hilarious. I am very upset that this song was cut for it really made me happy. "Love Begins" also was great, and it shouldn't have been cut. Glad to see "I Am My Own Invention" is still in even though it isn't really necessary in the plot. I saw the show in Houston, and I loved it. Can't wait to see it on Broadway in May. Very disappointed about "Misunderstood" though... What are you thinking Frank? haha

[philly03]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 6:17pm

I am actually kind of confused as to why they cut "Misunderstood" as the Jabberwocky is a very well known Wonderland character.

Won't know til I see the full thing, but I wonder if they'll throw one of them in. Act II looks much shorter than Act 1, but I guess we'll see what the new plot is like!

[jennafan]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 12:01am

philly03, yeah I get what your saying about a "NEW" Alice (meaning this one doesn't look like what people are used to Alice looking like).

I am hoping this show the best, I am a bit worried though. :/ It would be nice to see a new musical do good on Broadway.

I bet Kate Shindle is gonna be good though. She is amazing.

[sweetTb'way]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 12:57am

I think regardless of whether or not they kept or cut your favorite songs or characters.....as long as it's in an effort to better tell the story, I'm all for it. What seems encouraging about this show is that the creative team seems to be continually working toward making a better product - it's been in reading/workshop incarnations since 2007. We'll see what actually ends up onstage in NY. Anybody attend tonight's 1st performance in Tampa?

[GatorNY]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 8:32am

Good news from my FB friend who's friend is in the orchestra in Tampa. Here's what he reported:
"Here ya go: If you like Frank Wildhorn's music (Jekyll and Hyde, Civil War, Scarlet Pimpernel) you'll love this one as well. It's got a LOT of technology on stage and the audience seems to like it every night."
Sounds encouraging.

[newintown]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 10:18am

Jabberwocky is the name of a poem; the Jabberwock is the critter described therein.

Also - the Jabberwock doesn't appear in Carroll's story of Alice - she merely reads a poem about it. She never encounters it, nor is it a threat to anyone in the story.

The inclusion of this character in Wildhorn's Wonderland (portrayed as a Meatloaf-style metal rocker) was only one of the many idiotic inanities of the book (as seen last year). Also, the Jabberwock was eventually no threat to anyone at all, so he served no dramatic purpose.

The book was so utterly terrible last year, witless and incoherent, I can't imagine any way it could be altered into something good, barring the use of magic or starting over from scratch. Nothing could induce me to return for a second viewing.

[kennygintexas]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 11:25am

Good word, newintown: incoherent. That's how I felt about the show. I left the theater in Houston absolutely certain that this project was dead in the water. (Okay, so I was wrong...but that doesn't negate the fact that I am a musical theater NERD to the 3000th degree, and I nearly fell asleep SEVERAL times at The Alley.)

Like several other posters, "Worst Day of My Life" was my favorite song in the score. Nikki Snelson was a spastic MESS--all she did was shriek as high and as loud as she could. Glad they have replaced her and re-thought the character entirely. Hopefully, with the changes, they could have a great show.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 1:38pm

newintown: The entire book has been re-written, for the most part. There is new motives, styles and sequences to last year's "Well here's a plot for ya" type phase.

Also I think it's obvious I'm a Frank Wildhorn fan as opposed to any sort of Alice in Wonderland fan, so I wouldn't know! Whoops. (The Jabberwock did have The Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat/El Gato, and the White Knight tied up last year on surgical-esque beds, if you recall, which Alice had to answer a trivia style question about who she was.)

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:00pm

ooh, more new photos please!


Revamped 'Wonderland' on track for Broadway

[philly03]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:05pm

^^That must be the new "Together" scene. Why is the boyband wearing costumes tht look like Nikki Snelson's fembots?

Janet's dress is totally unflattering, and Jose Llana in the background looks unflattering as well. Perhaps it's just the picture....

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:50pm

They're being pretty vague with releasing pics of what Shindle's Hatter looks like...this is one of two; in the other she's smoke and shadow...More pics of others at the source...


Wonderland gallery

[philly03]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 2:59pm

Someone described the set as "looks like it's on steriods" .. and I have to agree. Some things look better, some look extra busy for no reason. I wonder if they'll do anything "cooler" with the "Through the Looking Glass" leap!

Looks like they cut the whole Mad Hatter Napoleon thing they had Snelson in last year!

[BwayTday]

Posted: 1/5/11 at 7:47pm

I think the sets looks okay. It could be more cohesive. It feels like disjointed looking at those pictures. I think that the screens should be toned down. Of course I have never seen I show with a LED for actually backgrounds and I think it looks a little fake and strange. I like Kate Shindle's costume from the two things I see (although she looks nothing like Snelson).

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 10:44am

news-y video-y thing... (eta: ok I'm like 90% sure that's all b-roll from Tampa last year, but the interviews are new)

Musical born in Tampa is Broadway-bound Updated On: 1/6/11 at 10:44 AM

[philly03]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 1:58pm

WONDERLAND doesn't have an LED screen background, it's all projections to my knowledge (by the brilliant Sven Ortel who did Women on the Verge..., Little Mermaid & Rebecca in Vienna/upcoming London, amongst others)

That entire footage is from the Alley Theatre last year, unfortunately. Snelson is one of the dancing Alice's/Chloe's, the one in the beginning that does the kick Lol. Nice to hear the interviews though!

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:21pm

That entire footage is from the Alley Theatre last year, unfortunately.

Ha, thank you!! I was all "um, I think I hear Snelson in Welcome to Wonderland...and that looks like Julie Brooks behind Karen Mason...this might *all* be old b-roll footage..." But, whatever, still fun.

[Sylar2]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 11:20pm

I'm predicting this show will be the first casualty of the new season.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 11:54pm

Sven Ortel is a genius. I absolutely love his projection designs.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 1/7/11 at 12:35am

For those that know the show and the process, during what stage was the recording made? I know nothing about its background since it was just given to me by a friend, but I thought it sounded a bit like a demo. I know for sure that things are definitely different than the final product (ie numbers in and out and Snelson not Shindle), but it seems odd to me that they would've released a recording so early in the process when so much was to change. I do hope that even some of the songs that remain have some lyric changes...something about "Googling the internet"...?

[philly03]

Posted: 1/7/11 at 12:35am

Ortel's projections last year looked very fantasy, sometimes clever, and sometimes cheezy. But that was with a $3 MIL set, this year they've got an additional $10 MIL.

Ortel's projection work in REBECCA is absolutely phenomenal if you haven't seen it. The waves, the fire, the house, the different sections. Just breath-taking.


Sylar2: How would it be the first casualty? 3 shows have already closed way early (The Scottsboro Boys, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown).

While I'm in no position to guess this will be a mega-hit, I don't think this popular of a "title" (ie: the Wonderland franchise) will allow this one to close overnight.

[philly03]

Posted: 1/7/11 at 12:43am

The concept recording was recorded in August-September 2009, and released on November 1, 2009 I believe.

The recordings are purposely done in a pop-format, as it is a concept album. Orchestrations don't generally reflect all the way the songs are presented in the show. To boot, a different orchestrator was hired for the Stage production.

"Advice from a Caterpillar" was one of the earlier songs, which was recorded by Michael Lanning as part of the original workshop in 2007. A clip could be found on the old website, and you can still hear a clip of it on Jack Murphy (the lyricist's)'s website, along with the original recordings of "The Mad Hatter Attacks" (by Tracy Miller), and "Once More I Can See" (by Brandi Burkhardt).

The concept recording was released to spin interest in the piece - Three of Wildhorn's musicals had concept albums before their Broadway mountings: The Civil War featured nearly all pop & country singers and bands (along with people like Linda Eder & Betty Buckley), The Scarlet Pimpernel's concept album spurned a #32 single "You Are My Home," and of course, Jekyll & HYDE's concept albums, especially the double disc, are widely regarded.

A lot of lyrics have changed - "Advice from a Caterpillar" now has a little part of it featuring Alice.

[sweetTb'way]

Posted: 1/7/11 at 12:51am

Thanks for all those facts about the concept recording Philly.
So is there anyone out there who has seen the show in Tampa yet?

[BwayTday]

Posted: 1/7/11 at 1:56am

Sorry, I meant projections. I have a feeling they would look better in context. The projections for "Rebecca" look incredible so I have faith that they would look good under the same designer. Then again it is two very different kinds of shows (as far as I can tell from "Rebecca").

[philly03]

Posted: 1/7/11 at 2:42am

'Rebecca' is a "classic" literature-esque story (set in the '20s-ish), and this WONDERLAND is modern, so I'm sure Sven went for a more modern approach. Not to mention that as Frank put, you can go any where (artistically) with Wonderland!

I'm seeing it in Tampa next week, but I'd also love to hear anyones opinions!