Wonderland OBCR out in May on Masterworks Broadway

"Wonderland, the new Broadway musical that reinvents "Alice in Wonderland" for the 21st century, will get a cast album from Masterworks Broadway. The score by composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Jack Murphy will be recorded March 6 for a release in May.

The album of Wonderland — A New Alice. A New Musical. will be produced by Frank Wildhorn, David Lai and Jason Howland."

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/148325-Wonderland-Troupe-Will-Record-Cast-Album-Prior-to-Broadway-Launch

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Well, I'm thrilled. I love the songs and I'm glad they're learning from past mistakes and recording before the reviews come out.

Frank does work for Masterworks Broadway, I believe. Frank also has a lot of money to most likely invest in his own recordings (He was a pop writer for a couple of decades).

Not to mention all of his cast albums have been incredibly successful - The double-disc J&H was nominated for a Grammy, Count of Monte Cristo's English Concept album (with Brandi Burkhardt & Thomas Borchert) went platinum, The Civil War attracted a large talent base from the pop, country & Broadway worlds, etc etc

Shows aside, I'm sure the CRs make money.

The Count of Monte Cristo's English Concept album went platinum??? Really?? I thought I was one of the only people who owned it!

^ I would imagine that they're trying to get it out as soon as possible as a marketing tool.

I agree - seems like a great marketing tool, especially as I still blieve the show's best asset is the score. None the less, I'm excited...

Yes, Count of Monte Cristo went platinum. Thomas Borchert & Pia Douwes, two of Europe's biggest musical theatre stars appeared on the album as well which couldn't hurt, following Frank's first major Euro hit "DRACULA."

^ The show orchestrations are almost completely different. I'm sure they're making more changes, but if the Broadway production ends up with a similar song list to the 2011 Tampa production then there are upwards of ten songs that are in the show that weren't included on the concept CD.

I hope they don't cut Heroes but I hope they take care of that damned chess game that, thanks to the new revisions, pops up out of nowhere.

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The show got worse reviews in Tampa in January '11 than it did in '09, so I'd rather have them open cold as someone who saw both productions live. This past year was a mess, and made me disheartened. The new script for Broadway is much funnier than the '11 Tampa production, which quite frankly was trying to make this piece dramatic & serious, when it's a quirky-turned-heart warming story.

Concept album was orchestrated by Jeremy Roberts, and the show itself is orchestrated by Kim Scharnberg. Several songs have been cut, performers have been replaced, lyrics have changed... Definitely worth the new one since the Concept was recorded before the show played a performance. Although several of the orchestrations by Jeremy Roberts are much much better (ie Don't Wanna Fall in Love), so it's a matter of taste!


Only $3 MIL was spent on the original Tampa production, and the move to Houston wasn't much other than the move itself. The show itself needs work, there's far too many stupid elements that make no sense... If the productions had been reversed (ie: Tampa '11 first then Tampa '09) I would have been satisfied... I couldn't believe how far they went back! So I'm hoping for the best!

Therefore, the Tampa '11 tryout they must have realized wasn't good at all... I mean if you're getting lukewarm AT BEST reviews in Tampa, you've got a problem!

Philly03, I'm not sure what you're basing your comments "the show got worse reviews in Tampa in January '11 than it did in '09...the new script for Broadway is much funnier than the '11 Tampa production."

First, the very limited number of reviews in the press for the Jan `11 production did state it needed more work, but also stated it was an improvement over the previous incarnation. Similarly, most online posts, here and elsewhere, agreed that it improved though needed more work.

As for the "funnier" Broadway script, proof will be given in a few weeks when it plays in front of a live audience during previews, and shouldn't be based on behind the scenes chatter during rehearsals. Just my opinion.

cfm3 i reviewed the show, I saw the show in person, etc. It needs major work and has more major problems then it did before. (Thus why they brought in extra help???)

The reviews last year were decent, saying the script needed a re-work, obviously, etc.

But the reviews this year included (this is just ONE review) for the official Broadway TRY-OUT!
"I've now seen Wonderland in at least four different versions, including a production in Houston in February, and I think that Wildhorn and his colleagues still have a way to go before it has a chance of success."

"However, in an effort to clarify, the revamped book by director Gregory Boyd and lyricist Jack Murphy resorts to ponderous exposition...in the truncated opening scene."

"Shindle is a strong addition to the cast, but her character's story line is burdened with leftovers from earlier versions, such as the "de-braining machine," a Rube Goldberg contraption that is fun but kind of beside the point."

"but the narrative problems have persisted through rewrites by Boyd and Murphy."

and finishes "Wonderland might be able to get by on its iconic pedigree, infectious music, talented cast and high-tech staging. But I wouldn't count on it."



Darren Ritchie tweeted (certainly the best source...) that Holmes was brought in for the script change (& said it was funny). The show was not funny, and at times awkward in Tampa '11. I don't know if you saw it or you are basing this on what you have "heard."

^^It's one of my favourites too. Jeremy Roberts did a great job with that orchestration on that album.

Who knows, it may still be in, as it was in the Tampa '11 run as well. Could be cut as well as it doesn't (well didn't) do anything for the story, but it's always been one of my favourites (as is Love Begins)!

Who knows, we may be getting more new songs as well!

Sigh. Once again:

The '11 Tampa production was not a tryout. It ran less than two weeks and was primarily an out-of-town tech with a handful of public previews. Reviewers were not invited, although some did come.

There were one or two reviews in actual (local) newspapers, compared to probably two dozen during the last go-round (Tampa and Houston)--and those (Variety, for example) were big-time publications whose reviews mean box office. You give an awful lot of weight to the St. Petersburg Times if you hold it up against a much greater volume of reviews the last time around.

And basically, that review said the show needed work...and work has been done. Big work. So hold your horses for another couple of weeks and you can see it!

I am not counting message board opinions/reviews in the tally.