Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure - Cast / Creative Team Announced!

[philly03]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 12:58pm

""We're going a little different route with Alice,' Wildhorn said, seeming to suggest that having a Latina in the role could call for a rewrite of the character. In the first Equity reading of the show in March, Alice was a British expatriate in New York played by Lauren Kennedy."

Janet Dacal, currently in the musical In the Heights on Broadway as Carla, who has been with the show since it opened, will play the title role of ALICE.

Featured Casting announced
The Queen - Karen Mason (SUNSET BLVD.)
The Caterpillar - Eugene Fleming (Fosse)
The Mad Hatter - Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde: The Musical)

Ensemble/Unknown Part:
Tad Wilson (Rock of Ages)

Creative Team
Marguerite Derricks - Choreography (seems mostly films!)
Susan Hilferty - Costumes (Wicked, Spring Awakening)
Neil Patel - Scenic Design ([title of show], Roundabout)
Paul Gallo - Lighting (Pal Joey)
Jon Weston - Sound Design (Les Miserables revival, Throughly Modern Millie)
Sven Ortel - Projection/Video Design (The Little Mermaid, The Woman in White)

Seems like it will be a big projection thing / should more than likely, like most Wildhorn shows as of late, be visually stunning!


-----
Most of the rest of the casting should be announced by the end of the month.

I'm sure Dacal will do a great job, but I was just really looking forward to Kennedy doing this one! Shame...

Hopefully Wildhorn won't change the score to more Latin-infused either .. I just don't see him working that way.



Updated as more of the cast gets announced!

Links:
Wonderland's>https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Wildhorns_WONDERLAND_Announces_New_Members_Of_Creative_Team_For_Tampa_Premiere_20090727">Wonderland's Creative Team Announced



'Wonderland' Diary Updated On: 7/27/09 at 12:58 PM

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:05pm

I'm not sure if I am excited, scared, or confused by this casting.

[philly03]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:06pm

Well let's just say I'm even a little turned off by the project now ... everyone's expecting a little blonde girl and tey switched it to .. opposite? The critics will just LOVE this one now ...

[zoraksferal]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:10pm

Oh jeeze, the announced casting confuses me a little. What are they thinking?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:11pm

Poor Lauren Kennedy. She just can't catch a break, can she?

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:11pm

I doubt anyone will take this seriously. It's Wildhorn.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:15pm

He must not have much rewriting to do for Bonnie & Clyde if he is going to rewrite Alice's part for December.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:18pm

Isn't the character of Alice also the mother of a young child in this version?

Dacal reads extremely young, so I could see that being an even bigger issue than her ethnicity.

Updated On: 7/20/09 at 01:18 PM

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:18pm

I love Nikki Snelson, but as the Mad Hatter?

[philly03]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:28pm

BroadwayBound: Go to the Wonderland website, she's got a great song. Not to mention it's rumored to be a big dancing part.

"Isn't the character of Alice also the mother of a young child in this version?

Dacal reads extremely young, so I could see that being an even bigger issue than her ethnicity. "

Thus why Kennedy was aimed to do it over Brandi Burkhardt anyway.

Although no synopsis has been released, here's what I've heard of the plot:
Alice, now living in modern Manhattan is a children's book writer and single (LOL); Wonderland is now a mess. The White Rabbit comes to lure Alice back to Wonderland - but he mistakes her daughter Chloe for her. She realizes she must re-enter Wonderland to put it back to rest, save her daughter and possibly a romance she might have...


"I doubt anyone will take this seriously. It's Wildhorn. "
This project when it was still supposed to be .. Kennedy/Burkhardt / blonde-girl-typical Alice had LOTS of interest and LOTS of potential. Seems he would have FINALLY had a critic-proof story (Well, the story of J&H wasn't that blasted), ... but nope he (or Jack Murphy or SOMEONE) decided they had to change it?? Why???? Is Dave Clemons or Jack Murphy calling vengence on Wildhorn? Are they trying to get some kind of new audience????

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:32pm

Is it just me, or does this guy keep getting more bizzare every day?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:38pm

Lame, but I like the casting for Bonnie and Clyde!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:43pm

I like Janet Dacal, and I love the idea of a Latin Alice. I can only imagine what people would have written about THE WIZ if BWW had been around back in the days, "a black Dorothy? blasphemy!"
Now, the problem with this is not Dacal, but the fact that Wildhorn, one of the worst composers to get so many shows on Broadway, is coming back for more. Ugh.
And somethingwicked, I do feel bad for Lauren Kennedy.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 1:51pm

Hey, a female Mad Hatter. Ha, I guess my school's ahead of the times...

[philly03]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:03pm

"Now, the problem with this is not Dacal, but the fact that Wildhorn, one of the worst composers to get so many shows on Broadway, is coming back for more. Ugh.
And somethingwicked, I do feel bad for Lauren Kennedy. "

I feel HORRIBLE for Kennedy! This show could have EASILY been written around her for all we know ...


This one ISN'T headed for Broadway YET. There's a far BETTER chance that this production will be Broadway-bound, well much better than Bonnie & Clyde. Rumor has it that after the Houston/Alley Theatre transfer they plan to tour or take it to Broadway - but a las, it's Wildhorn. Nothing may even come after it ...


"I love the idea of a Latin Alice. I can only imagine what people would have written about THE WIZ if BWW had been around back in the days, "a black Dorothy? blasphemy!" "

...it's just Alice is ..../has always been a white-blonde girl. I'm not saying that it's necessarily bad she's going to be Latina, but it looks almost like Wildhorn/Murphy/co. were like "Look at the success of In the Heights and West Side Story! Let's take some of their aspects and put them into our show!" Either that or ... Dacal has some pipes. I just really hope they don't plan on changing the SCORE to becoming Latina. I can only imagine the mess Wildhorn would get himself in to ...

Not to mention that everyone's going in expecting a Lauren Kennedy/Brandi Burkhardt look-alike-ish. It's just .. it's one thing to take the classic story and twist it .. too many twists & tweaks is a bad thing.

[alightinthedark23]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:07pm

Janet Dacal is a talented girl. She certainly was great in what little role Carla was in "In The Heights". Perhaps we should give her a chance before we say how terrible it is.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:08pm

Oh, Jesus. This has DISASTER written all over it.

Is it just me, or does this guy keep getting more bizzare every day?
It's not just you.

I doubt anyone will take this seriously. It's Wildhorn.
He's a huge joke, but his crapola keeps getting produced.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:09pm

Hey, a female Mad Hatter. Ha, I guess my school's ahead of the times...

Back in 1998 my college had a female Mad Hatter. female Tweedle Dee and, and a female Knave of Hearts.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:10pm

No one is doubting Janet's talent. Wildhorn is just a huge joke in the community. He needs to go far away, and stop writing.

[philly03]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:16pm

I'm not even doubting Dacal's talent .. just I don't necessarily think that she will be right for the part/that this piece should go Latina.

"I doubt anyone will take this seriously. It's Wildhorn.
He's a huge joke, but his crapola keeps getting produced. "

Hmmmm adamgreer, go back to Wicked, Legally Blonde and 9to5. Then we can get back to talking about huge joke/crapola s getting produced. (Although I did enjoy Legally Blonde for what it was!)

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:20pm

Philly, I hate 9 to 5, so not sure why you mentioned that to me. Wicked has been by far the biggest hit of the century, so that's why that was produced. Legally Blonde, as you said, was good for what it was. No crapola.

Wildhorn shows are campy, drecky, messes. There's a reason not a single one has returned its investment, including the one that ran 4.5 years.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:20pm

Where is this being produced? Siberia?

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:22pm

Eris, I'm not suggesting my school's production was anything revolutionary. It's just that the Mad Hatter is my favorite role I've played. We had a female King of Hearts and Knave of Hearts and a male Queen of Hearts (who was like six foot four and brilliant!)

[perfectliar]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 5:01pm

philly - I don't think you have to worry about Wildhorn changing the score... obviously they cast her because she did well with what was already written. It's not like they're casting a name whose strength lies in Latin music so they want to cater to her talents. Unless you're a huge Broadway or In the Heights fan, you wouldn't even know who she is. Even then you might not know who she is.

Regardless, the casting for this is not very exciting. I'd much rather see Bonnie & Clyde succeed than this one.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 5:10pm

I hope this does go to Broadway, if only to get Dacal and Snelson back on Broadway. They are great, though, I'm guessing the show is not going to be...