**** Once again, I’m in awe of the Joffrey Ballet. Their whimsical, fantastical production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, is dazzling! I’m completely in love with this production! The music, the choreography, the costumes, the puppetry, the scenery – just wow! Then there’s the dancers – and in addition to executing the most complicated choreography with flawless technique and timing, they can act! Don’t miss it! 4 BIG Spotlights
Joby Talbot’s gorgeous music in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is performed live by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.
Please note that the dancers I’ve mentioned in this review might be different in the performance you attend. Where it makes sense, I’ve included the alternating cast members. Since I believe in including everyone’s name, I’ve included dance groupings where they fit in the story in italics.
The role of Alice, played by Amanda Assucena at my performance, is the most physically taxing role for a ballerina I can ever remember seeing. Alice is literally onstage dancing the entire show – with the exception of about 15 seconds. Anais Bueno, Gayeon Jung and Jeraldine Mendoza are also featured in the role.
Act I: Oxford, 1862. At a garden party, the maids (Coco Alvarez-Mena, Anabelle de la Nuez, Minjoo Kim) flutter around serving the guests. Lewis Carroll (Stefan Gonҫalvez at my performance) is the center of attention as he does magic tricks and tells stories. When Jack (Alberto Velazquez), one of the gardeners, gives Alice a rose, she gives him a tart. Mother (Anais Bueno) thinks he stole the tart, so she fires him.
As he’s bending to take a picture with an old-fashioned camera, Carroll’s leg starts to twitch. A few seconds later, he wiggles and a white fluffy tail pops out of his pants and he vanishes. Alice follows him, falling down a steep hole.
- Falling Alice – Jacob Anderson, Gael Arturo Andrade Rodriguez, Caleb Holt, Andrew Sackett
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When she lands, Alice is in a strange place with things that encourage her to “Drink Me” or “Eat Me.” The Knave of Hearts (Alberto Velazquez at my performance, Jose Pablo Castro Cuevas, Stefan Gonҫalvez, Hyuma Kiyosawa also alternate) runs past, carrying a tart. Then there’s a Rajah (William Hanford) and his entourage (Olivia Duryea and Basia Rhoden). A really strange Duchess (Dylan Guiterrez) and a Cook (Lucia Connolly) brandishing a rather large cleaver knife are chasing someone. Then she encounters the Queen of Hearts (Anais Bueno at my performance, Lucia Connolly, Olivia Dureya, Victoria Jaiani also alternate in the role) in hot pursuit of the Knave.
- Guards - Jake Lapham*, Rowan Lindamood*, Jory Luther*, Paul Rivard*
- Auditorium Waltz - María José Esquivel Losada, Audrey Nelson, Demi Trezona, Dayla Bowman*, Seehyun Kim*, Alexiane Fivaz**, Cassidy Leishman**, Sophia Longid**
- Caucus Race - Dara Holmes, Yumi Kanazawa, Nae Kojima, Lauren Quinn, Natali Taht, Blake Kessler, Jackson Miles, Davide Oldano, Wictor Hugo Pedroso, Paolo Randon, Rowan Lindamood*, Ethan Maas*, Preston Walker*
- Court Couples - María José Esquivel Losada, Minjoo Kim, Audrey Nelson, Demi Trezona, Jacob Anderson**, Gael Arturo Andrade Rodriguez**, Caleb Holt**, Andrew Sackett**
Both the White Rabbit (Stefan Gonҫalvez at my performance, Dylan Gutierrez, Zachary Manske also alternate in the role) and the Knave warn Alice to go no further.
Act 2 opens as Alice gets rather smoky directions from a Cheshire Cat, a really cool puppet. When Alice startles the Cheshire Cat, the entire body separates and then reassembles.
Cheshire Cat - Guillem Cabrera Espinach, Reed Henry, Hansol Jeong, Jackson Miles, Davide Oldano, Ryo Sasaki, Jory Luther*, Paul Rivard*
Then she runs across a colorful giant caterpillar (Jonathan Dole), perched on a mushroom who gives her smoky directions.
- Caterpillar Soloists - Olivia Duryea, Dara Holmes, Basia Rhoden, Julia Rust
- Caterpillar Legs - María José Esquivel Losada, Audrey Nelson, Demi Trezona, Dayla Bowman*, Seehyun Kim*, Alexiane Fivaz**, Cassidy Leishman**, Sophia Longid**
Alice finally catches up with the White Rabbit at a tea party hosted by – are you ready for this? – a tap-dancing Mad Hatter (Edson Barbosa at my performance, alternating with Jonathan Dole. Why do they keep putting the Doremouse (Lindy Mesmer) in a teapot. I can’t say enough about how very cool and daring it was to choreograph tap-dance in a ballet. Absolutely awesomesauce!
Then Alice wanders into a garden of beautiful flowers where she meets the Knave, who is still running from the Queen’s minions. Watch for their gorgeous pas de deux.
- Flower Soloists: Anais Bueno, Gayeon Jung, Yumi Kanazawa, Jeraldine Mendoza, Evan Boersma, José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Derek Drilon, Blake Kessler
- Flowers: Coco Alvarez-Mena, Anabelle de la Nuez, Nae Kojima, Lauren Quinn, Natali Taht, Ao Wang, Guillem Cabrera Espinach, Reed Henry, Hansol Jeong, Jackson Miles, Davide Oldano, Ryo Sasaki
– meets up with the Knave – running from the Queen’s minions – meets up with Alice – gorgeous pas de deux
Act 3 opens with three gardeners (Maxwell Dawe, Zachary Manske, Wictor Hugo Pedroso), who made a huge mistake by planting white rosebushes instead of red – the only color she permits, busily painting the white roses red. It’s a tough job, since more white roses spring out constantly. When the Queen arrives in the rose garden, accompanied by her minions, including the Executioner (Valentino Moneglia Zamora). When she sees the roses, she loses her cool and orders them to be executed.
- Hedges: Sofia Gonzalez, Emily Jakola****, Oliver Reeve Libke****, Mia Carina Prado, Madelyn Rendak, Chloe Torices
- Tart Suitors - Evan Boersma, José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Derek Drilon, Blake Kessler
- Flamingos - Tenley Connors, Olivia Duryea, Dara Holmes, Basia Rhoden, Julia Rust
- Hedgehogs: Cora Hakim, Katherine Kitching, Jordan Roloff, Jaziel Peralta
You’ll love watching the Flamingo dancers make themselves into wickets for the Queen’s croquet game with the Duchess. When the Queen decides the Duchess is cheating, she orders her execution, which leads to another chase.
By the way, watch for the fun costumes in the dance of the cards. The dancers have headpieces with numbers, while their tutus are in the shapes of the four suits, only visible when they bend over. The male dancers are also wearing cards.
- Playing Card Soloists - Anais Bueno, Gayeon Jung, Yumi Kanazawa, Jeraldine Mendoza, Evan Boersma, José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Derek Drilon, Blake Kessler
Suddenly the Knave reappears, distracting the Queen from croquet. Her guards catch him a drag him off for a trial and execution. Although someone else actually stole the tart, the testimony is all against the Knave. Alice gives a speech, demanding the Queen let him go. When the Knave gets free, the Queen chases him and Alice with an axe. Suddenly, the King of Hearts (David Gombert) stops the Queen and sets the Knave free. Alice stops in front of a row of cars, pushes one over and they fall like dominoes. Wow!!
*Joffrey Studio Company | ** Joffrey Academy Trainee | *** Joffrey Conservatory Student | ****Joffrey Academy Pre-Professional
The Joffrey is the first American company to produce Wonderland, which premiered in 2011 at the Royal Opera House in London.
The Joffrey Ballet’s production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is performed through June 22nd at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago. Valet parking is available, $35. Closest self-park option is the Poetry Garage, 201 W. Madison, $13 reduced rate available at https://joffrey.org/performances-and-tickets/plan-your-visit/directions-...
Running time is a little over two hours with two intermissions. Remaining performances are Thursday, June 12th at 7:30 pm; Friday, June 13th at 7:30 pm; Saturday, June 14th at 2:00 & 7:30 pm; Sunday, June 15th at 2:00 pm; Thursday, June 19th at 7:30 pm; Friday, June 20th at 7:30 pm; Saturday, June 21st at 2:00 & 7:30 pm; Sunday, June 22nd at 2:00 pm. Single tickets start at $47. FYI (312) 386-8905 or https://joffrey.org/performances-and-tickets/alice-s-adventures-in-wonde...