Months after the conclusion of Alice By Heart—a journey through imagination, creativity and grief—the performance continues to resonate with viewers. Set against a backdrop of a World War II London bomb shelter, the musical twists Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland. From its striking musical score and dynamic movement, the show transported viewers into Alice’s world as she tells her childhood best friend their favorite story, Alice in Wonderland, in hopes that she can save him from tuberculosis.
The heart of a musical production—the music and dance—played an essential part in this show. Theater and Arts Director Stan Cahill noted, “It’s rare that we do a musical where I’ll actually listen to the music in my free time,” referring to Duncan Sheik’s catchy melodies and haunting harmonies. He did not stand alone; the cast and crew were hooked on the music, finding their own stories within the lyrics and humming along to their favorite tunes throughout the day.
In terms of choreography, choreographer Ms. Ann Robideaux led with a guiding principle of “expressive full body motion, riffing off of regular pedestrian movement,” while still keeping in mind that the movements did not feel too foreign to the 1940s. Every second of the show was choreographed, as Ms. Robideaux shared that Alice by Heart was, “different [from] your traditional musical because I had to look at every single line and moment and consider the movement.” Mr. Cahill added, “The big group moments stood out, where the ensemble was working together.” These aspects rendered the production visually engaging and captivating.
According to Mr. Cahill, with a new set designer, PDS theater “stepped up in terms of our technical scenic build, we challenged ourselves in that regard.” The complex, multi-level unit set was designed and created specifically for the PDS stage. Not only was it a challenge for the crew to build, but the set was difficult for actors to acclimate from an empty studio to a stage filled with staircases, ladders, small entryways and platforms.However, the cast and crew readily left their comfort zones, working together to overcome any issues.
What made this production particularly special was its collaborative spirit and commitment to bold storytelling. “We told the story we wanted to tell the way we wanted to tell it; to have trust in that is not always easy, and I think we got there,” exclaimed Mr. Cahill. That trust was created by a unified, dedicated cast and crew, who approached the dark, heavy themes with care and intention. Cahill hopes that these themes of grief, humor, growing up and overcoming hardship “moved folks, whether they were moved to tears or laughter.”
