A white rabbit who is always late, a tea party that never ends, a caucus race to nowhere, a cat that grins, a game of flamingo croquet and… who did steal the Queen’s tarts? Such madness could only mean one thing, Alice is in Wonderland.
The much-loved tale by Lewis Carroll is being retold in an amazing new musical set to thrill school holiday audiences this July at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre.
Alice in Wonderland is being performed by the cast of Junior Albatross Musicals, the AMTC junior program and features 70 talented children from local schools in the Shoalhaven aged between 10-15 years.
The show, with new music and lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, literally takes you down the rabbit hole (with use of special green screen effects) and you will see Alice and all your favourite Wonderland characters come to life.
Director Julia Armstrong, recent recipient of the Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to Performing Arts in the Shoalhaven, is thrilled with the dedication of the 2021 cast and crew. “Alice in Wonderland is the first JAM production since Aladdin Jr in October 2019. Everyone has been working continuously to bring this production together and promises to be a fantastic show. I am extremely proud of the children for their dedication, talent and hard work.”
At one stage the show almost didn’t go on with the loss of the AMTC workshop earlier in the year. Julia said “We appealed to the community to help find a new space – the Shoalhaven City Council granted us use of the Youth Hall at the Nowra Showground in April. This allowed us to continue with building the complex sets required and we are thankful for those in the community that assisted including Councillors and Council staff.”
The elaborate sets include an enormous tree hiding the illusive Cheshire cat, and many more beautiful and oversized Wonderland-ish pieces. The sets, costumes and props have been designed and made by our talented Production Team with the assistance of AMTC supporters including parents and kids – all affectionately known as our JAMfam!
Julia went on to say “As well as set construction, the use of the Youth Hall has also allowed the children to rehearse in a larger space which has been marked out to replicate the area of the stage and wings of the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. Many of the cast performing have never been on stage before, so the Youth Hall is ideal for giving them an idea of what it will be like before we get to the performance venue.”
For a wonderful school holiday treat, book now as Alice in Wonderland tickets are selling fast. There are 3 shows only including Friday 2nd July at 7pm, Saturday 3rd July at 1pm and also Saturday 3rd July at 7pm. (No interval, all fun, and finished by 8:30 pm!)
Tickets are available through the Box Office at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre or phone 4429 5757 or online at shoalhavenentertainment.com.au. You can also use your Dine & Discover vouchers when you purchase tickets.
