Alice by Heart, a wartime coming-of-age musical based on the classic novel Alice in Wonderland, was commissioned in 2012 by London’s National Theatre and played Off-Broadway in 2019. It was chosen by Starcatcher Productions, a community theater dedicated to bringing musicals to Jerusalem (Into the Woods, Hairspray, and many more), to replace their planned show after Oct. 7.
Clearly a major group effort, this production wowed the eager audience on opening night last week with exquisite songs, playful and dynamic choreography, splendid acting, and moments of surreal comedy. It’s dense and action-packed, and I sometimes found it difficult to follow what was going on (I even found myself glancing at the Hebrew surtitles to help anchor me in what was happening). I’d also recommend booking a central seat for the best view of the action across the stage.
As a fan of text-based cultural productions, especially from beloved works like Alice in Wonderland, I was already excited looking at the stage set with its large mysterious circle in the back left area and scattered army cots, and wondering how the book would be brought in to this scene. Given the heavy reliance on Lewis Carroll’s book, some prior familiarity or even a pre-show reread will enhance your appreciation and help to reduce the confusion.
A complex performance on the power of imagination
THIS IS a complex show exploring multiple themes. One is the use of imagination as a refuge from hardship (making me think of the marvelous film Life Is Beautiful), which resonated with me as one who found refuge in books throughout COVID-19 and in this war.
In the play: In 1941, London teenager Alice Spencer (Danielle Zel-Ravid, a young actress with a stunning voice) retreats from the terror of the Blitz and of her beloved friend Alfred’s (Eitan Meyerowitz) terminal tuberculosis into this fantastical story that she knows by heart. Those sheltering with her in the Underground (subway) station – soldiers, ordinary people, a nurse and more – transform into characters from Alice.
It is not much of a retreat, as in Wonderland Alice encounters herself and her fears. We see her maturation, both physical and emotional, and the building of her identity. When the Caterpillar suggests “Shall we disappear?” Alice poignantly responds, “But it’s taken me so long to appear!”
Other themes include war, love, sexuality, death, and loss. I think the show tries to encompass a little too much in its 90 minutes, but we can applaud it for trying. The cumulative effect is to make us all feel a little mad, which is perhaps the point. As the Cheshire Cat (Maurane Leost) declares: “The world has lost its head. I’m mad, you’re mad. That’s a perfectly appropriate response.”
To note just a few more of the show’s many excellent aspects: Zel-Ravid’s voice was heart-stopping; the bizarre comedy by the Duchess (Jakey Parry) had us rolling in our seats; Gabrielle Shine shone as the despotic Queen of Hearts; and the Mad Hatter (Eitan Tsvik) as a PTSD-afflicted soldier wearing IDF trousers was a jolting reminder of the cost of war.
Most moving of all was the Mock Turtles scene. Each of the group held a helmet resembling a turtle and praised the dear one they had lost in the war, grieving loudly. Their mock tears caused real tears in the audience and in this reviewer. (I was told in advance to bring tissues; but some missed the memo and sniffed the entire night, so don’t be caught short…)
It hit very close to home. The script even has one turtle lament: “No loss could ever match mine/ they weep the weep but I lost my rabbi/ my tortoise taught us Torah, you see/ meet yourself in grief like me.” To my mind, had the show spread itself less thinly and focused on this theme of war and loss, it would have packed even more of a punch.
I must say that I delighted in revisiting the bizarre world of Alice from my youth. Knowing “Jabberwocky” by heart (I picked up on the change of “slithy toves” to “slithy lobes”), it was chilling yet fitting to see it reimagined as an ode to a cruel medical establishment. I loved seeing the Lobster-Quadrille with its silly refrain “Will you, won’t you join the dance” and the red gloves that transformed the actors into lobsters.
Apropos lobster, the notable abundance of non-kosher foods in the script (there was also bacon and ham) reminds me that this play, unlike the others I’ve reviewed this year, has no overt Jewish connections apart from the aforementioned rabbi – and yet, as a universal exploration of war and loss, it’s highly relevant and appropriate. Good choice, Starcatcher. ■