After Alice falls through her mirror to begin this Lookingglass Theatre adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic tales, a black curtain falls from the rafters and we hear the amplified voice of a stage manager calling out cues for light changes and the stage to be cleared. And so, even as Alice's fantastical journey to Wonderland commences, the wonder of her circus act contortions on a hoop suspended above the audience is undermined by adapter/director David Catlin's determination to ground this whimsy in the cold reality of what goes on behind the scenes.
It's the first of many frustrations in what turns out to be a quite tedious evening of Alice adventuring among "curiouser and curiouser" characters. Yes, there are flashes of ingenuity in the evening. For instance, costume designer Mara Blumenfeld has fun with perspective as the Queen of Hearts sinks in Alice's estimation. There are also moments when amazed audiences gasp with appreciation for the daunting athleticism, daring acrobatics and dazzling dancing the cast performs. The five ensemble members (Lawrence E. DiStasi and Doug Hara in particular) even enable us to feel empathy for some of the show's characters, whether a bumbling knight or an aloof egg.
"Alice" should have been a perfect project for Lookingglass, a company recognized for its invention, originality, breathtaking imagery and effects. Yet this production is bloated and too much of the supposed magic of this strange, surreal world feels as if it's been done before.
The program tells us this "Lookingglass Alice" is 75 minutes without intermission, and that's what it should have been. Instead the show stretches closer to 100 minutes and can feel interminable. That's because the moments of magic and levity are quickly overwhelmed by wordiness (some witty, but more often verbose) and a sense that Catlin and his cast are popping out of trap doors and hanging from the rafters more because they can than because it serves the show.
Circus choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi gives Lauren Hirte's Alice hoops, ropes and elaborate elastic bands to work with, but it all looks the same as in productions past. This Wonderland is relatively wonderless, and no amount of running on and off the stage while screaming or shouting will convince the audience otherwise; it's just one more aspect of the production that feels forced rather than fantastic.
Lookingglass Theatre Company; 821 N. Michigan; (312) 337-0665; $30–$58 (discount available for children). Through March 27; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; as well as 3 p.m. on March 9, 19 and 26
