ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Alice comes to Honolulu August 11-12

Alice will soar across the stage. So will the White Rabbit and Tweedledee and Tweedledum. And to avoid being dinner, the Little Piglets will fly out off the cauldron to escape their captors. Ballet Hawaii brings to stage Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland.” The Hawaii debut will mark the first time that the production will be staged outside Washington, D.C.

“We went to Washington to see the rehearsals and the premier production in February,” says Pamela Taylor Tongg, Ballet Hawaii’s artistic director. “It’s an extravagant production and a totally fun show that never stops.”

Washington Ballet’s artistic director, Septime Webre, came up with the idea while he was here two years ago with the “Peter Pan” ballet production. While staying on the North Shore, Webre read and reread the Carroll’s timeless novel, according to Tongg.

“We like to think the new Alice was conceived here,” Tongg says. “I think it should be called ‘Alice in Honolululand.’”

Alice will soar across the stage in this re-imagined ballet based on Lewis Carroll's classic novel.

This re-imagined version of Alice and her fall down the rabbit hole into a fantasy world of peculiar anthromorphic creatures is filled with color and life, as seen through the costume designs by Liz Vandal (Cirque du Soleil’s OVO) and heard through the score of composer Matthew Pierce. Starring in the production are Maki Onuki as Alice, Sona Kharatian as the Queen of Hearts, Corey Landolt and Andile Ndlovu as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Jared Nelson as the Mad Hatter, and Luis Torres as the Cheshire Cat. Joining these principal dancers from the Washington and Carolina Ballets on stage are aspiring young dancers from across Hawaii and the mainland who are currently studying in Ballet Hawaii's Summer Intensive Program.

“This production is a smorgasbord for the senses,” Tongg says. “From the flying piglets to the creative costumes and beautiful sets, ‘Alice’ will appeal to all ages.”

“It's going to be a wild ride,” adds Webre. “Precocious little Alice will lead us on a raucous journey where things are not always what they seem.”

“Alice in Wonderland”
Saturday, August 11 (7 p.m.) and Sunday, August 12 (2 p.m.)
Price: $35 to $99
Tickets: Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com, as well as the Ward Avenue Blaisdell Box Office.  Artists are subject to change. For more information, visit ballethawaii.org  or call 521-8600.