Alice by Heart - Emerging Professionals Ensemble

Photo: G. Cafferata

Alice by Heart is a musical currently produced by Emerging Professionals Ensemble. The musical is from 2019 when it received its Off-Broadway premiere. The music is by Duncan Sheik, with the lyrics by Steven Sater who also wrote the book with Jessie Nelson. Having been a fan of Duncan Sheik from his first hit "Barely Breathing," and following his expanding career, watching him take Broadway by storm with the hit Spring Awakening (also with Steven Sater), and knowing that he continues to write musicals as well as pop music, I had to take this rare chance to see this work. This is the second show the two of them worked on and it is the first time I have seen it being performed here in the Twin Cities.

The show is based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The setting has been changed to a bomb shelter in Aldrych station in London during the Blitz. The show begins with a tableau that breaks apart in a blackout during the sounds of a air raid warning. Entering the station are a variety of young people, some wounded which led me to think they were evacuated from a nearby hospital. One of the patients is Alfred who is clearly sick with tuberculosis. While the nurse wants everyone to stay away from him, Alfred's long time childhood friend Alice sneaks in to comfort him, and revisit their favorite book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." The nurse finds them and tears the book apart, but Alice states that she knows it by heart and doesn't need the book. She starts telling the story and the people on stage start to change into the characters from the book. Alice is clearly Alice, while Alfred becomes the White Rabbit. The 100 min, intermission-less show continues the story of Alice from there. Each of the main characters and scenes that you may know from the Disney film, or many other versions of this work, are there for you to enjoy. The whole journey we see Alice try to stop time, to maintain her youth - but not for any reason you may be thinking of. 

Photo: G. Cafferata

The show is a fantastic show dealing with grief and loss, and the effects of war. The staging by Rachel Brady, Rob Thompson, and Jack Moorman is smart and succinct. It makes each stop on the journey memorable, while also using props and set pieces to create new locations. The full production is so strong, from costumes to set to lighting. The choreography by John Mark, and vocal direction by Katie McKnight is spot-on. The choreo is effective and Mark knows how to choreograph on folks who may not be Dancers, but are dancers. In the same way McKnight has clearly worked with the performers to get them to stretch and expand their skillset into some gorgeous vocals. I write this because the Emerging Professionals Ensemble is a group of 16-24 year olds who are starting their performance career. It feels like a group of really good high school performers who are being made better, and stronger through this program, and through this production. The cast is really strong through out - especially Sophie La Fave as Alice. She carries the show and when I saw the show opening night, there was true emotion in her portrayal. Eli Zimmerman as Alfred equals her energy, as do the rest of the cast. This is certainly a show I would see if you are a fan of the music of Dunan Sheik, or the show Spring Awakening. However I would also see this show if you want to get a glimpse of the future of Twin Cities Theatre. I can guarantee you will see these names again.