43
Rust Belt's 'Alice' has a dark, modern flair
By GUY D’ASTOLFo
YOUNGSTOWN
Rust Belt Theater Company will put its own spin on an iconic story when it presents “Alice: A Curious Musical,” which premieres Friday.
“Alice” follows the story of “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll and also incorporates some characters from “Through the Looking Glass.”
But the similarities have limits.
“This is a production that is more geared toward adults,” said writer-director Robert Dennick Joki. “It has a dark and modern flair.”
Joki and Josh Taylor co-wrote the score.
“A lot of the music has a pop-rock feel, and there are also several really beautiful ballads,” he said.
The characters and their appearance also have undergone changes.
Instead of dressing the cast in animal costumes in keeping with its source material, the characters in “Alice” are an interpretation of the classic characters that are rooted in real life.
Bernadette Lim plays the caterpillar as the madame of an opium den. Her clients make up the rest of her caterpillar “body.”
Marisa Zamary portrays the Mad Hatter as a drag queen. The Cheshire cat is a club kid, played by Kage Coven.
“It’s a fresh new look at one of the most popular stories of all time,” said Joki.
The production features artwork by Courtney Bouchie and choreography by Zamary.
In addition to Lim, Zamary and Coven, the cast also includes Hunter Thomas, Beth Farrow, Katherine Skaggs, Jayden Byrne, Celena Coven, Lynn Sabeh, Eric Kibler, Geri Dewitt, Nicole Zayas, Nick Lyras, Rachel Clifford, Kate Morris, David Cirelli and Grace Offerdahl as Alice.