WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: Alice By Heart

This week we return much closer to the present day, with one of the latest collaborative efforts between Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, best known for writing "Spring Awakening", along with book writer Jessie Nelson, in a new musical take on "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Though certainly not the first adaptation of Lewis Carroll's beloved novel, it is certainly one of the first to feature such dark, brooding undertones, as it set to a London blitz backdrop during the 1940s, blurring the lines between imagination and reality.

It was first developed at London's National Theatre back in 2012, before being workshopped in Aspen, Colorado two years later, however it wasn't until 2019 that it had its first performances, at New York's MCC Theater. Although reimaginings of such well established media are always going to split opinion, there is no doubt that the score by Sater and Sheik is one that will get you pumped, as like with much of their work it is heavily rock-inspired, but always beautifully impactful.

The company of Alice By Heart at the MCC Theater

Though it wasn't a critical or commercial hit, the musical has since developed a strong cult following, especially considering its themes grief, loss, and the enduring quality of the human spirit. Although it was developed in London, it has yet to perform in the UK, so who knows, perhaps with further development, this is a show that could receive a renaissance on British shores...