By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter
Theater Review
Alice in Wonderland
By Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman
Directed by Joy Virata and Cara Barredo
Presented by Repertory Philippines
THE colorful characters of Lewis Carroll’s cherished books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, have come to life through the latest offering by Repertory Philippines (REP).
On opening day (Aug. 23), the schoolchildren brought to the venue by various sponsors excitedly lined the halls of the REP Eastwood Theater in Quezon City. It was a rare chance for these kids to go on an adventure with the ever-curious Alice, thanks to the magic of theater.
The musical, boasting whimsical costumes, bright lights, and interactive music and dance numbers, closes the 88th season for REP.
As an offering of the Repertory Theater for Young Audiences (RTYA), the imaginative production reintroduces the characters encountered by Alice as she stumbles her way through Wonderland: the eccentric Mad Hatter, the frantic White Rabbit, the bumbling Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the clever Caterpillar, the melancholic Mock Turtle, the mysterious Cheshire Cat, and, of course, the domineering Queen of Hearts.
Adapted for the stage with music and lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman and directed by RTYA creative director Joy Virata and Cara Barredo, the show is zany and over-the-top. It is best enjoyed with kids, like the students in the crowd on opening day, who would enthusiastically respond to questions the characters would pose to the audience.
For adults, it’s a heartwarming chance to see how children can still respond to experiences like this one, even in a digital age where kids transfixed on their phones has become a common sight. RTYA is a solid counter to that, allowing them to enter the worlds of characters like Alice in a way that actively engages with the material.
Justine Narciso played Alice that day (she alternates with Reese De La Vega Iso and Cheska Quimno). Her bright energy matched the amazing production, palpable to the audience whether it was her facial expressions or her boundless movements navigating the stage. Her voice, just as bright, had exactly the right tone needed to pull children into the story.
Pinky Marquez as the Queen of Hearts was another stand-out, her stage presence and charisma demanding attention (she alternates with Cara Barredo and Mayen Bustamante-Cadd). It also helped a lot that anticipation built throughout the show for the Queen’s appearance — when she finally did show up towards the end, the audience was ready for her powerhouse performance.
The rest of the cast was just as colorful and full of life, befitting a children’s show. The musical’s Mad Hatter is played alternately by Hans Eckstein and Gerhard Krysstopher, while The White Rabbit is portrayed by Steven Hotchkiss and Gabo Tiongson.
Joining them are Vino Mabalot and Jay Pangilinan as the Mock Turtle, Stephen Viñas and Sebastian Katigbak as the Cheshire Cat, Yhuan Gatbunton and Lance Soliman as the Caterpillar, and many others.
The music and choreography keep everything tight despite the utter cacophony that Alice encounters in Wonderland. It comes across as an organized chaos, with several moving parts as members of the ensemble dance around onstage and transport the various set pieces with ease, be it giant doors or tables with tea or rose bushes.
Wonderland itself is a feast for the eyes, presenting a plethora of colors, shapes, and sizes. Matching them are the costumes, as loud and gaudy as they should be — the Cheshire Cat’s appearance the most memorable in how it stands in sly contrast to the rest, supported by the slick dance moves and groovy tunes that come with the role.
RTYA’s Alice in Wonderland is a strong finish for REP, showcasing the heart and talent that goes into each show, especially now that it is approaching its 89th season next year (just a breath away from the big 90). After its move to Eastwood from its decades-long residency in Greenbelt, the theater company was unsure whether the audience would come along or if a new one would successfully crop up in its place.
The warm reception of children, families, and educators as Alice in Wonderland opened proved that there’s definitely something there. For many of the kids, it may even be their first experience seeing something so wondrous onstage, and we can only hope they continue going down the rabbit hole of Philippine theater.
Alice in Wonderland runs until Dec. 14 at the REP Eastwood Theater, Eastwood Citywalk, Quezon City. Tickets are available via TicketWorld and Ticket2Me.
