REVIEW: 'Cirque Alice' is the side of Wonderland you didn't know about
Who knew that Alice and her friends in Wonderland were all so strong and acrobatic?
Cirque Alice is Lewis Carroll's beloved children's book retold by acrobats, magicians, musicians, aerialists, contortionists, and some incredibly strong people, all of whom defy gravity onstage.
Brought to The Theatre at Solaire by producers Simon Painter and Tim Lawson, in partnership with GMG Productions, Cirque Alice features talents from Cirque du Soleil cast members and America's Got Talent: Fantasy League performers. With a track record that includes The Illusionists, Le Noir, and Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple, Painter and Lawson guarantee an unforgettable spectacle.
Their latest production has all of Alice's story's favorite characters. But instead of narrating their adventures, the performers put up a fascinating circus act that keeps audiences on their toes. Alice sings arias, the White Rabbit is a violinist, the Mad Hatter likes to play tricks on the audience, the Queen of Hearts is a contortionist, and the Knights show how strong people can be.
"As with all our productions, our mission is to transport audiences into a world of imagination and spectacle, and we sincerely hope we have achieved that," wrote Painter and Lawson in a message.
Although The Theatre at Solaire is a slightly smaller version of an actual circus tent, it does the job of appearing as one. String lights give the appearance of a big top. Underneath is a circular platform where all the magical and acrobatic action takes place; no catch net, though.
Right off, Alice, played by Layla Schillert, and the White Rabbit, portrayed by Raphael Papo, set the tone of the entire show with some modern takes on beloved classical pieces, such as Swan Lake and Flight of the Bumble Bee. Throughout the two-hour spectacle, between the breathtaking acrobatic displays, Alice and the White Rabbit pop out to perform some tunes as if to say, "Here's a little aria to bring your blood pressure back down."
It is the Mad Hatter, though, played by Darren "Dizzy" Partridge, who forms a pseudo relationship with the audience. Armed with his bag of magic tricks, slapstick humor, and theatrical pickpocketing, he asks volunteers to demonstrate how regular people can also be magicians if they have the right tools and sense of humor.
That's not to say that the other acts pale in comparison, because they don't.
For instance, the Flamingos—remember Wonderland's unusual game of croquet where the pink birds are the mallets? At Cirque Alice, the Flamingo couple, played by Anna Stelmakh and Evgenii Slepukhin, are aerialists whose flexibility and physical strength are mesmerizing.
Instead of just one long larva, the Caterpillar is portrayed by four incredibly flexible performers, whose 16 collective limbs are as caterpillar-like as they can get.
The Queen of Hearts, played by Veronika Ivanova, is another contortionist. It is difficult to understand how she can keep a perfectly sculpted poker face as she performs all those fluid movements atop a crescent.
One nail-biting segment features the Dormouse, played by Daniel Onofre. Atop a small circular table, he balances cylinder upon cylinder until he teeters on top of seven of them while standing on a thin rectangular slab.
As a fitting finale, the Knights showcase their physical strength. At one point, they balance on top of each other, head to head, while the bottom Knight stands on two ladders. If there is one moment when Alice's arias is needed, it is during the Knights' act.
When you jump down the rabbit hole of Cirque Alice, you'll be immersing yourself in a circus that goes far beyond the usual acrobatics. There's also magic, laughter, the amazing human spirit, and the occasional mad hatter who likes to pick pockets for fun.
Cirque Alice has a limited 12-show run at The Theatre at Solaire, with its last performance on Oct. 25. Tickets are available at Ticketworld.