The Dreamy Wonderland of ‘Alice by Heart’

In Alice by Heart, London citizens huddle in an Underground station for safety during a WWII bombing campaign. Teenager Alice Spencer comforts a sickly friend by telling him the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; her imagined version of Wonderland merges with their terrifying reality, setting the scene for this “curiouser and curiouser” new musical. 

Presented by Out of the Box Theatre Company and directed by Samantha Eve, Alice by Heart is the Southern California premiere of this dreamy (and sometimes disturbing) reimagination of Wonderland characters and adventures.

“I had the opportunity to see Alice by Heart off-Broadway in 2019,” says Eve. “It caught my attention — not just because of the unique take on a well-known story, but because of the all-star writing team behind the show.” She’s referring to Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, who also wrote the musicals Spring Awakening and American Psycho, both of which have been produced by Out of the Box in past seasons.

Cassidy Broderick, who plays Alice, calls her character “curious, adventurous, and quite the dreamer … she has to navigate the challenges of being an adolescent, but also how to deal with grief and loss.” 

Alfred, her doomed companion (played by Nolan Montgomery), is afflicted with tuberculosis and struggles with his apparent mortality. Montgomery describes the show as whimsical, with touches of melancholy. It’s because of Alice, he says, that his character is able to experience Wonderland one more time.

Alice by Heart runs November 10-19 at Center Stage Theater and offers the added bonus of themed cocktails and baked goods made by Eve, who is also a professional baker. “I hope that audiences will be able to recognize the importance of an active imagination,” says Montgomery, “…while also understanding that reality is inevitable.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, see centerstagetheater.org.