Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre. Little Theatre, University of Adelaide. 10 Oct 2024
Alice by Heart is a musical with music by Grammy Award nominated Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Steven Sater (Tony, Grammy and Laurence Olivier Award winner, best known for the 2006 Broadway musical Spring Awakening), and book by Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson. Set in World War II, it follows Alice Spencer as she escapes the trauma of a London bombing by retreating into Lewis Carrol’s iconic children’s novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In a hospital quarantine ward with her dying friend Alfred, they relive the classic story in their tortured minds. As Alice says, “we can make it all chipper.” The musical premiered off-Broadway at MCC Theatre in February 2019.
This production by The Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre (ECMT) is a total delight and continues the fine tradition of quality musicals presented by ‘the Con’ since the inception of the music theatre degree program in 2019. It follows hot on the heels of their hugely successful production of Jesus Christ Superstar just a few weeks ago. ECMT has been very busy!
Staged in the University of Adelaide’s intimate Little Theatre, this production is full of surprises. It demonstrates that The Little Theatre is indeed an incredibly versatile performance space and a valuable asset to Adelaide. It must never be allowed to be downgraded, or ‘disappear’, like other theatres in the Festival State! The Little Theatre can be a difficult space to ‘work’, but in the right hands, and with the right resources, it can come up trumps. In her program notes, director Erin James states “The absence of set symbolises both the void left by war and the limitless expanse of the mind, and so we have relied on imagination in the same way as our characters do in the show: when we have nothing, we create.” Her words are unnecessarily apologetic, but she correctly identifies the importance of imagination, and what an imagination she, co-creatives, and her students have!
The first thing that grabs you as the show begins is Chris Snape’s strikingly effective lighting design. It quickly evokes the terror of being trapped in London’s underground railway stations while war rages above, and in the blink of an eye, it transforms to convey the dizzying and colourful imagination of a child. Also quickly apparent, once Alice and Alfred have entered the wonderland that is Lewis Carrol’s novel, is that the entire cast have all created beautifully observed and nuanced characters that ‘leap off the page’. There is not a weak link anywhere. They are uniformly strong, and there is always something captivating to look at and let play with your own imagination!
The set is eye-catching, moody, and functional. It has sufficient and appropriate detail to identify time and location, and the set dressings and properties are efficiently moved around the stage by the cast with style. On occasions, it is almost breathtaking how quickly changes happen, and sometimes they are not even noticed. Excellent stage management!
Costuming, wigging and makeup is highly stylised where it needs to be, and adds to the overall characterisation
There are seventeen named characters in the cast, and sometimes there’s not a lot of free space on stage, but it never feels crowded or restricted, because the choreography is slick, purposeful, highly creative, and just plain fun to look at. (The program doesn’t formally credit a choreographer, so kudos to Amelia Chapman (dance captain), Jacinda Tsakalos (assistant) and of course director Erin James).
The dance and integrated choreographic routines offer so much to look at and enjoy, but Chillin’ the Regrets, The Key is, and Your Shell of Grief are just … well, just wow! They demonstrate superb use of tightly controlled lighting, imaginative use of the acting space, and clever choreography that enhances the story telling. They aren’t merely dance routines. And of course, even during the most energetic dance sequences, the ensemble is all the time singing while demonstrating excellent articulation, precise breath control, and polished harmonisation.
Musically, the production is high quality. (What would you expect from the celebrated ‘Con’?) Production Manager and Music Director Peter Johns plays keyboard and leads a band of six others on guitar, drums, reeds, trumpet, and cello. They are finely balanced and never dominate the singers, and the synchronisation is well-defined. Mosaic Audio Visual Pty Ltd provides sound design, sound mixing and radio microphone services, and they never falter. Clearly substantial skill, design, planning, and rehearsal time has been invested to ensure a first-rate listening experience.
Chorus numbers are well sung, and for the most part solos, duets and small ensemble numbers are impressively handled, and there are some bravura tongue-in-cheek moments along the lines of ‘anything you can sing I can sing better’! Highly amusing!
Throughout the performance, the sense of purposeful and disciplined ensemble is palpable. Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre‘s Alice by Heart is all for one and one for all, and it is a truly joyous experience. Long may ECMT produce such fabulous work!
Kym Clayton
When: 10 to 12 Oct
Where: Little Theatre
Bookings: Closed
