Alice By Heart

Sirens blared. "AH MY LEG MY LEG," a girl yelled. Screams filled the entire Blackbox theater. This abrupt and startling opening sent chills up my spine. 

This was just the start of High Point University's production of Alice By Heart. Alice and her wonderland friends truly took ME by heart throughout their 90 minute journey that spanned not only through wonderland but also through the bomb shelters of the World War II London Blitz. 

                                                                      Britannica and Drawn by John Tenniel
This is an illustration from the original novel.

One may wonder how the Blitz could ever relate to the iconic tale of Alice in Wonderland. However, the two go together remarkably well.

The story begins as we meet the characters who fill the bomb shelter. The title character, Alice Spencer played by Isabella Paolino, introduces us to these characters and hints at what these characters will be in the secondary world of wonderland. 

Alice Spencer, as you may have guessed, turns into the doe-eyed girl who falls down the rabbit hole in the classic novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. 

Alfred Hallam, Alice Spencer's close friend suffering from Tuberculosis, doubles as the White Rabbit. A Red Cross nurse later becomes the Queen of Hearts and Harold Pudding, a manic solider, turns into the Mad Hatter. These are just a few of the characters who grace the stage throughout this production.

Throughout the entire show, Isabella Paolino delivers a vocal performance that could rival any broadway star. She never misses a note and her smooth, angelic voice could not have been more perfect for the role. Her acting is held at the same caliber as she truly transports you making you feel immersed in her world.

Skylar U'Glay/HPU

Isabella Paolino and Jalan Royal spend time in rehearsal.

Her co-star who plays Alfred/The White Rabbit, Jalan Royal, equally matches Paolino's performance. He too has vocal control beyond his college years. Both Royal and Paolino perfectly portray the connection between their two characters, making me wish they had "more time," as they continuously mention throughout the play. I felt on the verge of tears as the two sang the second to last song, "Afternoon," in which Alfred leaves signifying his death from TB. 

The rest of the cast each delivered remarkable individual performance, but the cast's true power comes when they perform as a group. You can see the trust that had been built between the cast members, and it showed in the way that they worked off of each other. Some of the best moments of the show were when they all sang in unison. My personal favorite moment of the show was at the end of a musical number entitled "The Key Is" when the orchestra stops and the cast continues to sing the last few notes. It is a powerful moment in the show.

Skylar U'Glay/HPU

The cast rehearses the song "Brillig Braelig."

One thing that was really unique about this performance was that it was performed in the HPU Empty Space theater, which is a black box. This allowed the audience to feel immersed in the story by being just feet away from the actors. Director Jesse Galas' use of the space was incredible. The room felt large and filled with cast members when it needed to be but felt small and enclosed when the time was right. 

The talent of this performance spans from the creative team to the cast and crew. This performance is a must-see.

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Want to go?

Performances run March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and March 30 with a matinee at 2 p.m.. 

Director: Jesse Galas

Music Director: Jaclyn Surso

Choreographer: Lindsey Howie