Yesterday we ventured down a rabbit hole in Greenwich Village to see Literally Alive Theatre’s musical Alice In Wonderland at the Players Theatre.  Creators Michael Sgouros and Brenda Bell brought this childhood classic to life with an incredibly talented cast and percussion ensemble.

Since the last performance took place today, we were able to attend a special benefit performance supporting three weeks of free family theater taking place this July.  This event included a reception, multiple raffles and an auction.

Upon entering the theater the children were welcomed on stage to create a show themed craft:

The kids were really happy about the crafting and Adrian’s love of using Elmer’s glue in abundant quantities was solidified.

As a parent, I really appreciated this part.  Instead of having antsy pants kids whining waiting in anticipation in their seats, they were able to craft (with the assistance of staff!) and feel like little stars on the stage showing off their freshly created hats.

Perfecting his serious Mad Hatter.

A great component of  Literally Alive Theatre’s productions is that each show begins with an hour-long interactive pre-show family workshop, where (in addition to crafting) the playwright and a company member discuss the transformation of classical literature into a musical.  Major themes, musical instruments and show components are discussed so children can contextualize what they will soon experience in the show.

The one hour production was magnificent.  Alice’s whimsical character really captured a child-like essence in her movements, and her pal the white rabbit was hilarious.  Additionally, the use of projections was pretty amazing.  My four year old was captivated for the entire hour and was thrilled that the Cheshire cat (which she calls the treasure cat) was female.  The queens of hearts, (my favorite character) was played so exquisitely by a male and she kept us laughing with her over the top “off-with-their-heads!”.

Here comes Alice!

The show really had appeal to both the young and the old.  My whole family enjoyed the peculiar animals- my kids liked the caterpillar’s many arms and finger cymbals, and my husband and I found it amusing when he told Alice that she was “killing his buzz.”  Although the show is deemed appropriate for all ages – we imagined our almost two year old (only four days away!) needing to be swiftly removed taken out mid-show by my husband.  To our amazement he spent the majority of the time mesmerized in his own seat (in a theater issued booster chair).  I was able to get in a few cuddles as he comfortably found his way into my lap towards the end of the performance.  

Enjoying the theatre at nearly two.

We were happy that our little guy was able to actually pay attention, enjoy himself (he did elicit a lot of laughter upon declaring “Ohhhh no Alice” during a moment of silence) and experience live theatre for the very first time.  When the show ended my daughter made it clear that she needed me to sew her that Alice costume after-all.  For those of you that know her well, the show colored her weekend fantasy play, as she has been Alice ever since.   

My entire family really enjoyed this performance and we will definitely be back for another show in the future.

Sporting her souvenir in the heart of the village.

Win It:
I’m thrilled to be hosting a giveaway for a family four pack of tickets to any show in Literally Alive Children’s Theatre’s 2012 season.  The season includes:  Sleepy Hollow- the musical, Cinderella, Percussion People, Tico Tales and A Christmas Carol.  Information on the upcoming season and ticket purchases can be found at www.literallyalive.com.

Enter:
To enter, become a follower on my blog and leave a comment telling me the show you’d like to see.  I’ll announce the winner on Thursday evening.

Update:
Congratulations Kurukurupa Tokyo Mama !

All opinions are my own y’all.