ALICE IN WONDERLAND JR. at Evalino Productions, Canton MI

August 21, 2021

Sammy Gharbia as the Caterpillar and Maddy Gorczyca as Alice

Alice in Wonderland is an 1865 English children’s tale by Lewis Carroll (a pseudonym of Charles Dodgson). Dodgson is a distant relative of mine, as are many natives of England. Alice is one the best-known works of Victorian English fiction, its narrative, structure, characters and imagery have had huge influence on popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. Now on stage at the Village Theatre at Cherry Hill, in Canton Michigan is Evalino Productions’ musical ALICE IN WONDERLAND JR., performed by an all-child cast.

This zany 60-minute musical is based on the 1951 Disney film and the novels by Lewis Carroll. The musical follows Alice as she navigates the curious world of Wonderland on her journey of self-discovery, encountering iconic characters such as the ever-tardy White Rabbit, the grinning Chershire Cat, a cool Caterpillar, and many more.

The energy of the cast was top notch, as with all Evalino Productions. Laura Figliuolo played the Queen of Hearts fierce and commanding; she ruled the stage and her singing voice was powerful. Sammy Gharbia was a perfect Caterpillar; his charisma, confidence and good looks are captivating. The costuming was vibrant and appealing. All the staff aside from mentors were children, ages 13 to 16.

Evalino Productions has sold out every show in the Village Theatre since its inception, and opening night was sold out. There are only a few seats left for the rest of the run.

The launch of “Evalino Showrunners” has proven to be a huge success. Artistic Director John Sartor is the magic which sets Evalino Productions aside from other local community theatre; it shows in the work produced on stage and the company’s reputation, which continues to grow.

The show runs August 20, 2021 | August 21, 2021 | August 22, 2021