We’re late for an important date to head into Tualatin High School’s Production of Alice By Heart in November! Alice by Heart’s setting is in a London Underground tube station after the London Blitz of World War II. The story focuses on Alice Spencer and her best friend Alfred, who is quarantined with tuberculosis. Alice urges him to escape with her down the rabbit hole to Wonderland by reading their cherished book, Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. Nurse Cross rips Alice’s book as a punishment for visiting Alfred in quarantine. Alice becomes very defiant and declares she knows it “by heart” and will read to him anyway. As Alice dives into Wonderland, the characters in the shelter change into the characters from Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. With a twist of the familiar story, the characters and music will engage the audience.
Alice By Heart has a mixture of familiar and new faces from past TuHS productions. Many of the cast and crew members are involved in Theatre and Choir at TuHS. The show features Ava Harmon as Alice Spencer, Angel Lopez Gomez as Alfred and Braden Fisher as the Mad Hatter. Harmon claims, “This particular cast has to be full of the sweetest people I’ve ever met in my life. This community is so special because I truly feel like you can’t find it anywhere else—everyone is comfortable with acting weird or silly without caring what other people may think.” Jenn Hunter Tindle is directing this talented group of students. “I love directing when the students are so excited to work on the show! They sent me a PowerPoint slideshow explaining why we should produce this particular musical. Then, we saw it performed by another high school from Bend, OR. It solidified their enthusiasm for the musical, and it was an easy decision to add it to our season.”
Hayley Carmalt, playing the Queen of Hearts, states, “Alice by Heart feels like a really underground show that not many people have seen. The music is insanely beautiful, and the plot tackles some pretty heavy themes, but there’s a really great balance between funny and serious. Before you know it, you’re so invested in the storyline that it feels like you’re experiencing Wonderland right alongside Alice.”
Why should Tualatin come to the show? “The Tualatin community should come to see this show because our cast and crew are working so hard to make it come to life, and it’s not like any other show we’ve put on at Tualatin High School; you don’t want to miss it! I’d say the message of this show is that everything in your life is going to serve a purpose, but not everything can last forever, and it’s hard to accept that. “Alice by Heart” is so beautiful, but be careful bringing young kids or anyone who is really sensitive to sound, there are siren sound effects and serious themes throughout the show that may be difficult for kids to understand,” says Harmon.
WHO ARE YOU? You are the audience for Tualatin High School’s Alice By Heart! Please come out to support the cast, crew and musicians of this show!
Alice by Heart
Performance Dates and Times:
When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: Tickets available for purchase at the door and online. Limited ticket availability. $15/person tinyurl.com/4bt3uzvt