A great time

There's plenty of room for imagination in telling the story of author Lewis Carroll's classic tale "Alice in Wonderland."

And when bringing the characters from the pages of the storybook to life for the stage or screen, the possibilities are endless.

Walt Disney did a decent job with his 1951 animated version starring the legendary and distinct voices of Ed Wynn, Sterling Holloway and Jerry Colonna.

But an even better example was the big-budget 1985 two-part television mini-series epic produced by Irwin Allen which featured an all-star cast of greats in top-notch costuming and make-up, like Sammy Davis Jr. (Caterpillar), Jayne Meadows (Queen of Hearts), Martha Raye (Dutchess), Imogene Coca (Cook), Red Buttons (White Rabbit), Shelley Winters (Dodo Bird), Telly Savalas (Cheshire Cat), Roddy McDowall (March Hare), Carol Channing (White Queen) and Ann Jillian (Red Queen) among so many others.

But that was more than two decades ago.

An even better option right now is Lookingglass Theatre Company's "Lookingglass Alice," which just had its run extended through Sept. 7 at Chicago's historic Water Tower Works Lookingglass Theatre.

It was back in February 2005 when David Schwimmer and his Lookingglass Theatre Co. first staged the world premiere of "Lookingglass Alice" and the critical praise poured in faster than the Mad Hatter could refill his tea cup.

And since it's the 20th anniversary of this theater company (which began in 1987/88 after the former star of "Friends" directed a production of "Alice in Wonderland" while he was still a student at Northwestern University), it's the perfect time to enjoy a class-act remounting of the production.

After all, the group's name comes from the children's story by Carroll "Alice's Adventures Through the Lookingglass." The term "lookingglass," centuries old, refers to a "mirror," which happens to be the magical doorway that takes the place of a rabbit's hole for Alice's return to Wonderland.

If you've never visited the Lookingglass Theatre Co., which has become a theater mainstay since it settled into its new surroundings in June 2003 in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Works, the fortress-like structure at 821 North Michigan Ave., now's the time.

"Lookingglass Alice" is a 90-minute production that includes a blending of characters from Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and his second "Lookingglass" book. The play opened June 20.

The imaginative show features all the favorite "Alice in Wonderland" characters, like the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, Humpty Dumpty and a 9-foot-tall bellowing Queen of Hearts, as Alice makes her way across a huge chessboard.

The story is neatly told through the eyes of author Carroll and his character creation Alice, played by the ever-acrobatic Lauren Hirte.

And with this season's production, a few new surprises have also been added, such as actor Jesse Perez' very nimble interpretation of the sleep-walking Red King of Hearts.

As the scenes unfold, the audience watches a mere five cast members portray dozens of characters through clever costuming by Mara Blumenfeld and a variety of creative circus talents including acrobatics and trapeze artistry to juggling and unicycle antics.

And even though Schwimmer remains busy with other projects that divide his time between Chicago and Los Angeles, Catlin assures he's very involved.

One of the theater company's keys to success, which Schwimmer supports and Catlin encourages, is allowing an individual's talents to be pooled and included in performances.

Lawrence DiStasi, for example, learned how to ride a unicycle when he was 10, so his White Knight character rides a one-wheeled wonder in place of a white stallion.

"There's a challenge and balance that comes with doing innovative theater," DiStasi said.

"But when it all comes together, there's a big pay-off for the performers and the audience."

DiStasi and his wife, Sylvia, are cofounders of The Actors Gymnasium Circus and Performing Arts School in Evanston, which served as the associate producing company for "Lookingglass Alice."

Lookingglass Theatre is located at 821 North Michigan Ave. in Chicago and tickets are $30 to $58.

FYI: (312) 337-0665 or www.lookingglasstheatre.org.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

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