From June 17 to July 19, amidst the brutal Texas heat, “Alice in Wonderland” transformed the Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre into a world of colorful characters and theatrical absurdity. The production honored the imaginative spirit of the Lewis Carroll classic while adding musical chaos and interactive numbers to keep audiences engaged from curtain time to curtain call.
Carroll’s 1865 novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” began as an impromptu story for the daughters of his friend during a boat ride along the Thames River. Carroll eventually expanded the Wonderland universe via “Through the Looking-Glass.” In 1932, directors Eva Le Gallienne and Florida Friebus combined both novels into a stage adaptation, serving as the foundation for Wonderland musicals performed since.
Director Natalie Young led the Shakespeare Dallas production, creating a Wonderland that feels classic yet unmistakably contemporary. With “Alice in Wonderland” marking her directorial debut, Young emphasizes that Alice finds her strength through her intuition and wit, allowing the audience to see how her curiosity and resourcefulness guides her through Wonderland.
From the moment Alice falls down the rabbit hole, the show wastes no time showcasing a Wonderland filled with eccentric characters, elaborate costumes and comedic audience interactions. Young takes full advantage of the arches and doors across Uldarico Sarmiento’s pastel-toned set to highlight the havoc of Wonderland and its playful backdrops. Sarmiento leans into whimsy and practicality creating makeshift platforms and movable hedges combined with bedazzled umbrellas that allow the audience’s imagination to fill in the gaps to their version of Wonderland.
The production’s visual design continues to showcase the brilliance of Wonderland itself. Costumes transform the Victorian-era story into a retelling with drag and ballroom aesthetics. In one instance, the caterpillar, famous for challenging Alice’s identity with the question, “Who are you?” after she shrinks, now sashayed onto the stage, sequined and ready to dazzle the audience.
In another instance, the Queen of Hearts becomes an unforgettable standout. David Helms brings the larger-than-life personality through royal glam, stage presence and a commanding voice that cements the royal image in the audience’s minds.
These instances continue to expand the classic literature through theatrical chaos and contemporary designs. In doing so, the little pieces join to create a feeling of watching a storybook come to life with a twist of musical numbers.
Amidst the colorful chaos is the main character, Alice. Played by Lily Gast, Alice becomes the grounding presence needed to harness the turbulence of Wonderland. The titular character provides a brilliant and familiar stage presence that makes Wonderland truly a childhood wonder.
Surprisingly, these characters weren’t afraid to break the fourth wall. During the Mad Hatter’s tea party, characters asked the audience for food, prompting guests to share their own picnic snacks. When Alice is invited to play a round of croquet at the Queen of Hearts’ palace, the game almost immediately leaves the stage and is played through the audience allowing the guests to contribute to the chaotically brilliant backdrop of Wonderland.
Young’s production proves that Wonderland has never been a place where the audience simply observes as outsiders.
Young’s production proves that Wonderland has never been a place where the audience simply observes as outsiders. Instead, the production continues to break down the fourth wall, allowing the audience to embrace the nonsense of Wonderland, resulting in a show that feels faithful to Carroll’s adaptation while providing an energetic theatrical twist of its own. While there are plenty of adaptations of “Alice in Wonderland,” the characters, visual effects and engagement of Young’s production end their final night of the musical proving what Wonderland is meant to be: colorful, eccentric and just a little bit ridiculous.
Though “Alice in Wonderland” has concluded for summer 2026, students are encouraged to take advantage of Shakespeare Dallas’ student discount to watch another performance come to life during the 2026 season.