The cast of ‘Alice.’ Courtesy photo
Staff Report
New Mexico Dance Theater Performance Company (NMDT-PC) presents Director Susan Baker-Dillingham’s original ballet version of Alice in Wonderland this weekend.
Alice will be performed at the Duane W. Smith auditorium 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov.13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at Uli’s Cottontails or at the door 45 minutes prior to performances. They are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. Children 4 and under are free.
Alice premiered in November 2009 and showcases Baker-Dillingham’s creative genius along with the talents of the NMDT-PC dancers.
“If you missed it last time, you simply MUST see this captivating crowd-pleaser,” Baker-Dillingham said. “It’s a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the heart.”
Over the last 15 years, Baker-Dillingham has presented other notable productions in the Los Alamos community, including her original versions of A Christmas Carol, Aladdin, Cinderella, Dracula, Snow White, The Nutcracker, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and many mixed bills. She has also brought such classics as Giselle, Les Sylphides, Paquita, and The Sleeping Beauty to Los Alamos.
“I love the ballet, Alice,” Baker-Dillingham said. “It moves from absolutely magical sequences of Alice falling down the Rabbit Hole and growing and shrinking, to moments of absolute poignancy, to complete zaniness and humor. Act I ends with a magnificent tea party, and Act II is filled with surprises like the croquet match played with flamingos and hedgehogs.”
The NMDT-PC cast of 42 dancers features 14 leading characters including: Megan Hemphill as Alice, Naomi Joyce as The White Rabbit, Sarah Dale as The Queen of the Living Flowers, Katie Osburn as The Faun, Louisa Belian as The Unicorn, Becky Cai as The Caterpillar, Akane Dunn as The Cheshire Cat, Chris Jeffery as The Turtle, Taylor Rose Ortega and Ashlyn Baker as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Devon McCleskey as The Mad Hatter, Giovanni Echave as The March Hare, Emily Brown as The Queen of Hearts, and Charles Tseng as The King of Hearts. NMDT faculty member Carol Liebmann, and Baker-Dillingham herself, will also perform in Act II of the ballet.
The brilliant sets for Alice were originally designed by Holly Haas and will once again grace the stage.
The fantastic costumes were originally designed by Baker-Dillingham and Kenda Bultman. NMDT-PC Costume Mistress Marcy Anderson leads seamstresses Gay Farley and Sara Scott in refurbishing them for this year’s production.
Props by Winnie Lamartine add to the fun, and, as usual, LAHS crewmembers, led by theater manager Ross Mason, will round out the production.
Please check www.NMDT.org or call 505-661-3226 for more information about Alice or classes offered at NMDT, located in the heart of downtown Los Alamos at 147 and 149 Central Park Square.
