Eastern Michigan University Theatre opened "Alice by Heart" on Oct. 3. This play features Brookelyn Hannah as Alice and Gary Zelley as Alfred. The bond between these characters was beautifully performed.
This play follows a young girl who sought refuge in a London Tube station during WWII. She confronts her grief, loss and love with her favorite book, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." This book takes her on an adventure that helps her cope with all the pain that she is experiencing.
Highs
This adaptation's main highlight was the students' acting; it was incredible. The emotions that Hannah portrayed through her character Alice showed the pain she was experiencing along with the confusion of being in a book. She was on an adventure with Alfred, the white rabbit, who helped her through her pain. He protected her, the bond that these characters had was strong.
The british accents that each student had were perfect, especially Zelley, he sounded exactly like a Brit. His performance was excellent considering he portrayed a rabbit who was stressing about time constantly. The singing duet between Hannah and Zelley was powerful; their voices were in sync the whole time.
Another highlight was Laney Bass's performance as the Queen of Hearts. She was powerful and portrayed the perfect angry queen. The song Bass performed was beautifully done. Her octaves were powerful and it was the most catchy song in my opinion.
Gavin Miller's performance as Duchess was hilarious. Their costume was great, considering how much it showed their personality. They had a strong performance that lightened up the theater.
Another highlight was the costumes. They were precisely as imagined, considering how similar the play is to the film "Alice in Wonderland." The costume for the Queen of Hearts was gorgeous, and Bass's makeup was beautiful. The background orchestra beautifully performed throughout the musical, adding much-needed emphasis.
Lows
The musical's lows were minimal. However, the main low was the storyline; it was confusing. It started with a girl worried about Alfred being sick and the nurse yelling at Alice. The storyline lacked background knowledge about Alice’s past and how she got into the book. Other than the confusing aspects of the play, there were no other lows.
Verdict
The audience enjoyed EMU's "Alice by Heart" tremendously and was full of laughter throughout. This play was performed well and the students' hard work showed. The EMU Theatre did an excellent job putting this play together with the costumes and the setting.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10.
Mariam Fakhreddine is a film and theater reviewer for The Eastern Echo. She has worked as a news and features reporter for The Echo for two years.
