Quaker Valley High School to Perform ‘Alice by Heart’

By: Gwendolyn Taylor 

This March, the QVHS Music Department will perform the musical “Alice by Heart.” The show takes place in London during the 1940s. Alice Spencer, a young teen girl who is forced underground into a makeshift shelter due to bombings, escapes only with her old copy of “Alice in Wonderland,” which is quickly confiscated by the callous Red Cross nurse. In an attempt to comfort her best friend Alfred, who contracted tuberculosis during the war, she begins to recite the story by heart. The other children residing in the bunker each take the role of the characters in Wonderland, Alfred posing as the White Rabbit, the Nurse becoming the Queen of Hearts, and other recognizable characters such as the Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter. The story frequently cuts from Wonderland to the bomb shelter and back as the other characters begin to ridicule Alice for growing up (alluding to the "Eat Me" cake from the original story) and not accepting the impending loss of Alfred. 

Rehearsals began mid-December following November auditions. The lead role of Alice will be played by junior Rowan Wallace. "The most difficult part of the rehearsal process is the amount of lifts that have to be done throughout the musical," Wallace said. "Many different characters, including myself, have to be held up in the air, which can become pretty complicated. Even though the task is difficult, it definitely enhances the musical for the better." 

The choreography in the show is very different from past shows put on in QVHS, featuring lifts and extravagant visuals. Each element and prop of the choreography reflects items that would be found in the shelter or war, like cots, sheets, and combat helmets, juxtaposing the utopia of wonderland with the dark situation the characters are facing in the real world. 

Seniors MacKenzie Felouzis and Sally Riordan are the dance ensemble captains for the show. “Throughout the show, everyone does something different, some people are in the army, some make up the limbs of the jabberwock, some carry cots or some lift people,” Riordan said. “It’s super cool to have so many moving parts!”

Everyone involved in the show has a favorite song to perform.  "So far, my favorite number to perform is probably ‘Chilling in the Regrets,’" Wallace said. "I love this number because the music and dance is very contemporary. Performing the dance feels freeing, and the melody is very catchy." 

Junior Joelle Muretisch plays the role of young Nigel and the Dormouse. ”I like "Down the Hole" because it's fun to perform and it gives you insight into the bizarre world of ‘Alice in Wonderland,’”

Performances will run from March 14 to March 17 in the QVHS auditorium, and tickets can be purchased online. Please note that this performance is rated PG-13 and is not suitable for younger audiences.