A Queen Red that channels her best Jennifer Lopez. A mad hatter that breaks into the bachata. A Lucha Libre fight in the middle of Wonderland.
The Stages Panto tradition is back, and this year is Alice in Wonderland- or better yet, Alicia in Wonderland. Written by Teatrx, Panto Alicia in Wonderland imagines the main character as a 15-year old Latina from Houston preparing for her quinceañera party. While her family calls her Alicia, her friends at school know her as Alice. Her family prefers a traditional quinceañera with la misa and la última muñeca. Alicia wants to buck tradition. Do what she wants.
The TEATRX Artistic and Managing Director, Benito Vasquez, co-directs alongside Marissa Castillo. Together, they create an entertaining and family friendly evening that embraces the whimsy of Wonderland and invites all in the audience to surrender to the fun.
Two, long stadium like panels hover on opposite parts of the stage that provide referential images of where the scenes take place. In addition, they have instructions for the audience like “Boo” or projects lyrics for the audience to repeat.
The panels are used in several moments throughout the show to contribute successfully to the humor of the show. Even when it isn’t quite clear what’s going on, the consistent integration of Latin music and cultural traditions in unique ways highlight the ways that even in Alicia’s imagination her Latina identity is always at the center. Alicia’s desire to buck tradition isn’t a reflection of her desire to avoid her Latina heritage. She simply wants to rebel because like many teenage girls, she wants to do what she wants.
Vasquez’s and Castillo’s Alicia in Wonderland is a Latinx coming of age story. They present Latinx culture on full display without compromising its vision for a predominantly English-speaking audience. The vibrant colors of the costumes (Kristina Ortiz Miller) and the original music (Anthony Almendárez) inspired from the various genres of Latin America grounds you in the “real” elements of this fantasy world.
There were several moments throughout the show where the characters speak Spanish, but it wasn’t quickly followed up with the English translation as to be expected. Instead, the show barrels on and provides enough context clues so that the gist of what happens is intelligible.
Due to an ankle injury suffered at first preview, Larie Rodriguez, who plays Alicia, is unable to stand on her feet. Rather than cancel the performances, the artistic team decided to have Rodriguez sit on the side of the stage while singing and delivering Alicia’s lines while Cynthia Garcia, the show’s Choreographer, stands in for Rodriguez as the “Bonus Alicia” miming expressions and performing all of Alicia’s stage dancing and movements.
The show must go on and luckily, the panto style allows for this type of substitution. Her inability to be on stage does not take away from being able to enjoy the production. Whether Rodriguez’s ankle fully heals by the last performance doesn’t matter so much since her ebullient speaking voice clearly convey Alicia’s youth emotions. She’s still able to act from the waist up from her chair, and there were a few moments where it’s clear that Rodriguez wants to jump on stage and be part of the show as it was originally rehearsed.
Despite the setback, she still succeeds in exuding the self-absorbed but endearing nature of an adolescent who has many opinions about everything but lacks knowledge of who they are.
Panto Alicia is a family affair with enough off-colored jokes to go over the children’s heads but more than enough to keep them involved. Buttons, played charismatically by Ryan Schabach, is both the party planner and informal emcee of the night leading the audience in and out of transitions as certain elements of the set needed to be changed. Schabach improvises several fun moments with the audience and uses his brief times on stage to elevate the energy in the room.
Ricardo Pérez Dávila as Tweedledee, a chaos agent turned Lucha Libre announcer comes alive in his mannerisms and affectations. He and Tweedledum (Diana Irais Alcaraz-Villa) are the first people Alicia meets after following the White Rabbit. Like everyone she meets afterward, They speak Spanish. They love their heritage, and they oddly have specific knowledge of the city of Houston even though they are Wonderland residents.
Panto Alicia in Wonderland is littered with inside jokes and references about Houston. Nowhere in the show is the love for Houston more on display than in the crowd-pleasing performance of Juan Sebastián Cruz as the Chosteen Cat. The hand gestures. The aphorisms. His agility. It doesn’t take long to know who Cruz is channeling.
The engaging performances, the infectious energy of the music and the interactive nature of the play make for an enjoyable evening of live theater — where something new may be learned but most importantly there is something entertaining for everybody.
Performances continue through December 31 at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at The Gordy, 800 Rosine. For more information, call 713-537-0123 or visit stageshouston.com. $30-$84.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
