Colour and movement down the rabbit hole

DON’T be late for this very important date.

Performers with Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts are preparing for their production of Alice in Wonderland Jr in mid-June.

Set to be performed next month as part of a double bill alongside Newsies Jr, the production will see 90 of the company’s PiPs and FiPs junior students bring Lewis Carroll’s seminal surrealist work to life on the stage.

BCMA director Paula Heenan said the show will be a colourful display of the school’s newest performers.

“The highlights really are to have such amazing young people showing so much talent,” she said.

“There’s some extraordinary six-year-olds for example doing some amazing singing and acting and following directions really well.

“They’ve taken every song on, there’s lots of big group numbers that are very colourful, and some of these kids are doing incredible solos and showing such confidence in walking out on the stage.”

Alice in Wonderland Jr blends musical material from the 1951 Disney movie as well as more recent tunes from the 2010 Tim Burton-directed film, and includes hits such as The Coasters’ 1959 song Poison Ivy.

Performers in the production are aged six to 12 years old and Heenan estimated about 40 per cent of the cast are taking to the stage for the first time as part of the production.

She said it’ll provide a vibrant contrast to Newsies Jr.

“There’s lots of colour, vibrancy, and lots of movement,” she said.

“Having 90 children on stage takes a lot of coordinating but it’s very rewarding when you see all those colours come to life and them all singing the same songs and in harmony.”

Alice in Wonderland Jr will be held at Mount Clear College’s Gay E. Gough theatre on Saturday 15 June at 3.30pm, as well as Sunday 16 June, with a show at 11.30am and a final performance at 2.30pm.

Tickets are $20 for children under 16, $35 concession, and $40 adult and can be booked at bit.ly/3wNooyr.