If the zany humor, silly magic tricks, joyous juggling and asounding acrobatics weren’t enough, a community pillow fight at the end put “Alice: Dreaming of Wonderland” over the top for a nearly packed crowd at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Sunday afternoon.
“I liked the pillow fight. Oh my gosh!” Russell Unruh, age 4 (“almost 5,” he corrected) exclaimed after the show. “And seeing the Queen of Hearts.”
The European-style circus show delighted young and young-at-heart with a charming, hilarious take on the classic tale of a girl’s journey through a mysterious land. Everyone knows the story, but you’ve never seen it quite like this. The show was created by a duo of magicians in Riga, Latvia, in 2019, and the crew has performed across the world.
The fun began even before the doors opened, with the Mad Hatter and March Hare roaming through the crowd in the Bowlus lobby. The March Hare climbed the stairs leading to the balcony and juggled silk scarves of pink, blue and yellow before he stood on his hands and walked down the stairs, upside down.
A One-Man Band handed instruments to several audience members — including a rubber chicken — to join him in song.
And that was all before the show even started. The White Rabbit rushed to the stage, checking his watch. It was time.
“We are all mad here.” The words appeared on screen as if made of smoke before the actors bounded on stage.
Alice entered and discovered a giant key and found the magic keyhole that would transport her and everyone in the audience to a magical adventure. She stepped into the giant keyhole and twisted her way through a series of acrobatic moves, upside down and around until the audience was dizzy with delight.
After a bit of trickery from the White Rabbit and Mad Hatter, the stage revealed a kaleidoscope of color with mushrooms, flowers and a silkworm who blew smoke bubbles.
Bubble-blowing became one of the night’s highlights under the artistry of the Silk Worm/March Hare.
A program note said the actor is one of very few performers around the world to combine bubble art with a special smoke-blowing technique. He blew bubbles, large and small, then filled some of them with smoke. The audience held its breath as it watched a giant, smoky bubble slowly drift to the top of the Bowlus auditorium. 
Then, the cast picked local banker Jim Gilpin to join them on stage, where he was outfitted with a bubble wig. After giving it some thought, the bubble-maker decided to add rabbit ears. He convinced Gilpin to give them a shake, and the bubbles wobbled back and forth on top of his head as the audience giggled. Gilpin, of course, could not see what was happening on top of his head.
Gilpin wasn’t the only local “actor” picked for the show. Later, the March Hare led Iola High School student Rohan Springer to play the role of the Queen of Hearts, complete with red wig and sceptre. After the show, Rohan’s family said the March Hare briefly talked to them before the show. Perhaps they saw his royal potential from the outset.
The astonishing magic and physical tricks continued to a soundtrack of “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from the audience. Alice grabbed hold of a heart-shaped chandelier to swirl above the stage. The Queen of Hearts and her guards climbed up and over each other for a series of gymnastic moves and balancing acts.
And just when it seemed the fun was over, the Mad Hatter yelled “Pillow fight!” and the crew tossed dozens of colorful pillows into the audience. For several minutes, the crowd laughed as they pounded each other with pillows.
“Alice” was the final Family Series performance for the season at the Bowlus. “Nashville Legacy: The Music of Floyd Cramer and Chet Atkins,” and part of the Music Series, is the final show for this season on May 4. Tickets are still available at bowluscenter.org. A new season starts in September, which will also include a 60th anniversary event.
Advertisement
Advertisement
