Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Originally premiering in 2011 at the Royal Ballet at London’s Covent Garden (VL-1/12), Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet has been restructured from two acts to three (along with a few other minor modifications) in this 2017 revival. Otherwise, there is not a lot of difference between the two stagings, especially since Alice (Lauren Cuthbertson) and Mad Hatter (Steven McRae) are the same in both, although Federico Bonelli and Laura Morera are now the Knave and Queen of Hearts, and conductor Koen Kessels replaces Barry Wordsworth. Wheeldon’s choreography and Joby Talbot’s original score (with its sly references to other composers) are pleasant if not altogether memorable, but the major attraction remains the spectacular physical production, with its colorful sets and costumes, busy video projections, and eye-catching puppetry (with the on-and-off Cheshire Cat being an especially clever effect). The loss of Lewis Carroll’s text means that his brilliant wordplay is largely gone (aside from a few video projections), although familiarity with the book will certainly help the viewer to follow the episodic action. Overall, this is a winning ballet that is likely to entertain the entire family, and it is rapidly becoming part of the regular repertory, and not only in England. Presented in DTS 5.1 and LPCM stereo on DVD (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray release), extras include an introduction to the ballet and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Recommended, especially for those who don’t own the 2011 release. (F. Swietek)