'Alice in Wonderland' takes Hippodrome to another era

JACK PETRO, THE VILLAGES DAILY SUN

Leave it to the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville to give their audience something different. The official theater of the state of Florida takes Anne Coulter Martens' little-known adult adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic "Alice in Wonderland" and turns it into a rip-roaring showpiece.

The Hippodrome receives generous support from both the state and the local business community in this college town, which allows it to take risks with new or seldom-seen shows that other theaters would shun.

Martens' script is a bare bones look at an adult Alice (Kelly Atkins) who already has stepped through the looking glass. The Mad Hatters and others are replaced by a sextet of sirens that tempt, tease and torment Alice during her quest to return home for her birthday. Only the Queen of Hearts is duplicated in title from Carroll's tale. But in this case, the Queen is a transvestite played to the hilt by Mark Chambers.

The story is largely told through music, choreography and set design under the aegis of Artistic Director Lauren Caldwell. She packs every thing together up close and personal at the Hipp's thrust stage, bringing the audience right into the action. If this is beginning to sound like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," you are on the right track. Just like Janet in RHPS, Alice is trapped and subjected to several substantially sensual situations.

During the shenanigans, the Queen showers the audience with tarts in the form of colored cotton balls. Later in an "Off With Their Heads" scenario, miniature foam rubber replicas of heads are batted into the audiences with fake battle axes, to the delight of the patrons. Atkins is on stage for the entire 90-minute show that has no intermission. It is a physically demanding role, and she puts everything she has into this effort. Her dance routines are more athletic than rhythmic, but her acting ekes a bit of sympathy from her audience, as she struggles through various predicaments.

Choreographer Judy Skinner does a good job in coalescing an eclectic bevy of sirens into some precision drill team routines. Even some tap dancing is tossed into the mix. A king-size portion of laughs is garnered by Chambers as the Queen. Just appearing in tight briefs, red platform shoes; and a Phyllis Diller black wig is enough to get the audience roaring. Chambers may be getting typecast, since he played a similar role in Hippodrome's version of RHPS years ago.

The Hippodrome is now using a new sound system that equips all the principals with state-of-the-art electronic amplification. The individual microphones are nearly invisible wires secured just in front of the chin with transparent tape. Although I felt sound at the small stage did not need amplification, the new equipment is technically superb. The Hipp venue is perfect for the mayhem created in "Alice in Wonderland,' However, do not expect to find any deep underlying theme in this play. It is strictly a fun adult show with some nudity, but no offensive language.

If you are looking for something different in today's theater, "Alice in Wonderland" at the Hipp may be just the show for you. If not, watch for some other new plays in their spring 2007 season.

The Hippodrome State Theatre is located in Gainesville. It is a drive straight north on U.S. Highway 441 and takes about an hour. I recommend a Sunday afternoon performance with a visit to some of the coffee shops within walking distance before the show. This downtown area still has the charm of a small college town.

"Alice in Wonderland" runs through Nov. 12. Ticket price is $20 for seniors. For reservations and information, call (352) 375- 4477 or visit their Web site at thehipp.org. For art film aficionados, check the Web site for films which are shown in an intimate, comfortable theater on the first floor of the Hippodrome building.

Jack Petro can be reached on the net at atheatre1@aol.com.