Department of Music News

Get ready to step into the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland but with a twist. Alice by Heart tells the story of a young woman named Alice who uses her imagination to escape the harsh realities of a war-torn Europe, all while watching her best friend, Alfred, suffer from tuberculosis. Throughout the musical, Alice learns to navigate her emotions and gains valuable lessons from each magical character she encounters in Wonderland.

Junior Carter Luke, who plays Alfred in the production, shares his interpretation of the musical’s deeper meaning. "It’s a story of grief and loss, but also a celebration of life and the moments you're given,” said Luke. “These moments make dealing with the loss of someone so difficult."

“The biggest lesson I want the audience to walk away from is that you can't take time for granted. You often don't realize the significance of a moment until you're right in the middle of it,” said junior Ashleigh Chapman, who plays the Queen of Hearts and Red Cross nurse in Alice by Heart. “Don’t come to the show thinking this is a children’s production, it’s much deeper than that, even though it is a rendition of Alice in Wonderland.”

This retelling of a popular tale will leave its mark on the audience, due to the musical's intensity and fast-paced storytelling. “Alice is going through a form of disassociation where the lines are blurred between reality and Wonderland,” said Chapman. “When bombs hit, it transports her back to the harsh reality of war that they are currently going through.”

The cast put an immense amount of effort into preparing for their roles in Alice by Heart. Luke had to adopt the mindset of a character dying from tuberculosis, which isn’t an easy task. “I looked to my deepest connections, especially with my family, to reflect on their importance in my life and to imagine the impact of what that type of loss would feel like,” said Luke. “While you have to enjoy the process, it's also essential to grasp the meaning of the show and your role in it. There's no clear-cut method—you rely on your own experiences to connect with situations you may have never been in, but we can all relate to the feeling of grief.”

Chapman’s preparation differed in that her character acts as an overbearing mother-like figure to a majority of the cast throughout the production. “The process for preparing for this role was a long journey. I’ve never had to be anybody’s caretaker,” said Chapman. “I watched all the Alice in Wonderland adaptations to explore different takes on my character. Then, I studied the original cast of this production to see how strong women lead and perform.”

Their director, Jennifer Wolcott, can be accredited to their success as a collective. “Wolcott had a clear vision of the emotions and experiences she wanted to emphasize, but also allowed each performer the space to incorporate their own experiences and memories into their performance.” said Luke. Chapman also reiterated this point, “Wolcott and I have spent a lot of time working to find the balance between protectiveness and anger for my character since those boundaries are blurred. I have loved every recommendation she has made and when I watch the performance, I truly see her vision.”

Alice by Heart runs from Saturday, September 28^th, to Wednesday, October 2^nd, in Russell H. Miller Theatre in the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased on wku.showare.com or by calling the Fine Arts Box Office at 270-745-3121.