Straz's 'Wonderland' headed to Broadway in April

After a rewrite of the story and the addition of new songs, a multimillion dollar stage play created here last year is headed to Broadway.

"Wonderland: A New Alice. A New Musical Adventure," an updated spin on the Lewis Carroll classic, is set to open April 17, 2011 at a Nederlander theater in New York, officials at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts announced today.

"This is terrific for us because we've worked so hard to develop it," says Judith Lisi, president of The Straz Center.

It's also a dream come true for Lisi who wants to develop more original theater productions through the Center's Broadway Genesis Project, turning Tampa into a nationally recognized
source for new American works.

The new and improved "Wonderland" (even the title was tweaked) also will return to The Straz in January 2011 for a two week run (Jan. 4-16).

Lisi says getting "Wonderland" to Broadway is the first step and "if it becomes a hit, it will be a real source of pride for the community."

It's also a business investment for the center and could provide income to fund future plays. It cost $3.5 million to develop and stage "Wonderland" when it premiered in Tampa in December 2009 (after months of preproduction).

Some of the cost was recouped during the initial run at The Straz and a run at the Alley Theater in Houston. Lisi says the cost of mounting it for Broadway will be covered by private investors.

"Wonderland" will be produced on Broadway by The Straz, William Franzblau and Nederlander Presentations, Inc. Gregory Boyd, the artistic director of the Alley Theatre in Houston, will return as director.

"Wonderland" was developed by New York based composer Frank Wildhorn ("Jekyll & Hyde," "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "The Civil War") with story and lyrics by Jack Murphy.

"I am at a point in my life where I want to stay in love with the things I fell in love with," Wildhorn said in a released statement. "The process of creating 'Wonderland' with my extraordinary producers and collaborators has shown me the magic of fun is not just for the young."

Broadway rising star Janet Dacal, from Miami, starred as modern day, grown-up, harried Alice who worked out her marriage and parenting problems via a fantastic journey with the exotic characters of Wonderland. Lisi says Dacal is expected to return to the role.

The willowy red-haired actress headed a cast of 25 in a flashy two-hour production with 20 songs that ranged from ballads to pop and rock.

During its run in Tampa and Houston, "Wonderland" remained a work in progress. Before it closed in February 2010, it under went numerous changes to the story.

After it closed, the creative production team continued to tweak it, Lisi says.

"The book needed more development and now it has more heart and more emotional impact," says Lisi. "At a table reading in New York, the reaction was tremendous. It went through the roof."

Although the cast has gone on to other projects, most, including Dacal, are available to reprise their roles, Lisi said

Lisi initially picked "Wonderland" because she felt Carroll's stories about the fantasy land - and Wildhorn's treatment - had charm and potential and bringing it into modern times would make for an entertaining theater experience.