'Wonderland' lyricist writes about white rabbits, self-discovery

When Alice goes chasing after the White Rabbit in "Wonderland" she will sing and dance her way through a magical land on a journey of self-discovery.

"It's about learning to see the wonder of the world through the eyes of a child," says lyricist Jack Murphy, a veteran of Broadway who is working on the most ambitious production in the history of the
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Rehearsals begin here next week on the $2 million musical inspired by Lewis Carroll's classics "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass."

With the debut set for Dec, 5, a cast of about 25 will be learning as many as 20 original songs, including "Through the Looking Glass," "Finding Wonderland," "The Caterpillar's Song' and "The Mad Hatter Attacks."

"It's still a work in progress and will be throughout the Tampa performances," Murphy said in a recent telephone interview from his home in Connecticut.

"We may have 20 songs or less and we may have written 50 before we're done, "He adds. "You have to see what works and what doesn't."

Murphy is collaborating with Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn and director Gregory Boyd on an updated fantasy sequel to Carroll's novels.

"Wonderland" begins in present-day Manhattan where children's author Alice Cornwinkle, played by Janet Dacal ("In the Heights," "Good Vibrations"), is struggling with her career and raising a daughter.

Murphy says this Alice is the great-great-great granddaughter of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Carroll's stories.

"It opens with a gala roof top party to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Alice books; she is the guest speaker and she has a nervous breakdown," says Murphy. "Her life is coming apart at the seams, her marriage is falling apart; and she doesn't think she is a good mother."

When her daughter Chloe (Julie Brooks) is taken by a mysterious Rabbit (Ed Staudenmayer), Alice follows in to a strange land.

To find her way back, she must defeat the Queen of Hearts (Karen Mason) and save Wonderland from fading into oblivion.

"The guests at the garden party mirror the usual suspects in Wonderland," says Murphy.

He says entering a magical fantasy land allows for fantastic costumes and sets.

"I feel good about the work we've done so far," he adds. "This is fun production with humor and an
uplifting message about following your heart."

The play is the first in the Broadway Genesis Project at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Plans are for TBPAC to produce one play per year with the goal of taking it on the road and eventually getting to Broadway.

Tony and Grammy nominated composer Wildhorn, who had three shows running on Broadway simultaneously in 1999, has been toying with an update of the Alice story for years.

Murphy says "Wonderland" will be much lighter in tone that Wildhorn's "Jekyll & Hyde," "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "The Civil War."

Murphy is a longtime Wildhorn collaborator, having written lyrics for "The Civil War" and book and lyrics for "Waiting for the Moon: An American Love Story," a musical on F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda. He wrote the book or lyrics or both for several Wildhorn shows produced in Europe, including "Rudolf - The Last Kiss" and "Carmen and The Count of Monte Cristo."

Judith Lisi, president of the performing arts center, saw an earlier version of Wildhorn's concept for "Wonderland" while he was a visiting instructor at the center's annual Broadway Theater Project, a three-week educational program.

"She liked what she saw and she encouraged us to go for it," says Murphy.

Lisi calls "Wonderland" both an artistic and a business investment. If the play is successful, it will bring national recognition to Tampa as well as income to performing arts center.

"So many Broadway shows open first in California and we would like for them to open here," Lisi adds. "We have one of the largest and best facilities in the country."

In addition to Dacal as Alice, Brooks ("Fiddler on the Roof") as Chloe, Mason ("Mamma Mia!") as the Queen and Staudenmayer ("Forbidden Broadway") as the Rabbit, The principal cast includes Eugene Fleming ("Fosse") as the Caterpillar; Jose Llana ("The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee") as El Gato; Darren Ritchie ("Dracula: The Musical") as Jack/White Knight; and Nikki Snelson ("Legally Blonde") as the Mad Hatter.

To read more about the progress of "Wonderland" go to wonderlandthemusical.org which features song clips and video interviews.

A studio album is planned for release next year. "Wonderland" premieres on Dec. 5 and after a month-long run ending Jan. 3, it moves to Houston's Alley Theater.