Centre Ice Rink to Present ‘Alice’s Wonderland on Ice’

NEWS FROM THE CENTRE ICE RINK At Delaware State Fair

Centre Ice Rink to Present ‘Alice’s Wonderland on Ice’ April 14, 15

March 26, 2007, HARRINGTON, DE – So you think you know Alice? Maybe you’ve seen the Disney version, but when the Centre Ice Rink at Delaware State Fair presents “Alice’s Wonderland on Ice,” local audiences will have the opportunity to experience Lewis Carroll’s classic tale as they’ve never seen it before- with an edgy spin.

    Featuring a talented cast of more than 50 local skaters of all ages and ability levels, the story of the little girl who stumbles into Wonderland through a rabbit hole will come to life on the ice in three performances, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 14 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 15.

    The rink’s skating and show director, Deanna Vokes, acknowledges this might be her most ambitious show to date, even after tackling “The Wonderful Wizard of Ice” last spring and annual holiday productions of “The Nutcracker.” The idea to do “Alice” came to her last summer, when Vokes was directing the rink’s State Fair show.

    “I wanted something colorful with a lot of characters so there would be plenty of good roles for our skaters,” Vokes said. “In ‘Alice,’ there’s almost too many,” she said, noting she had to pick and choose who to include from Carroll’s books.  The combined choreography of Vokes and other coaches at the rink truly bring the characters to life.

    Audiences will recognize the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts and the deck of cards. Then there are the flamingo croquet mallets, the funky flowers, the jesters and such objects as clocks, tea cups and even a sea of tears come to life. “The characters themselves are a lot of the props. They are the Wonderland,” Vokes said.

    For the music, Vokes surfed the ‘net and discovered a Broadway-style musical by Gilbert Hetherwick called “Dreams of Alice” – and his unique score became the heart of the show’s varied musical selections. Like the musical, Vokes also framed the show with a Lewis Carroll-like character narrating the story.

    That doesn’t mean it will all make good, tidy sense. “The mad tea party seems to make sense, but it’s completely crazy. Like Alice says to her cat Dinah, “In my world all the books would have pictures and everything would be nonsense,” Vokes said, adding that one scene is pure classic ice show: the big production number with the cards is “very Ice Capades-esque.”

    Vokes promises excitement for all ages. “The theatrics and costumes are something we don’t see every day in this area.  We are so fortunate to have an amazing seamstress, Joanna Wilson, and a wonderful design student, Kelly Anne Dubbs.  With assistance from a small team of helpers, these talented ladies have simply breathed life into these characters. This show is for everyone, and the unique music and storyline will keep the interest of even the most skeptic viewer.  It’s one of a kind,” she said.

    The show stars Ariana Davis of Milford as Alice and features Chelsea Harris as the Cat, Michael Murphy as the Hatter, Tyler Vokes as the White Rabbit, Allie Bowman as the Caterpillar, Julia Wise and Samantha Hurley as the Tweedles, Mara Schmittinger as the Queen of Hearts, Tom Harrison as the Jack of Hearts and Jaclyn Hartman as the March Hare.

    Tickets are $5 for children and $8 for adults. For tickets or more information, call the Centre Ice Rink at 302-398-5900 or visit www.SkateAtTheFair.com.