Lookingglass Alice, the signature production of Chicago’s Tony-winning Lookingglass Theatre Company, will be broadcast nationwide on PBS for the first time ever this winter.
Described as Alice in Wonderland meets Cirque du Soleil and adapted from the works of Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice is a family friendly romp through the classic magical story. Filmed in Chicago by 25-time Emmy Award-winning Chicago-based production company HMS Media, the production will be broadcast across the United States December 15 at 9 PM ET.
Credit: Liz Lauren
Lookingglass Alice has been seen by more than a half-million viewers on tour throughout the US and Canada since premiering in 2008, making it the most-seen production in Chicago theatre history.
“When we started Lookingglass Theatre in 1988 in a tiny basement, we never would have imagined we’d be able to share something like this with a national audience, from the comfort of their own homes,” says Lookingglass Theatre Company ensemble member and Lookingglass Alice director David Catlin. “At a time when so many regional theatress, including ours, are struggling, this is a much-needed reminder of the magic we can make, and the importance of making theatre accessible to all people.”
Lookingglass Alice is adapted and directed by Catlin. Lindsey Noel Whiting, a Lookingglass Alice cast member herself, will host the PBS program, which features a cast that stars Molly Hernandez as Alice alongside Kareem Bandealy, Samuel Taylor, Michel Rodriguez Cintra, and Daniel Johnson.
The production’s creative team includes scenic designer Daniel Ostling, lighting designer Christine A. Binder, sound designer Ray Nardelli, costume designer Mara Blumenfeld, properties designer Amanda Herrmann, circus and movement choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-Distasi, and rigging designer Lee Brasuell. Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman are the composers for the piece’s original music. The production is presented in association with The Actors Gymnasium.