“Alice” at St. Jane Frances School Delights to a Full House

“Curiouser and curiouser!” Alice’s famous phrase echoed through the Parish Hall as the St. Jane Frances Performing Arts Program presented its Spring production, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. From the downbeat of the energetic opening number, the 50-member cast was led by the powerful and beautiful voice of fifth grader Sarah Mason.

While Sarah’s smile lit up the stage, she turned out to be just one of three delightful and talented “Alices” featured in the show. The other two, eighth grader Sarah Hodgson (Tall Alice), and third grader Katie Cavin (Small Alice) appeared in Wonderland each time Alice ate a magic cookie to change sizes so that she could keep up with Ryan Fisher, who played the sure-voiced yet time-challenged White Rabbit.

SJF’s Alice was highlighted throughout by stellar performances, familiar songs, and stunning costumes. The production’s three Alices weren’t the only wonderful thing that happened in threes.

The three pink-striped Cheshire Cats were played by Sula Lansaw, Mikayla Ryer, and Francesca Horner. Lansaw, an eighth grader at St. Jane, braved an ankle injury through the show.When she was asked what her favorite thing about the production was, she said that the support everyone in the cast gets from the directors makes it fun for everyone.

Among a trio of other young scene-stealers was Caterpillar-turned-Butterfly Robert Hare’s channeling of his “inner fabulosity” with a crystal clear voice that he used to both sing and rap. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (played by Trevor Bandoch and Maddie Edwards respectively, I think) were bumbling but likable. And, the Mad Hatter, played by Ricky Dobry and the March Hare, played by Shawn Thompson were hilarious as they played off of one another at little Alice’s expense. Finally, this 45-minute long musical saved one of its best performances nearly for last as Megan Sayles pulled of a stunningly evil portrayal of the Queen of Hearts. In addition, the sold-out crowd was treated to a host of familiar songs from the Disney musical, along with “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”, and enough puns, movie and TV allusions to keep the adults in the audience smiling and laughing from start to finish.

 The show’s Costume Crew of Mrs. Carmie Buckey, a teacher at the school, and two parent volunteers, Mrs. Dolores Mercier and Mrs. Joyce Malkinski, churned out more than 60 handmade costumes.

“It’s a lot of flowers and petals”, Buckey said when she was asked what challenged her crew the most. Getting the unwieldy group of 50 third- through eighth graders to sing, move, and work together was the chore of Stage Director Margaret Nappi, Musical Director Betsy Green, and Choreographer Catherine Thompson, all of whom teach at St. Jane.

Green, the school’s music teacher, said the most challenging part of working with such a large group is “getting them into ensembles, seeing who’s compatible, etc.” But she and Mrs. Nappi both agreed that “watching students come out of their shells” onstage, along with the excitement of “seeing it all come together” are the most rewarding thing about their wonderful work.

Along with the Costume Crew, Stage Managers Rob Miller and Jim Kane, who also teach at SJF, Sound Engineer Ed Horney and Scenery Designer Janine Delisle worked with a 20-member student Stage Crew to make sure that everyone looked and sounded their best. Mrs. Delisle’s brightly-colored set and the splashy costumes carried us away to Wonderland on Saturday night at St. Jane.