By Brielle Krepps ’26, staff writer
Wig and Buckle Theater Company’s latest musical, “Alice by Heart,” successfully ran from Thursday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 2, in Leedy Theater.
The show follows a young Alice Spencer as she grapples with the impending death of her dearest friend, Alfred. Set in a subway station during the London Blitz, she copes with her bleak reality by imagining herself as Alice in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”
Despite the fairytale, Wig and Buckle’s subway-like set pieces never changed.
“It’s like a dream,” Scarlet Laity, director of “Alice by Heart,” said. “[Alice] is still there, but she’s using her imagination to bring to life everything else. Our lighting director, Olivia, made the most beautiful, immersive Wonderland with lights.”
In Wig and Buckle’s interpretation of “Alice by Heart,” imagination had no bounds. With excellent casting and a fantastic arrangement of live music, the production proved to be a delight from start to finish.
The musical number, “Sick to Death,” was a particular crowd favorite. The Mad Hatter and his guests did everything they could to prevent Alice from joining them at the tea party—including diving across the table and snatching her chair.
“It was so fun to choreograph, and it’s so fun to watch,” Laity said. “They do something new every night.”
In between moments of comedy, the musical explored grief and what it means to go on.
“It’s the balance between funny, captivating, and real,” Laity said. “The heart and the hurt are still there. This show is just so special because no matter what, someone can take something from it.”
An outpouring of support from the LVC community was enough to sell out one of the shows. Despite mic issues on opening night, the cast powered through to deliver a truly memorable performance.
The large number of first years in the “Alice by Heart” cast also makes director Scarlet Laity hopeful for the future of Wig and Buckle.
“That’s what keeps the company alive,” Laity said. “Everybody was already so close. We just added more people to that closeness.”
To see more of Wig and Buckle, be on the lookout for their next production, “Radium Girls.” Spring show dates are Friday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 1. For live updates, visit @wigandbuckle on Instagram.