by George Lewinnek ·
Friday, May 15, 2026
Photos: Superstar Productions presents Alice in Wonderland JR
Third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders from Hildreth Elementary School performed the musical “Alice in Wonderland JR” in an evening performance Friday, May 8, and two performances on Saturday, May 9. The music came from a 1951 Disney film. The stories came from two children’s books by Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) and “Through the Looking-Glass” (1871).
Kelly Elwood was the principal director. She selected an adaptation of the musical for middle school students because she had worked with Hildreth students over the years and knew that they could reach beyond the kids’ level adaptation. In March she began a series of 17 rehearsals, starting with the speaking parts before working on the music and finally adding the dancing. The kids, she said, dove into it, sharing details from the books and adding their own flavor to their parts.
Costumes were a challenge. For the 35 cast members, Elwood needed 150 costumes. Fortunately, Elwood had inherited a large collection of costumes from her predecessor, Kate Hoch.
The Hildreth music teacher, Mark Hecox, directed the music. He said the kids responded to Lewis Carroll’s absurdity and creativity. They “ran with characters that are larger than life.” He commended the parents whose volunteer efforts made the show possible.
The orchestral music was a soundtrack, managed by a representative of New England Stageworks who also managed the lights. The set, constructed by Kelly Elwood’s husband, consisted of flats across the back of the stage, painted by a friend of the Elwoods as a fantasy garden, with details, like a checkerboard path and dangling pocket watches, from the Alice books.
A series of songs carried Alice through changes in size as she traveled through Wonderland.
Alice (Elinor Nutt) sang about giving herself very good advice—but not always taking it. The White Rabbit (Emmie Besse) sang “I’m Late, I’m Late, for a Very Important Date!” Alice went down the rabbit hole, to be met by a trio of Cheshire Cats (Morgan Evans, Rosalind Bailey, and Nora McGrath)—a trio, not one, because the musical did not follow the books exactly.
Trying to follow the White Rabbit, Alice came to a very small door, a plot point that introduced, first, Little Alice (Marielle Johnson) and then Tall Alice (Isla Wittstruck). The path beyond the door led to the Dodo Bird (Matthew Oliver), who sang “Ocean of Tears.” An ensemble sang and danced with him, singing and dancing with the skills that they had learned in the long rehearsals. Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee (James Romero and Sierra Sutton) sang “How D’ye Do” with Little Alice. Tall Alice came out wearing a box that was shaped and decorated like a house. The box covered her clothes from shoulders to hips, indicating she had drunk something that made her bigger than a house.
Little Alice had another song to sing, “Adventure Is a Wonderful Thing,” this time with the Caterpillar (Maggie Rueter, wearing a headpiece with curly antennae). Meanwhile, the dancing ensemble, which had changed costumes, now appeared as garden plants. The March Hare (Jenna Zayas-Ramirez) and the Mad Hatter (Robert Derse) sang the unbirthday song with Alice. The Queen of Hearts (Evie Holt) entered, looking regal in a long hoop skirt. Surrounding her were cast members dressed as playing cards. The Queen was irritable and easily provoked to carelessly order, “Off with his head!” She sang a call-and-response number, “Simon Says,” in which she sang an order to reach or turn or sit, and the ensemble sang back the response while complying as part of their dancing.
Things turned serious when a trial was ordered for Alice. It looked grim until she simply declared her innocence and walked on. That brought the performance to the epilogue and conclusion, with Alice awaking from her dream of Wonderland.
The audience applauded with energy and enthusiasm. The cast’s curtain call was a long one. First one group and then another stepped forward to cheers from the sections in the audience that contained their family and friends.
The cast joined their fans, crowding the auditorium-gymnasium floor. The Queen of Hearts said her favorite line was when the Queen switched from “Off with your head” to “Off with your hat.” She had worried that no one would come to see their show.
Among those who had come were the grandparents of Little Alice, Mary and Gene Johnson, who live in the Fitchburg area. After the show they glowed with delight as they said, “Wasn’t that wonderful!”
Their granddaughter Marielle, who played Little Alice, said she really liked the business about the cookie that made Alice smaller, even though “it was silly.” During her solo moments on stage, her energy and joy had carried the audience with her. Now she was small and shy, clutching her mother’s hand. She was a little girl again.