Calgary kids set to enjoy free sneak peak of ATP's 'In Wonderland'
Sunday night, holiday theatre season will kick off with a special performance of Alberta Theatre Projects' In Wonderland.
That's because the theatre company is partnering with Kids Up Front to provide 300 free tickets to see the show, an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland by Calgary playwright Anna Cummer.
It's all part of a longstanding relationship between ATP and Kids Up Front, said Haysam Kadri, the theatre company's interim artistic director who is also directing In Wonderland.
"Kids Up Front is an organization we've teamed up with 2007," Kadri said. "They really do a great job of offering tickets to a wide range of people and particularly kids who might not normally be able to come to shows."
Sunday night's performance is a dress rehearsal, to be followed previews and then opening night.
"What makes it really special is it's our first audience," Kadri said. "And what it does is build an excitement for patrons coming to see the show and the kids that are seeing the show – and it's also a great template for us to tell our story for the first time to an audience."
What makes In Wonderland different from a more traditional production, Kadri said, is pace – and from the sounds of it, a pretty spunky Alice.
Haysam Kadri, director of In Wonderland
"In Wonderland is a contemporary telling," he said. "We have three actors playing all the parts. It's quite frenetic, but we're staying true to the whimsical story that originated from the Lewis Carroll novel. This particular adaptation is really rich and whimsical and there's something new to discover at every turn.
"Anna Cummer's adaptation is beautiful," he said. "There's a real focus on child agency and power of imagination and power of controlling your own story.
"Our Alice has a little more ownership in the telling of the story, which is a bit different from Lewis Carroll's telling of the story."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.