The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents the South Florida premiere of Alice In Wonderland, A Musical Cirque Adventure, a non-verbal spectacle perfect for all ages, for a limited run of two performances on July 28 at 8pm and July 29 at 2pm in the Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House. This summer, fans of the beloved story are invited to follow Alice down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, where she will embark on a series of wild circus adventures! Guests will experience seeing all their favorite characters come to life on stage, including The White Rabbit, The Mad Hatter, The Cheshire Cat, The Blue Caterpillar and The Queen of Hearts, played by acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, dancers and contortionists. The all-star cast has appeared in Cirque du Soleil, films such as The Greatest Showman and TV shows such as “America’s Got Talent.”
The cast of Alice In Wonderland, A Musical Cirque Adventure will perform to a live, original score starring LC Powell a multi-Grammy and Emmy winning creative with work spanning two decades of film, television, recording, and stage, perhaps best known for their extensive vocal arranging and performance on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb. Mx. Powell serves as music director and contractor for clients including Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon, Dreamworks, Cartoon Network, Disney and more.
Alice In Wonderland, A Musical Cirque Adventure features an original score by Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominee, Quentin Chiappetta; and an opening poem narration by Vaughan Reilly from the upcoming Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate).
It was a pleasure to sit down with Quentin Chiappetta for this exclusive Hotspots Interview:
Were you always musically inclined or when did you get into music?
Yes, I have always been into music, and I started playing music when my father bought my mother a piano for her birthday. I immediately took it over and was so good at it and my parents decided to give me lessons and I never stopped from there.
What was your first paid gig in music?
My first gig in music was out of college when I came to NYC, and I started playing piano for modern dance classes. The director of Alice in Wonderland was a student when I was playing dance classes. Twenty something years later she reminded me.
When did you know music would be your career?
I have done music for theater, television, circus, and many other projects. I never made the specific choice, it just kind of happened. I never really looked back.
You are a composer, sound designer and mixer. Do you like one more than the other?
I enjoy them all and they kind of all go together. One kind of feeds the other. I enjoy the balance between the two.
Other than this project, what has been your favorite score you created?
I have done work for a ton of independent films; one was called “Terrible Children” and that was a very satisfying project. I did the music and the sound, and it created a sonic world to escape into and it was so much fun.
What is your favorite Score that you did not create?
It’s the one I have not created yet. I would love to create an installation where people can enter into a magical world where they can be transported to another place through music and sound.
What was the process of coming up with the Score for Alice In Wonderland, A Musical Cirque Adventure?
It’s a new score and we are still working on it. The story is so open to interpretations there are a lot of different ways to go, so we have had a lot of conversation about stylistic approaches and then I just began to write. This has been such a blessing as I have been given total leeway to try different things. It’s been a lot of fun.
Cirque performances are always amazing as it’s humans doing amazing things. This show tells a story intertwined with the cirque acts. The performers are gorgeous, and I hope everyone thinks the music is beautiful also. It’s a whole arc of telling the story of Alice in Wonderland and bringing us down that rabbit hole which I think is great.
Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you want to talk about?
Yes, I am excited to be back in Miami and I am excited to be premiering this there. I am blown away by the creativity and artistic scene down there.
For more on Quentin, go to: Quentinchiappetta.com.
For more information on Alice In Wonderland, A Musical Cirque Adventure, please visit: Alicethecirque.com.
Tickets to Alice In Wonderland, A Musical Cirque Adventure are $39-$100* and may be purchased at Arshtcenter.org, or at the Arsht Center box office by calling (305) 949-6722.
