Lookingglass Alice

It's been on my to-do list and in town for months, and I finally managed to see Lookingglass Alice last night. (Trib review) And it was some of the most brilliant theatre I have ever seen.

Telling the Lewis Carroll story using circus arts was the perfect combination. I love physical storytelling and ensemble work. In the past couple of years, I have become increasingly interested in circus, and after my trapeze class, I have a whole new appreciation for the skills involved in aerial.

The show is about 80 minutes with no intermission. Not that you notice, because it is relentlessly fun and energetic. It's not until you realise that Alice is at the last square that you get sad and realise that the show is nearly done. A cast of 5 plays all the characters with such a sense of silly, it's irresistible. Each character is individual in its movement. And the costuming is genius. It is so satisfying to see something so wildly entertaining that is also very well-composed and "essential". There was nothing extraneous.

Kallisti was initially reluctant at starting a Friday night sitting in a theatre, but was quickly won over. Because it's the kind of show that appeals to everyone, from little kids to adults, of all ranges of experience with theatre/movement/Alice.

It's nearly impossible to think of a favorite moment. And the fact that I knew one of the actors made it even more fun. The bungee dance ball at the end made me jealous that I was not strapped in and bouncing to salsa as I kicked huge pilates balls in the air. The White Knight was hilarious. And even watching the caterpillar was fun.

It was also an interesting contrast of box office experiences. On Thursday, I tried to get in to see August: Osage County at Steppenwolf. It has been reviewed as some of the best theatre in Chicago in years. And now it will be going to NY. Which makes tickets that much harder to come by. I didn't get tickets in the AM line, and called to get details on the rush-line in the evening. However, at this point, rain was coming down in buckets, and being blown by near-hurricane force gusts. I was simply told to bring a poncho. Needless to say, I opted against waiting 2 hours in line to be treated like crap. On the other hand is Lookingglass. I showed up 40 minutes early for standby tickets (not 2 hours), which I got. I was allowed to chill in the lobby. The girl was polite, informative, and interested in getting people into see the show.

It was gratifying to not only score tickets to a sold-out show, but also to see such a fun piece of art.

on Pandora: "Pioneers" - Bloc Party