Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre
Through December 20
RECOMMENDED
Leave it to director Denise Devin and Zombie Joe to toss Lewis Carrol’s iconic novel into the blender and come up with a show that’s funny, endlessly irreverent and entertaining. Don’t worry: It won’t really matter if you can’t remember all the story’s particulars because you read it more years ago than you can count.
As found here, Alice (played with manic energy by Lara Fisher) is equal parts intrepid adventurer and unapologetic seductress, with a bit of sweet timid ingénue tossed in. Her Wonderland adventure starts as a call to action by the March Hare (Jason Britt), who reports that the evil Queen of Hearts (Jana Wimer) is lopping off too many heads and must be stopped.
Here is the full complement of all the odd creatures Carrol made famous (poor Humpty Dumpty!) plus a few extras, crammed in a script with just enough jabberwocky tossed in to make for additional laughs.
Raul Contreras and Angela Weitzman have dreamed up a colorful scenic design, mainly a batch of large playing cards and posters, all of which impart a whimsical sense of place. Jerri Batzdorff and Wimer’s odd assortment of costumes are equally evocative. The cast perform well in a variety of roles, and Devin, as usual, does a remarkable job of effectively deploying them in this small venue.
What really stands out about this show, though, is the hilarious collection of musical ditties. Penned by Chris Reiner, they will have you in stitches.
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood.; Fri. 8:30 p.m., Sun., 7 p.m., through December 20. (818) 202-4120 or zombiejoes.tix.com. Running time: One hour with no intermission.
