Starring Judi Rolin, Nanette Fabray, Robert Coote, and Roy Castle
Directed by Alan Handley
Music by Moose Charlap; Lyrics by Elsie Simmons
NBC hoped to revive their 90-minute Producers' Showcase musical spectaculars of the 50's with this color fantasy adapted from the second Alice book. Like the Mary Martin Peter Pan, this is based after a children's fantasy novel, with music by Moose Charlap and relatively elaborate costumes and scenery for the time. It ups the ante with an all-star cast and a slightly darker tone that sticks relatively close to the Lewis Carrol novel. Let's start at the home of a modern Alice (Rolin), as she wishes her father (Richard Denning) would allow her to attend a grown-up party, and see how well they did with bringing this fantasy to the small screen...
The Story: Alice is called through the mirror in the living room by the Red King (Coote). He and the other chessboard queens and kings are being terrorized by the Jabberwock (Jack Palance), who won't allow them to rule in their own kingdom. Alice claims she isn't afraid of any old Jabberwock and follows them into the Looking Glass World and down the Blue Road. If she can get to the Palace, she can become queen and stop the Jabberwock's reign. She's helped along her way by various strange characters, especially Lester the Jester (Roy Castle), a jolly joker who claims to be her friend and can appear anywhere.
The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing in this funny fantasy. For all the fairy-tale trappings, between the laugh track, it being recorded on tape, and sitcom veterans like Moorehead and Coote hamming it up, it often feels more like a comedy of the time with dark-ish overtones than Peter Pan. Montalban enjoys playing against type as the most gentle and fatherly of the royals, Fabray and Moorehead have a ball as the ditzy White Queen and imperious Red Queen, the Smothers Brothers make a hilarious Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and Palance revels in his villainy (and weird Bob Mackie costume) as the nasty monstrous Jabberwock.
Favorite Number: Alice admonishes the kings and queens that they can't take back their kingdoms, "Not If You Run Away." They explain to her how there's "Two Sides to Everything" in Looking Glass Land, including royalty and monsters. The White Queen laments "I Wasn't Meant to Be Queen" as Alice helps her try to organize her thoughts and her wrap and she wishes she was better at ruling. "The Jabberwock's Song" introduces the wicked monster who wants nothing more than to spread fear and havoc. The kindly White King gently reminds a drowsy Alice that "Some Summer Day," she'll be a grown woman looking back fondly at her time in Looking Glass Land.
What I Don't Like: First of all, what's with Lester? This random heroic Joker character feels more like a refugee from Wizard of Oz than Through the Looking Glass...and in fact, was inspired by the popularity of Oz in its yearly special broadcasts at the time. There's other touches that are a bit more Oz-like as well, such as the Blue Road and the idea of the characters all being people at the party Alice's parents are holding. The awkward chess pieces and Jabberwock costumes limit the characters' movements, which may be why there isn't much dancing outside of the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum "Alphabet Song" number. Also, the Jabberwock was originally a poem and a monster that scared Dee and Dum, not the protagonist. There's also the fact that, while the music isn't bad, it's not nearly as memorable as Charlap's score for Peter Pan.
The Big Finale: Cute family musical if you're looking for something different to show older kids who love the Alice stories or fantasy tales.
Home Media: DVD only from SFM Entertainment.
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