‘ALICE’ MISSES THE WONDER AND THE MAGIC

Capturing the enchantment of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” on stage is no light task. Carroll’s eccentric use of language is the magic; yet this quirky tale is usually targeted at the very youngest children who grow restive at so many verbal convolutions. This audience needs plenty of color--and action--to hold its interest.

The Saddleback Children’s Theatre at Irvine Valley College misses the mark on both counts with its drab production of “Alice,” Diane King’s musical adaptation of the classic, directed by Diane Doyle.

Set designer Dwight Richard Odle, who added so much richness to Saddleback’s recent production of “Treasure Island,” has come up empty-handed here. Main props consist of two red boxes (the words “Ralph’s Mini-Mart” are discernible through the paint), which are pushed awkwardly about by the characters for a change of scene. The Mad Hatter’s tea party takes place on a board draped in dull green, upon which mismatched paper plates and cups have been poorly glued.

Black curtains drape a red-and-black chessboard stage, while behind a black scrim, another box serves double-duty as the Caterpillar’s mushroom and the Cheshire Cat’s tree.

Into this dreary Wonderland comes dreaming Alice (young Stephanie Burden, doing a credible job with unflagging energy, though she suffers from an elusive English accent, as does much of the cast).

And here, King’s adaptation falls short. Alice’s encounters with the Wonderland inhabitants seem more a series of vignettes, at times almost staged readings, unconnected and ill-resolved.

Humpty Dumpty (a puppet) holds forth on birthdays and unbirthdays and then says: “That’s all; goodby.” End of scene. No great fall, no king’s horses and king’s men to the rescue.

The play comes to brief life with Lewis Akers, John Christopher and Evan Jacobs in a fast-paced, funny, Three Stooges-style routine as the hapless cards who must paint the white roses red before the Red Queen has them executed.

But not even the professionalism of Sean Michael Casey as the Mad Hatter and Kymberli J. Kercher as the March Hare can make the long, drawn-out tea party scene a success, nor can Danica Sheridan and Catherine M. Petz, in their well-timed stint as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, make the recitation of “The Walrus and the Carpenter” anything more than just that: a recitation.

The rotund twins simply follow Alice backstage when the poem is over. There is no battle over who spoiled whose new rattle and no large black raven to blot out the sun and frighten them away. Thus, when Alice comments to the Red Queen during the next scene that she’s “glad it’s getting light” again, the audience has had no clue that it ever was dark.

Judith Latsch has some effective moments as the Red Queen, but her broad caricature can’t overcome the frequently slow-as-treacle pacing of the play.

Meanwhile, the unfortunate Dianne McLachlan as Alice’s sister and occasional narrator, must remain on stage throughout the play, apparently oblivious to the goings-on (after all, it’s not her dream). When she stifles a yawn, it’s difficult not to sympathize.

Musical numbers are sparse and uninspired. “Live Wire Flowers,” performed be-bop fashion by the Flowers (Catherine Skillman, Darci Price, Jennilyn Pfeifer, Beverly Lacy and Carla Myers), is a lukewarm highlight.

Alice, glad to be awake and home again, sings, “I thought I’d find adventure.”

Her regret is ours.

Performances continue at 7 p.m. today and Saturday, with matinees at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. (714-559-1313).