Through the Looking Glass (opera)

"Through the Looking Glass" is a chamber opera by the Australian composer Alan John to a libretto by Andrew Upton,based on Lewis Carroll's book and on the life of Alice Liddell, the girl on whom Carroll based his story.The work was commissioned by the Victorian Opera and the Malthouse Theatre in association with Opera Australia; it premiered on Date|2008-05-20 at the Merlyn Theatre (Malthouse Theatre); performance time approximately 70 minutes.

Roles

ynopsis

"Prologue"

Young Alice, Alice, Lewis Carroll

'Alas, poor Alice; locked forever in a dream', sings Young Alice. Will she ever grow up? Lewis Carroll arrives and interrupts the reverie telling them that he has a book in which the story is written in a backside down and inside out way.

Scene 1 "The Mirror"

Alice, Ensemble

Alice begins her journey into looking glass world — she enters a tulgey wood where she is uncertain of what she is seeking. A chorus reminds her to beware the manxome foe with his vorpal blade and especially avoid the Jabberwock.

Scene 2 "Garden of Live Flowers"

Alice, Rose, Violet, Daisy, 'Tiger Lily

Alice moves through the garden of live flowers, each one of whom has a personal remark to make on her appearance. Alice's threat that she will pick the live flowers sends them into a panic which ends with the arrival of the Red Queen.

Scene 3 "Red Queen"

Alice, Red Queen, Young Alice

The Red Queen gives Alice firm advice on how to behave in life, including how one needs to run to keep up with things, which leads to the entry of three Young Alices, who explain that what appears to be a game of chess, might be moved through and how she will meet a White Knight and finally end up as Queen.

Scene 4 "The Train"

Guard, Alice, Passengers, The Driver, Young Alice

Alice travels by train to the third square in spite of the wishes of the passengers to throw her from the train.

Scene 5 "The Forest"

Alice, Fawn

Jumping a brook, the train lands in a forest where things have no names. Alice struggles to remember her name as does a Fawn whom she meets, and who finally flees from her once it has remembered its name in case Alice might try to tame it.

Scene 6 "Tweedledum & Tweedledee"

Young Alice, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, Alice

The tulgey wood leads her on to the fourth square, the home of the Tweedles, where a massive battle is about to ensue. The arrival of a monstrous crow prevents the battle and Alice finds herself ...

Scene 7 "The White Queen"

Alice, The White Queen, Young Alice

... addressing the White Queen, who explains the difficulties of living backwards and how to believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast. The Young Alices offer the advice that it is better to suffer now for crimes one might commit, to which Alice replies that she has never heard such a thing.

Scene 8 "The River"

Young Alice, Alice, Lewis Carroll, Sheep

Alice, accompanied by Lewis Carroll and the Young Alices, embark on a boat journey on 'a perfect summer's day'. Alice leaning out of the boat trying to grasp the rushes and Carroll remembering how the story poured from him, while a sheep knits, unobserved by Alice.

Scene 9 "Humpty Dumpty"

Alice, Young Alice, Humpty Dumpty

Alice meets Humpty Dumpty (are you the Jabberwock? asks Young Alice) who explains to her how words are very important and who also sings her his very disturbing song, 'I sent a message to the fish.'

Scene 10 "The Battle"

White King, Unicorn, Alice, Mutton, Pudding, Young Alice

Alice finds herself in a square where a picnic takes place. Alice is introduced to the food, oysters, a leg of mutton and a pudding. An argument breaks out amongst the picnickers over who eats what and how much until a voice calls out reminding them that they are deep in a tulgey wood. Is it the Jabberwock?

Scene 11 "White Knight"

White Knight, Alice

Alice, the mature woman, seeks permission from the White Knight to grow up. He captures her soul in a photograph.

Scene 12 "Alice's Duet"

Young Alice, Alice

The Young Alice and the grown-up Alice sing of memories of sunny days and 'moving under sunny skies never seen by waking eyes.'

Reception

The work was placed on the syllabus of the Victorian Certificate of Education Theatre Studies program.

References

*cite web
url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23655298-16947,00.html
title = Alice at the opera
accessdate = 2008-05-11
last = Perkin
first = Corrie
date = Date|2008-05-10
publisher = The Australian
*cite web
url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/heres-looking-at-you-kid/2008/05/15/1210765055247.html
title = Here's looking at you, kid
accessdate = 2008-05-16
last = Usher
first = Robin
date = Date|2008-05-16
publisher = The Age
*cite web
url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23743075-5013577,00.html
title = Alice falls into a deep, dark hole
accessdate = 2008-05-22
last = Burch
first = Peter
date = Date|2008-05-22
publisher = The Australian
*cite article
title = Walt Disney meets surrealism in operatic Carroll fairytale
last = Slavin
first = John
date = (Date|2008-05-22)
publisher = The Age

External links

* [http://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/whatson/looking.html Malthouse Theatre: Through the Looking Glass]
* [http://www.victorianopera.com.au/www/html/141-through-the-looking-glass---17-to-31-may.asp Victorian Opera: Through the Looking Glass]