Project: Wonderland

It's been about 13 years since I first saw Robert Prior's inventive and whimsical Fabulous Monsters production of "Project Alice" at Glaxa in Silverlake. So many years later, this visionary director has brought back a fuller, more ambitious and re-imagined rendition of his take on Lewis Carroll's classic in "Project: Wonderland," the first must-see show of 2010. It's fairly simple conceit, Lewis Carroll becomes Alice as he hallucinates the source material for "Through the Looking Glass," becomes a jumping off point for one theatrical vision after another, ably manifested by a talented and energized cast, an abundance of inventive costumes, puppets, live music and choreography. All this is anchored by the Lon Haber's clever and winning performance as Carroll/Alice. The real star here, though, is director Robert Prior and his vivid love of theatrical pageantry, spectacle and whimsy. Staying surprisingly true to much of Carroll's original text, Prior and his team of designers and collaborators have crafted a show filled with images and moments that linger long after the performance. There is no great message here, only ample evidence that an inspired theatrical artist collaborating with a talented ensemble and team of resourceful designers can still create a sense of awe and...wonder.