Janet Dacal, Karen Mason, Tituss Burgess & More Set for Broadway's Wonderland

Complete casting has been announced for the forthcoming Broadway musical Wonderland, described as a new spin on the classic story of Alice and her looking-glass world. In the Heights vet Janet Dacal will play Alice alongside Darren Ritchie as the White Night/Jack/Lewis Carroll, Tituss Burgess as Caterpillar, Jose Llana as El Gato, Karen Mason as the Queen of Hearts, Kate Shindle as the Mad Hatter and Edward Staudenmayer as the White Rabbit. The show will begin previews at the Marquis Theatre on March 21, 2011, and open on April 17, directed by co-librettist Gregory Boyd.

Wonderland features a contemporary pop score by Frank Wildhorn, a book by Boyd and Jack Murphy and lyrics by Murphy. The show’s ensemble includes April Berry, Sae La Chin, Dan Domenech, Mallauri Esquibel, Derek Ferguson, Lauren Lim Jackson, Morgan James, Stefan Raulston, Julius Anthony Rubio and Danny Stiles.

Wonderland centers on a modern-day woman who goes on a life-changing adventure below the streets of New York City, where a colorful cast of strange but familiar characters help her rediscover what’s really important. The show will play a pre-Broadway engagement at the Ferguson Hall at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida January 4-16, 2011.

Dacal created the role of Alice in a December 2009 developmental production of Wonderland. She originated the role of Carla in In the Heights and went on to play Nina in the show. Dacal also appeared on Broadway in Good Vibrations and off-Broadway in Byzantium.

Ritchie has appeared on Broadway in Bells Are Ringing, Les Miserables, Dracula, Little Shop of Horrors and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He has toured in Fame the Musical and appeared in many musical workshops.

Burgess played Nicely-Nicely in the most recent Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls and has appeared on Broadway in The Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys and Good Vibrations and in regional productions of The Wiz, Songs for a New World and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Llana has appeared on Broadway in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Flower Drum Song, Rent, Streetcorner Symphony and The King and I. Off-Broadway credits include On the Town and Saturn Returns.

Mason’s Broadway credits include Hairspray, Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway and Torch Song Trilogy. Off-Broadway credits include And the World Goes Round and Carnival.

Shindle has appeared on Broadway in Legally Blonde, Cabaret and Jekyll & Hyde. Her regional credits include After the Fall, Restoration, First Lady Suite and The Last Five Years.

Staudenmayer has appeared on Broadway in Spamalot and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and has headlined multiple editions of Forbidden Broadway. He toured in Beauty and the Beast, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

The design team for Wonderland includes Neil Patel (sets), Susan Hilferty (costumes), Paul Gallo (lighting) and Sven Ortel (video and projections).

Wonderland will be produced on Broadway by the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, William Franzblau and Nederlander Presentations, Inc