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Alice in Wonderland through the years

Alice in Wonderland Through the Years

Posted on March 1, 2024

Since it was first published in 1865, Alice in Wonderland has been adapted many times for the stage and screen. Here is a brief look at some key adaptations from the 19th and 20th centuries:  

1886 Alice in Wonderland stage adaptation

1886: The first professional stage adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (produced with significant input from Lewis Carroll) opened at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre in London on December 23, 1886. (The Theatre, London, 1 January 1887, pp. 48–50). 

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1932: Famed actress/writers Eva Le Gallienne and Florida Friebus collaborated on a highly-successful theatrical version of Alice in Wonderland, which premiered off-Broadway at the Civic Repertory Theatre on December 12, 1932 before transferring to the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. (abouttheartists.com)

Charlotte Henry and Edna May Oliver in 'Alice in Wonderland' (1933)

1933: Paramount Picture’s 1933 screen adaptation of Alice in Wonderland featured a dazzling array of legendary stars, including W.C. Fields, Cary Grant, Charlotte Henry, Gary Cooper, Edward Everett Horton, and Edna May Oliver. (AFI.com) 

Disney's Alice in Wonderland (1951)

1951: Walt Disney’s iconic animated version of Alice in Wonderland is released. (Walt Disney Productions). 

Josep Shaftel's

1972: In 1972, the British musical film Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was released, featuring an all-star cast that included Michael Crawford as the White Rabbit, Dudley Moore as the Dormouse, Ralph Richardson as the Caterpillar, and Peter Sellers as the March Hare. (film-authority.com)  

Carol Channing as the White Queen, Natalie Gregory as Alice, and Ann Jillian as the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland (1985). Courtesy of CBS and Irwin Allen Productions

1985: CBS aired a lavish two-part adaptation of Alice in Wonderland in 1985, produced by Irwin Allen. This production featured a memorable turn by legendary Tony Award-winner Carol Channing as The White Queen. (SyFy.com)

Entertainment's 1999 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland

1999:A new adaptation of Alice in Wonderland was produced by Hallmark Entertainment and aired on NBC in 1999. It featured one of the final performances by beloved actor Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), as the Mock Turtle.

Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter

2010: In the most recent adaptation of this classic tale, Tim Burton tells the story from the perspective of a slightly older Alice as she longs to escape a boring marriage proposal and “stifling social etiquette.” Boasting a star-studded cast (Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway), this Alice in Wonderland won 2 Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Costume Design and Best Achievement in Art Direction. (imdb.com, cbr.com)

To learn more about CTC’s production of Alice in Wonderland and to purchase tickets, visit childrenstheatre.org/alice.