For two weekends, students are invited to fall down the rabbit hole into “Alice by Heart.” Here are some behind-the-scenes moments.

The Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts: all characters known for their prominent roles in the bizarre landscape that is “Wonderland.” At the end of this month, students will be invited to join these oddities in the high school auditorium for this year’s spring musical.

For nearly three months now, students have been auditioning, preparing, and rehearsing for “Alice by Heart,” set to debut on Feb. 27. The show, which premiered in 2019, puts a dark twist on the original tale, following a teenage Alice amidst the 1941 London Blitz. While hiding in a tube station with her fatally ill best friend, Alfred, Alice confronts loss and fear by returning to the comfort of one of her favorite childhood stories and entering Wonderland.

This plot brings a bit of a shift from the nature of its predecessors.

“The past three years, everything’s been a little bit comedic or light hearted,” senior Eli Graves, who will play Alice Spencer, said. “This year we wanted to do something a little bit darker.”

Since auditions took place in late November, cast and crew have been working to get things ready for the curtain drop, a process that can be slow, but steady. 

“There’s a lot to get through. The show is really intense. There’s so many things we have to do, and everything is really specific,” Graves said. 

Tech Week, which occurs the week before opening night, has students at the school for long, tedious days.

“You have to be prepared for [tech week]. You have to stay on top of work, but if you’re conscious about it, if you’re prepped for everything, it’s usually not too stressful,” junior Jack Davies, who will play Alfred/The White Rabbit, said.

Despite the extra hours, that time is valuable in putting together some final pieces.

“It stops being about the actors, and starts being about the lights and the sound,” Davies said.

Ms. Mandie Banks, director and choreographer, finds the process rewarding even in the face of challenges. Choral director Ms. Lindsey Silva also splits rehearsal time, helping with musical elements.

“Being with the students, working directly with them on the blocking and choreography, bringing the show to life, and working on their craft, makes it such a joy, and makes it worth every minute of some of the harder stuff,” Banks said.

This year, the production displays a cast of 25, a dramatic shift from the 50-person ensemble that came with last years’ showing of “Mamma Mia.” A smaller unit can be advantageous.

“We have a small, really focused and talented group of students in this cast, and we really make a lot of our time together,” Banks said. “We get a lot done in our rehearsals. We usually focus on a song and a scene where we work on blocking and choreography, and then work to perfect it.”

A smaller cast has also contributed to building a tight knit community, and given everyone substantial moments on stage.

“It is like an ensemble show where everyone is really important,” Davies said. “There’s a bunch of characters. Some people are playing multiple characters. I think everyone gets a moment to shine.”

Many cast members have worked with one another for years prior. Davies and Graves made their debut as co-stars in the fifth and sixth grade, and nearly ten shows later are starring opposite one another a final time.

“We’re so lucky. Everyone at this school is so talented,” Davies said. “It’s one of the most advanced groups of high schoolers that you’ll find theatre wise. It’s such a privilege to be around such talented people, and I think everyone just brings each other up.”

An extra element of pressure has been added since the unexpected snow days rolled in, along with the need to work around PMEA District Band that occupied the auditorium on Feb. 6 and 7. Regardless, the team came in with a plan for day one.

“We knew we had to choose a show that didn’t need a big unit set, and that we could use a lot of creativity and not really have to worry and rely on set pieces,” Banks said.

In terms of music, those coming to see the show should expect a score that is contemporary and modern. 

“The music in ‘Alice by Heart’ is very relevant to what we listen to today,” Banks said. “The person who wrote the music is named Duncan Sheik, and he’s had many radio hits over the years.”

The show is intended to take viewers on a journey, as the people in the bunker slowly turn into characters from Alice’s dream world.

“All the difficulties that [Alice] is going through, she works through them through the imaginative world of the wonderland,” Banks said. “It’s so cool how it goes back and forth between the two worlds.”

After much commitment behind the scenes, the cast and crew are eager to show off their craft. Anyone planning to attend should expect a whirlwind of emotion.

“Alice by Heart is touching, creative, at times a little dark, and definitely will have moments of humor as well,” Banks said.

The technical, stage, and cosmetics crew share their work and commitment towards the upcoming spring musical.

The sound of students singing echoes through the auditorium. Somewhere on stage, an actor calls, “Line?” The spring musical is in the works. But what about the work behind the scenes? 

As Haven prepares for its spring musical “Alice By Heart,” the technical, stage, and cosmetics crews are working just as hard to bring the World War II-era story to life.

Set in London during the Blitz, “Alice By Heart” blends the darkness between wartime and themes of “Alice in Wonderland.” For junior and stage crew head Caroline Boerth, that means transforming the stage into underground subway tunnels that shift into Wonderland.

“We have this run-down train, we have the subway tunnel, a big opening, and then we have walls that will flip to represent the subway, and then Wonderland,” Boerth said.

Set builds began in January and takes place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., eventually expanding to Sundays as opening night creeps up.

“I think the hardest part is either building the sets… just getting used to using the tools,” Boerth said. “But also the stress of tech week and handling that.”

Junior and stage crew member Cooper Sinarski is currently working on one of the show’s largest elements.

“We’re building a big arch,” Sinarski said. “It’s 13 feet tall, and we’re going to have a train going through.”

Balancing preparation for a show and schoolwork can be overwhelming, especially during tech week.

“At some points we’re there from five to nine on school days,” Sinarski said. “On weekends, when it’s tech week, it’s 12 hours at school.”

Senior and head of lights Ben Mitchell explains that tech week is when the entire production comes together.

“Sound puts mics on everybody, dress rehearsals happen, and we fix up the set during to make sure it’s more optimized,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell emphasizes how Haven’s productions aim to stand out.

“At Strath Haven, we focus heavily on making our set unique to our show compared to other schools,” Mitchell said. “We try to make our site unique, and aim it so that it fits the vibe and the timeline.”

Mitchell said working behind the scenes changes how he watches performances. After seeing a Broadway show in Manhattan, he found himself focused less on the actors and more on the stage itself.

“I don’t even think I watched the show,” Mitchell said. “I was just looking at the set and all the stuff that was moving. The people who built the set and engineered everything that’s moving around are really the Grand Masters in all of this. They’re bringing it to life.”

Hair and makeup crews are also diving into research to match the show’s 1940s setting. Senior and head of hair and makeup Pearl Tweedy claims the actors’ appearances will reflect the wartime atmosphere.

“It’s just looking at more basic hairstyles from the 40s and the 50s,” Tweedy said. “It’s seeing what a nurse might have her hair as, versus an orphan.”

Despite the long hours and occasional setbacks — such as canceled builds due to snow — the crew says the reward makes their work worth it.

“Definitely seeing the set completed… and seeing just the whole show come together is so rewarding,” Boerth said.

For Sinarski, the experience is more than construction.

“It’s like a little family,” Sinarski said. “You have a sense of purpose.”

Although the crew works behind the spotlight, their impact can be seen everywhere: the lighting shifts, the moving walls, and the details the audience may never consciously notice.

“The people who built the set and engineered everything that’s moving around are really the Grand Masters in all of this,” Mitchell said. “They’re bringing it to life.”

With opening night set for Feb. 27, Tweedy hopes audiences recognize the work happening beyond the spotlight.

“I think that the entire cast and crew have been working so hard to make this show possible for months now,” Tweedy said. “It is a beautiful story about love and grief and moving on. I think it’d be great if you come see it.”