Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Opens March 14 Tanya Howard, Evan McKie and Skylar Campbell Debut Perfect for March Break! February 18, 2015… Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Having performed to sold-out houses in Toronto, London, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington DC, the brilliantly theatrical production returns to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts March 14—29, 2015. First Soloist Tanya Howard and Principal Dancer Evan McKie will make their debuts as Alice and Jack/The Knave of Hearts. Second Soloist Skylar Campbell makes his debut as Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit. The opening night on March 14 will feature Principal Dancer Jillian Vanstone returning to the role of Alice and First Soloist Naoya Ebe reprising the role of Jack/The Knave of Hearts. Second Soloist Dylan Tedaldi will perform Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit and Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson will be Mother/The Queen of Hearts. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by the acclaimed British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, combines Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s narrative with an energetic original score by British composer Joby Talbot. Featuring spectacular sets and costumes by Tony Award-winning designer Bob Crowley and inventive lighting by Natasha Katz, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is “a monumental achievement” (The Globe and Mail) and a “landmark theatrical event not to be missed” (Maclean’s Magazine). Principal Casting Alice Sonia Rodriguez (March 14, 29 at 2:00 pm / March 19, 27 at 7:30 pm) Jillian Vanstone (March 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 at 7:30 pm) Elena Lobsanova (March 15, 22 at 2:00 pm / March 20 at 7:30 pm) Tanya Howard* (March 21, 28 at 2:00 pm / March 26 at 7:30 pm) Jack/The Knave of Hearts Keiichi Hirano (March 14, 29 at 2:00 pm / March 19, 27 at 7:30 pm) Naoya Ebe (March 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 at 7:30 pm) McGee Maddox (March 15, 22 at 2:00 pm / March 20 at 7:30 pm) Evan McKie* (March 21, 28 at 2:00 pm / March 26 at 7:30 pm) Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit Robert Stephen (March 14, 29 at 2:00 pm / March 19, 27 at 7:30 pm) Dylan Tedaldi (March 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 at 7:30 pm) Piotr Stanczyk (March 15, 22 at 2:00 pm / March 20 at 7:30 pm)

Skylar Campbell* (March 21, 28 at 2:00 pm / March 26 at 7:30 pm) Mother/The Queen of Hearts Xiao Nan Yu (March 14, 29 at 2:00 pm / March 19, 27 at 7:30 pm) Greta Hodgkinson (March 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 at 7:30 pm) Svetlana Lunkina (March 15, 21, 22, 28 at 2:00 pm / March 20, 26 at 7:30 pm) Father/The King of Hearts Rex Harrington * Debut All casting subject to change. Performance sponsors: The Globe and Mail (March 20), VIA Rail Canada (March 22, 2:00 pm), MAC Cosmetics (March 26, 7:30 pm), TD Bank Group (March 27). Lead philanthropic support for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland provided by an anonymous friend of the National Ballet with additional support generously provided by The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Richard M. Ivey, C.C., Rosamond Ivey, Judith & Robert Lawrie and Wallace McCain & Margaret McCain, C.C. Sonia Rodriguez is sponsored through Dancers First by Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin in celebration of her 25th Anniversary year. Naoya Ebe is sponsored through Dancers First by Gretchen Ross. Keiichi Hirano is sponsored through Dancers First by Patricia Younger. Tanya Howard is sponsored through Dancers First by Nancy Pencer. Elena Lobsanova is sponsored through Dancers First by Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan. Robert Stephen is sponsored through Dancers First by Mr. Thor Eaton & The Honourable Nicole Eaton, Senator. The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Economic Development & Culture Department; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage, through the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages; and the Government of Ontario through the Honourable Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

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For more information, please contact: Catherine Chang Christine Achampong Senior Public Relations Manager Publicity Coordinator 416 345 9686 x302 416 345 9686 x332 cchang@national.ballet.ca cachampong@national.ballet.ca national.ballet.ca national.ballet.ca

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon Original Music: Joby Talbot Scenario: Nicholas Wright Set, Costume and Properties Design: Bob Crowley Lighting Design: Natasha Katz Projection Design: Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington Sound Design: Autograph Premiere: The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, London, UK, February 28, 2011 The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: June 4, 2011 A co-production of The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet (UK). Lead philanthropic support provided by an anonymous friend of the National Ballet with additional support generously provided by The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Richard M. Ivey, C.C., Rosamond Ivey, Robert & Judith Lawrie and Wallace McCain & Margaret McCain, C.C. Performance Dates: March 14 – 29, 2015 Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Lewis Carroll’s charming and hilarious children’s classic is given a ballet treatment by British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon that is the very measure of the original. Outrageously theatrical, with stunning sets and costumes by Bob Crowley and set to an energetic, riveting score by Joby Talbot, Mr. Wheeldon revisits many of the familiar characters from the book but in a way that feels like we’re meeting them for the first time. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland enthralled audiences when it premiered in 2011 with its mind-boggling stagecraft, excellent choreography and perfect blend of classical dance and sheer entertainment. Quotes "Over the course of nearly three hours, the theatrical wonders of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's three-act Alice's Adventures in Wonderland keep tumbling and flowing into place." The Wall Street Journal, 2013 “The National Ballet of Canada's Alice is a wonderland…” The OC Register, 2012

“a brilliantly theatrical, superbly designed (by Bob Crowley) extravaganza of color and costume, madcap action and fluent dance” The New York Times, 2011 “an Alice whose wit, speed and invention have lifted the whole story ballet genre into the 21st century… This Alice looks set to become a classic.” The Guardian, 2011 “combined with Talbot's slightly deranged score, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland feels like the first ever authentically 21st-century story ballet. Curiouser and curiouser.” Time Magazine, 2011

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2014/15 Roster

Celia Franca, C.C. Founder

George Crum Music Director Emeritus

Karen Kain, C.C. Barry Hughson Artistic Director Executive Director

David Briskin Rex Harrington, O.C. Music Director and Principal Conductor Artist-in-Residence

Magdalena Popa Lindsay Fischer Principal Artistic Coach Artistic Director, YOU dance / Ballet Master Peter Ottmann Mandy-Jayne Richardson

Senior Ballet Master Senior Ballet Mistress

Guillaume Côté, Greta Hodgkinson, Svetlana Lunkina, McGee Maddox, Evan McKie, Heather Ogden, Sonia Rodriguez, Piotr Stanczyk, Jillian Vanstone, Xiao Nan Yu Lorna Geddes, Alejandra Perez-Gomez, Rebekah Rimsay, Tomas Schramek, Hazaros Surmeyan

Naoya Ebe, Keiichi Hirano, Tanya Howard, Stephanie Hutchison, Etienne Lavigne, Patrick Lavoie, Elena Lobsanova, Tina Pereira, Jonathan Renna, Robert Stephen

Skylar Campbell, Jordana Daumec, Alexandra MacDonald, Chelsy Meiss, Tiffany Mosher, Jenna Savella, Brendan Saye, Christopher Stalzer, Dylan Tedaldi

Jack Bertinshaw, Trygve Cumpston, Shaila D’Onofrio, Jackson Dwyer, Rhiannon Fairless, Hannah Fischer, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Giorgio Galli, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Emma Hawes, Juri Hiraoka, Kathryn Hosier, Rui Huang, Harrison James, Lise-Marie Jourdain, Larissa Khotchenkova, Miyoko Koyasu, James Leja, Elizabeth Marrable, Shino Mori, Jaclyn Oakley, Andreea Olteanu, Félix Paquet, Brent Parolin, Meghan Pugh, Asiel Rivero, Ben Rudisin, Kota Sato, Nan Wang, Ethan Watts, Sarah Elena Wolff

RBC Apprentice Programme / YOU dance: Nicole Blain, Patrick Foster, Giorgio Garrett, Christopher Gerty, Spencer Hack, Soo Ah Kang, Elenora Morris, Clare Peterson, Calley Skalnik, Andrew Tomlinson

Robert Binet Ernest Abugov Guillaume Côté Jeff Morris

Choreographic Associates Stage Managers

Lorna Geddes Joysanne Sidimus Pointe Shoe Manager / Assistant Ballet Mistress Guest Balanchine Répétitieur

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland By the Numbers

Number of performers onstage during a show, including dancers, children and supernumeries

71

Number of stage crew, wardrobe and wig staff working behind the scenes at every performance

75

Number of minutes that Alice is onstage during the 114-minute ballet

106

Number of seconds Alice has for her quick change after falling down the rabbit hole

94

Number of costumes in each performance

193

Number of pairs of footwear that are not pointe shoes, including wellingtons, tap shoes and gold Indian slippers

284

Number of Swarovski crystals on each pair of dyed-blue pointe shoes worn by the dancers in the Caterpillar’s body

100

Number of wigs, including 1 red Queen of Hearts, 1 green frog and 5 pink flamingos, worn in each performance

35

Number of different animals in the production, including the White Rabbit, March Hare, flamingos, hedgehogs and a monkey

18

Number of dancers that form the Caterpillar’s body

8

Number of dancers that make up the Cheshire Cat

8

Number of young dancers who play hedgehogs in the Queen of Hearts’ croquet game

4

Number of characters in the production that wear prosthetics, including beaks and false teeth

12

Number of different prop foods, including jam tarts, cupcakes, sandwiches, a jelly mold and a giant Victoria sponge cake

9

Number of instruments, including 1 shofar, 1 frog guiro and 1 lion’s roar, in the orchestra pit

157

Number of hidden marshmallows in the set

1

Christopher Wheeldon Choreographer, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Internationally acclaimed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon has received many awards for his work including the Martin E. Segal Award, American Choreography Award, London Critics’ Circle Award and two Olivier Awards. Mr. Wheeldon studied at The Royal Ballet School and joined The Royal Ballet in 1991, winning the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne the same year. In 1993, he joined New York City Ballet and began his choreographic career with New York City Ballet in 1997 when he created Slavonic Dances for the company’s annual showcase. In 2000, he retired from dance to concentrate on choreography and served as New York City Ballet's first Artist-in-Residence, creating two ballets, Polyphonia and Variations Sérieuses. In 2001, Mr. Wheeldon was named New York City Ballet's first Resident Choreographer and from 2007 to 2010, he was Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. He has choreographed such works as Morphoses, After the Rain, An American in Paris and The Nightingale and the Rose. In 2010, his new version of The Sleeping Beauty had its premiere with The Royal Danish Ballet. His full-length ballet Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was created as a co-production of The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet and premiered at The Royal Opera House in 2011. His production of Cinderella (San Franciso Ballet and Dutch National Ballet) won the 2013 Prix Benois de la Danse. In 2014, Mr. Wheeldon created a full-length version of The Winter’s Tale, a second co-production between The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet, and will direct and choreograph a musical version of An American in Paris which premiered in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet in November 2014 and is Broadway bound in March 2015.

Joby Talbot Composer, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Joby Talbot was born in Wimbledon in 1971. He studied composition privately with Brian Elias and at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College before completing a Master of Music (Composition) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Simon Bainbridge. Mr. Talbot’s diverse output has included a trumpet concerto for Alison Balsom and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (Desolation Wilderness, 2006), a 60-minute a cappella choral journey along the Camino de Santiago for Nigel Short’s Tenebrae (Path of Miracles, 2005), arrangements of songs by Detroit rock duo The White Stripes alongside existing works for Wayne McGregor’s Chroma (The Royal Ballet, 2006), and, as a co-production with The National Ballet of Canada, Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (2011), the first full-length narrative ballet score to be commissioned by The Royal Ballet in 20 years. He has also written the madrigal The Wishing Tree (The King’s Singers, 2002), the orchestral Sneaker Wave (BBC National Orchestra of Wales, 2004) and an arrangement of Purcell’s Chacony in G minor for the BBC Proms (BBC Symphony Orchestra, 2011). Worlds, Stars, Systems, Infinity was commissioned in 2012 for the Philharmonia Orchestra’s interactive digital installation, Universe of Sound, as an addition to Holst’s The Planets. Tide Harmonic (2009), a work for large ensemble, began life as the score for Eau by choreographer Carolyn Carlson and CCN Roubaix. Other significant works for dance include Fool’s Paradise (Christopher Wheeldon and Morphoses, 2007), an arrangement of Mr. Talbot’s 2002 silent film score The Dying Swan; Genus (Paris Opéra Ballet, 2007); Entity (Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, 2008); and Chamber Symphony for Chamber by choreographer Medhi Walerski (Residentie Orkest/Nederlands Dans Theater and Norwegian Opera and Ballet, 2012). Mr. Talbot also has considerable experience writing for the screen, including BBC Two’s comedy series The League of Gentlemen and feature films The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Son of Rambow (2007), Franklyn (2008) and Closed Circuit (2013). For Hunky Dory (2011), he developed orchestral arrangements of pop songs with the film's young musicians, alongside writing the largely electronic score. In 2013, Mr. Talbot premiered Genus Quartet with the Calder Quartet, Meniscus with the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and a new version of Tide Harmonic for Christopher Wheeldon and Pacific Northwest Ballet, as well as seeing international revivals of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chamber, Chroma, Path of Miracles and Worlds, Stars, Systems, Infinity. In 2014, Mr. Talbot premiered The Winter's Tale, his second full-length narrative score for The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet in collaboration with Christopher Wheeldon, and will begin work on a new one-act piece for Dallas Opera to premiere in 2015.

Nicholas Wright Dramaturge, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Nicholas Wright’s plays include Treetops and One Fine Day (Riverside Studios), The Gorky Brigade (Royal Court), The Crimes of Vautria (Joint Stock), The Custom of the Country and The Desert Air (Royal Shakespeare Company), Cressida (Almeida Theatre at the Albery) and Mrs. Klein, Vincent in Brixton and The Reporter (all National Theatre). He adapted His Dark Materials (National Theatre) and wrote versions of Naked and Lulu (Almeida), John Gabriel Borkman, The Sisters (National Theatre) and Thérèse Raquin (Chichester Festival Theatre and National Theatre), among others. Mr. Wright’s opera librettos include The Little Prince (Houston Grand Opera) and Man on the Moon (Channel 4). His television credits include Armistead Maupin’s More Tales of the City (Channel 4) and three episodes of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (HBO/BBC). He wrote 99 Plays and co-wrote Changing Stages with Richard Eyre.

Bob Crowley Set, Costume and Properties Designer, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Bob Crowley’s recent productions include Once (Broadway, Tony Award) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Netherlands, Russia). His designs for the National Theatre include The Habit of Art, The Power of Yes, Phèdre, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Gethsemane, Fram (also co-directed), The History Boys, (Broadway, Tony Award) and Mourning Becomes Electra. For the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mr. Crowley designed Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Broadway) and The Plantagenets (Laurence Olivier Award). In addition, Mr. Crowley designed The Capeman, Sweet Smell of Success, Disney’s Aida (Tony Award), Tarzan (which he also directed), Mary Poppins (Tony Award), The Year of Magical Thinking and Coast of Utopia (Tony Award), The Magic Flute (English National Opera), Anastasia and Pavane (The Royal Ballet) and Don Carlos and La Traviata (The Royal Opera). His film credits include Othello, Tales from Hollywood, Suddenly Last Summer and The Crucible (costumes). Mr. Crowley has received the Royal Designer for Industry Award and the Robert L.B. Tobin Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatrical Design.

Natasha Katz Lighting Designer, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland American lighting designer Natasha Katz has a strong creative relationship with The Royal Ballet Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon and has collaborated with him and the company on Tryst (2002), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (2011) and The Winter's Tale (2014). Ms. Katz’s other collaborations with Mr. Wheeldon include Continuum (San Francisco Ballet, 2002), Carnival of the Animals and An American in Paris (New York City Ballet) and Swan Lake (Pennsylvania Ballet, 2004) and the premiere of An American in Paris at Théâtre Châtelet (2014) and on Broadway (2015).

Ms. Katz’s Broadway credits include The Glass Menagerie (Tony Award), Aladdin, Once (Tony Award), Motown, Hedda Gabler, Coast of Utopia: Salvage (Tony Award), A Chorus Line, Aida (Tony Award), Sweet Smell of Success, Twelfth Night and Beauty and the Beast. In London, she designed Skylight (Wyndham’s Theatre), Sister Act (Palladium), Buried Child (National Theatre) and Cyrano (The Royal Opera). Ms. Katz has also designed extensively Off-Broadway and for American regional theatres. Her permanent installations include lighting for the audio-visual shows at Niketown London and New York City, The Masquerade Village at the Rio Casino, Las Vegas and Big Bang at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.