Many people the world over are familiar with the timeless literary masterpieces of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), who is perhaps best known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll. His most famous writings are Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871) which includes the poems “Jabberwocky” and “The Hunting of the Snark.” Carroll was known for his uncanny ability to combine word play, logic, and fantasy. Today there are many societies in many parts of the world dedicated to the enjoyment and promotion of his works, as well as, the study of his life.
The story of Through the Looking-Glass is set some six months later than Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alice once again enters a world of fantasy, but this time she enters the portal through a mirror into a world that she can see beyond it. In the first book, Alice’s adventures begin outdoors, in the warm month of May (4 May), and the story draws on the imagery of playing cards. The sequel opens indoors on a snowy, wintry night on 4 November, exactly six months later, on the eve of Guy Fawkes Night., and draws on the imagery of a chess game and mirror themes, including opposites, time running backwards, and so on.
A movie called Alice Through the Looking Glass which is based on the timeless classic, is set to be released in theaters nationwide by Walt Disney Pictures on 27 May 2016. The script was written by Linda Wolverton. The movie was directed by James Bobin, and produced by Tim Burton. Actor Johnny Depp plays the role of the Mad Hatter, and well-known actress, Anne Hathaway, plays the role of the White Queen. The voice of Alan Rickman (in his final film role) as Absolem, the Caterpillar, is also featured.
In the film, Alice returns to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter. According to imdb.com, “When Alice wakes up in Wonderland she must travel through a mysterious new world to retrieve a magical scepter that can stop the evil Lord of Time before he turns forward the clock and turns Wonderland into a barren, lifeless old world. With the help of some new friends, Alice must also uncover an evil plot to put the Queen of Hearts back on the throne.”
Picture taken from TREN’s Facebook page.
As everyone anxiously awaits the adventures of Alice to hit theater screens, the Mormon band TREN, comprised of Taylor Miranda, Richard Williams, Eliza Smith, and Nate Young (all students or graduates of Brigham Young University) have been working feverishly on completing a new video project called “Wonderland” that is based on the upcoming movie. The official release of the video will be mid-April, but in the interim, the band has promised to share some behind the scenes “TREN minutes,” spotlighting some of the amazing people that they were privileged to work with, and also sharing some other special perks for their fans.
The band has also announced that one of America’s most accomplished and beloved violinists, Grammy Nominated artist, Jenny Oaks Baker, will be featured in the video. Jenny received her Master of Music degree from the renowned Juilliard School in New York City and her bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Strathmore Hall, the Library of Congress and as a guest soloist with the Jerusalem Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Utah Symphony, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. On their Facebook page, TREN states that Jenny takes the song to “the next level of beautiful.”
In addition to their new video, TREN was recently honored to win Best Pop Rock Ballad for their original song Live or Survive at the March LA Akademia Awards.
With the release of their new video, followed by the release of the movie, fans of the Lewis Carroll masterful classic are sure to be left awestruck as the whimsical adventures of a girl named Alice are brought back to life. The adventure awaits.
