NeverWonderLand 2010

“NeverWonderLand” imagines a kind of mash-up between Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan.” Yet it’s also a wholly original dance story (trailer here) inspired by the Victorian children’s classics. And the work, brought to you by Boom Kat Dance Theatre, serves as a kind of prequel successfully melding these celebrated tales of the childhood journey from innocence to experience.

“NeverWonderLand” explores two iconic visions of youthful exploration and adolescent fear as Peter and Alice, brother and sister, seek a place in their lives in that mysterious zone between imagination and reality as they depart their familiar London on a voyage to—NeverWonderLand.

But this production is no museum piece or Walt Disney retread. Infused with a blast of modern magic, we’re offered skinny jeans-clad Lost Boys and a life-sized Tinkerbell. Yet the timeless challenges remain for these young people: how to make friends, deal with menacing enemies, and eventually to grow up. See how the siblings Peter and Alice struggle to find the balance between fantasy and reality, reconcile the pressure for social conformity with personal desire, and navigate the perilous tightrope between childhood and adulthood.

“NeverWonderLand” returns after a sold-out run in 2009, so be sure not to miss it. The production only runs through August 22 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica. Get your tickets online, and call 310-202-9229 for further information.