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Director and Writer: Kate Prince

Choreography: ZooNation

Commissioned to show alongside The Royal Ballets Alice in Wonderland, ZooNations The Mad Hatters Tea Party is the perfect companion piece to the now-classic ballet. As director, Kate Princes dance merges street and hip-hip with the anarchic feel of Lewis Carrolls novel.

We meet Ernest, a psychotherapist who is starting a new job. Working at the Institute for Extremely Normal Behaviour, Ernest is anxious to make a good first impression. Designed by Ben Stones, the Institute is a grey, numbing place devoid of colour and excitement. Normal here reads as bland, uneventful even conformist. Ernests challenge is to reform some newly-admitted patients, who claim to be from a place called Wonderland. He has one month to complete his task.

Holding a therapy session, Ernest (played by Tommy Franzen) isnt quite prepared for what he finds. The Wonderland patients tumble into the session, brimming with energy. The Institute, it is clear, has had little effect on them so far. Ernest struggles to maintain control of the room.

Part of the commission was for ZooNation to explore mental health issues, and The Mad Hatters Tea Party beautifully illustrates the individual struggles of Lewis Carrolls characters. The March Hare (a brilliant Bradley Charles) is unable to find love; Alice herself (a punk-ish energy from Kayla Lomas-Kirton) is dealing with an eating disorder. Ernest identifies their issues quickly, but finds himself asking whether naming the problem is enough. He begins to think beyond the Institutes fanaticism for normality. What if there is no normal? What if Wonderland really exists?

Princes dance language clearly delineates each character. We have hip-hop energy from The White Rabbit (Jaih Betote), the Ska influence of a fabulous Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee (Rowen Hawkins, Manny Tsakanika) and the Queen of Hearts wowing us with her grasp of ballroom (a commanding performance from the late Teneisha Bonner). By blending dance styles, Prince reminds us that one voice does not speak for everyone.

Right at the centre of the dance is of course, The Mad Hatter. Played by Isaac Baptiste, The Hatter is a calm, reassuring presence. In a performance loaded with charisma, Baptiste leads the story through its feverish beginning, clearing the way through conflict, to a resolution. He is the therapist Ernest longs to be.

In narrating their own stories, the characters leap out from the page. Being filmed, this production also gives us the advantage of getting up close to these performances. There is a psychological intensity to The Mad Hatters Tea Party that reminds us that Carrolls work was not only whimsical; it had a darker edge that ran against the cosy narrative of traditional childrens fiction. There is madness, there is loss, and there is no easy answer to either.

Accompanying this extraordinary range of contemporary dance, The Mad Hatters Tea Party is filled with music. Written by DJ Walde and Josh Cohen, we move from original songs, to pulsating beats that fill the theatre. Walde and Cohen mix and layer styles so that the music becomes another character, making this Tea Party a heady, exhilarating experience.

Finding something new in Carrolls text is a challenge. The dance looks beyond the curious tropes the fretful Rabbit, the grinning Cheshire Cat into what Carroll could not explicitly say, but instead inferred. Victorian England was its own Institute for Extremely Normal Behaviour, and any deviation from centre was regarded with great suspicion. In this suffocating atmosphere, Carroll wrote about the individual. Bizarre, contradictory and by definition, one of a kind. The Mad Hatters Tea Party not only explores the need for individualistic expression, but the role imagination has to play in our lives. It calls for a safer, kinder space; living without fear or judgement. In Carrolls time, as much as our own, its a message that bears repeating.

Available here until 14 August 2020

The Reviews Hub Score

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The Mad Hatter's Tea Party - #FromOurHouseToYourHouse, The Royal Opera House and The Roundhouse - The Reviews Hub

The playbook is familiar, though the particulars are new: Beyonc unveils a new project. Details, though scant, are pored over for clues. Social media immediately bubbles with anticipation and debate.

On Friday, Beyonc will release Black Is King, a visual album connected to Disneys remake last year of The Lion King, on the Disney+ streaming platform. Announced a month ago, Black Is King is a typically ambitious latter-day project for Beyonc she wrote and directed it, and is executive producer that adapts the Lion King story to a wider narrative of African history and heritage. It also represents Beyoncs latest move as a self-directed business figure, aligning herself with a major media partner, as she has done before with Tidal, HBO, Apple and Netflix.

Black Is King, which is based on songs that Beyonc created for The Lion King: The Gift, a companion album to last years remake, carries added weight since Beyonc herself has made a case for its topical significance.

The events of 2020 have made the films vision and message even more relevant, she wrote in a rare explanatory post on Instagram. I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books.

Beyonc and Disney have offered few details about the project itself. It was made with an international creative team, including many Africans, and its cast has boldface names like Lupita Nyongo, Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell, Jay-Z and Tina Knowles-Lawson, Beyoncs mother. The list of directors who worked with Beyonc on the project includes Emmanuel Adjei, Blitz Bazawule, Pierre Debusschere, Jenn Nkiru, Ibra Ake, Dikayl Rimmasch, Jake Nava and Kwasi Fordjour.

Even basic points remain mysterious. Officially called a visual album, it appears to be a series of music videos linked through a narrative sequence, though it is not clear even how many songs or films are included. Representatives for Beyonc and Disney declined to comment.

But a lack of information has only stirred the pot, as online commentators having seen just two brief trailers have debated topics like whether Beyonc is exploiting African stereotypes, and whether the apparent presence of a white butler at a Black womens tea party is a sign of racism.

In some ways, that reflects one of Beyoncs great talents stoking public conversation with her art, while explaining very little about it.

She is allowing her art to speak for itself, said Treva Lindsey, an associate professor of womens, gender and sexuality studies at Ohio State University, who has commented frequently on Beyoncs work. I always see Beyonc as opening up space for robust conversations. It often says more about us as consumers and critics than it does about her.

What is more clear, however, is Beyoncs media strategy, which she has been developing in plain sight over the last decade. After beginning her career as a teenager in Destinys Child and doing what is expected of all rising stars, like giving interviews by the early 2010s she had largely abandoned the standard pop-star script, and remade herself as a self-contained cultural brand. She now almost never speaks to the news media.

Part of her approach has involved leapfrogging from one platform to another to suit the needs of each project. In early 2013, HBO showed her autobiographical film Life Is but a Dream; later that year, she melted the internet and upended the music business by releasing her album Beyonc on Apples iTunes with no notice.

Lemonade, her 2016 album, was first released on Tidal, the streaming service taken over by Jay-Z, her husband, in which she is a partner, and had a companion film shown on HBO, with segments directed by Mark Romanek, Jonas Akerlund, Melina Matsoukas and others. Last year, Netflix carried Homecoming, the film of her performance at Coachella from 2018.

In this trajectory, Disney+ is simply the next hot media platform with something to offer Beyonc, said Dan Runcie, who writes about the business of streaming and hip-hop on his site Trapital.

This is well within the wheelhouse of the Beyonc empire, Runcie said, given how much shes not locked herself into one particular partner, but thought of herself as a broader enterprise and kept her options open.

With greater control, Beyonc has changed her musical priorities. No longer chasing pop hits, she has used her albums and multimedia projects to explore challenging material, and made issues like gender and race central topics of her art, with the Black experience and Black womanhood, in particular becoming her overarching theme in recent years.

This has, perhaps paradoxically, made Beyonc even more famous and influential, with her every appearance, utterance or Instagram post scrutinized for hidden meanings. That fame can bring more attention to her themes of Black lives and Black struggles like her Black Panther-inspired dancers at her Super Bowl appearance in 2016, or images invoking the toll of Hurricane Katrina from the video of her song Formation said Robin M. Boylorn, an associate professor of communications at the University of Alabama.

Boylorn also pointed to Beyoncs Coachella appearance, where the star performed an ode to the dances and marching bands of historically Black colleges and universities with signifiers that may have gone over the heads of many white people in the audience, though their use by Beyonc drew attention and led to wide media coverage.

Her taking a space like Coachella, that is inherently white, and making it a celebration of Blackness, Boylorn said, speaks to her being able to shift the narrative and also literally shift the face of the conversation. That is just a remarkable use of her platform.

What statement Beyonc makes with Black Is King remains to be seen (at least for one more day). But that statement is likely to come primarily through the film and not any comment.

She says less, Lindsey said, as she has more power.

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Beyoncs Black Is King Is No Secret, but Still Comes With Mystery - The New York Times

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Weldon Ryan is playing out his story, making strides in cyberspace despite the coronavirus attack.

The artist, a former Flagler County Art League president, joined artisans through Robert Shirk showcasing Men Painting Women Art Exhibit.

Your eyes will focus on stellar female forms, depicted differently by artists Wilson Romero, Leonardo Montoya Perez, Weldon Ryan, Herbie Martin, and Robert Shirk.

Thats happening through Aug. 21, Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the downtown Orlando Public Library, 101 East Central Blvd., Orlando.

Recently, Ryan rid himself of his studio to work on line from home.

Ive also been working to get my social media with my YouTube channel going for people who enjoy my work, said Trinidad-born Ryan, who mostly grew up in the Bronx.

Ryans popularity has grown since graduating from the High School of Art and Design in 1981 and attending the State University of New York at New Paltz. He later received an associate degree in general illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

He freelanced before landing an Urban Park Rangers job in 1987, painting murals for the New York City Parks Department at Pelham Bay Environmental Nature Center, and afterwards joining the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

Ryans sketches were the poster child for rounding up crooks after his assignment to the NYPD Forensic Artist Unit.

Doing the forensic work and the sketches of perpetrators of crime as you sit there, and speak with individuals, who have suffered a loss, you actually form a bond, and you feel their pain and emotions, he said.

Meanwhile, we trademarked the art of Carnival, between Richlin and myself, he added

His wife, Richlin, an art director and graphic artist, is the mother of the duos two children. Theyve changed their status arriving in Palm Coast in 2004.

Theres not any art related to carnival, except for mine as far as I know depicting the Caribbean side of things, and the way I do it, my realism, he stressed. Although his artwork is realistically illustrative, he allows for a bit of serendipity, reads his vitae.

Were trying also to work on the New York carnival; they are doing a virtual carnival, he added. Members of The Orlando Carnival downtown were also kind and brought us into their family.

PAINTINGS COURTESY OF ARTIST WELDON RYAN

The artist has actualized his dreams through art, and appeared on the Ricki Lake Show, the Geraldo Rivera Show, CNN, and in the April 1999 issue of Nickelodeon Magazine.

Hes treaded shoring up exhibits at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Bronx River Art Center, the Harlem State Office Building, One Police Plaza, in addition to the Fulton Street Art Fair, the Flagler County Art League, the Hollingsworth Gallery, Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center, and other venues.

I forgot to mention Calypso Calypso Fine Art, thats our online site where we also want to do a virtual art show. The art of carnival we must keep that going, he explained, while highlighting that the announcement will appear in September.

The images featured on CalypsoFineArt.com accommodate a dynamic spot for cultural exploration.

You are invited to a delightful Virtual Tea Party, July 30 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Ladies 20 to 100 years old are invited to tune in for fellowship, fun, and a hat-fashion contest.

So, wear your favorite hat. Three awards will be granted.

Its the Sacred Sip and Say, hosted by First Lady Karen Wilkerson of St. James Missionary Baptist Church of Bunnell.

First Lady Carol Coffie of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church of Palm Coast will be topping the headlines.

So, Zoom into the party at Meeting ID: 84152653839. Passcode: 325710.

As I am taking a hiatus through midSeptember, I wish the best to all of my readers.

As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted, the prodigal son, or daughter, and the bereaved.

Birthdays wishes to the Rev. Cheryl Daniels, July 30; Annette Preston, July 31;twins Alexis and Alana Williams, Ernest G. Robinson Jr., Aug. 2; Almedia Quarterman, Aug. 3; Gloria Major, Shirley Horne, and Carolyn Snow, Aug. 4.

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Ryan to host Caribbean-themed exhibits virtually in Orlando - Daytona Times

What is it with themed pop-ups these days? The latest roving event to add San Diego to its touring schedule is billed as the tea party to end all tea parties. Dubbed The Alice, its based on the classic novel Alices Adventures in Wonderland, which spawned countless adaptations including a slew of television shows and movies.

Created by the team behind the Floating Cinema, which will be landing somewhere in San Diego this September, The Alice is an immersive and interactive cocktail experience that takes guests down the rabbit hole and into a fantasy world where they can play croquet with a flamingo, paint the roses red, and solve riddles and challenges. Set in a still-secret location, the pop-up will run for almost a month, from Sunday, November 8 to December 6, with each ticketed session lasting 90 minutes.

Each experience includes two custom cocktails crafted with the guidance of The Mad Hatter host, plus two Eat Me cakes. Pre-register now to be notified when tickets go on sale.

For a more homegrown Alice in Wonderland experience, visit Vin de Syrah in the Gaslamp. Though its temporarily closed due to the indoor dining ban, the Fifth Avenue bar features an Alice in Wonderland, garden party-inspired design.

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Alice in Wonderland Themed Cocktail Pop-Up Coming to San Diego - Eater San Diego

Prior to Donald Trumps 1 a.m. Twitter rant last month raging against the group of RINO Republican...loser types at the so-called Lincoln Project, Ben Howe, a video editor and one of the top creative minds behind the super PACs notorious anti-Trump ads, had avoided associating himself with the group. I didnt publicly acknowledge my involvement until the president went after our Mourning in America ad, Howe told me during a phone interview, referencing a viral Lincoln Project spot blasting the Trump administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Once he did thatwell, it had been my personal mission to have him call me a loser someday. So, I was like, Okay, I cant stay quiet anymore.

Like the Lincoln Projects other members, Howethe creative mind, video editor, and, he said, sometimes narrating voice on many of the groups adsspent years supporting conservative policies and working on various Republican campaigns. In December, in an effort to help ensure Trump doesnt win a second term, Howe joined forces with Rick Wilson, a Defense Department appointee under then secretary Dick Cheney and GOP strategist who contributed to Rudy Giulianis winning mayoral ad campaigns; George Conway, a Washington attorney and husband of top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway who in 2017 was considered for a number of Justice Department posts before turning on the White House; Steve Schmidt, a top strategist for George W. Bushs 2004 bid, operations chief for John McCains 2008 presidential campaign, and campaign manager for Arnold Schwarzeneggers 2006 reelection bid for California governor; and John Weaver, the chief strategist for John Kasichs 2016 presidential campaign. Considered turncoats due to their shared opposition to Trump, the group united under the name of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, and formed a super PAC with the explicit goal of preventing Trump from being reelected by swaying swing voters and moderate Republicansand pissing him off in the process.

Howe first honed his skills as an ad creator working for the anti-Obama Tea Party movement. He launched his political ad-making career after his business, a trademark-research firm, went under during the recession. In 2010, he created a video promoting the Tea Party for RedState, a conservative website where his brother, Caleb Howe, wrote at the time. Following the clips semi-viral success, Howe was contracted by FreedomWorks, a Koch-founded advocacy group that played a major role in astroturfing the Tea Party wave, for another video. His success, he said, resulted in him working with the Heritage Foundation on video proposals of their own. His new company, Mister Smith Media, which he told me is named after the 1939 political dramedy starring Jimmy Stewart, went on to craft online clips and ads for Ted Cruzs inaugural Senate campaign, which has arguably proven to be the Tea Partys most enduring success in Washington.

In subsequent years, Howe told me his company continued to make videos for Heritage, National Review, and Senator John Cornyn, another Texas Republican. He didnt predict, nor was he prepared for, the rise of Trump, but for him it represented a breaking point. During the 2016 election, he vowed to phone bank for Hillary Clinton if Trump won the nomination. He subsequently created an oppo documentary about the Trump campaign titled The Sociopath in January of that year before I even left the party, he said.

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It Had Been My Personal Mission to Have Him Call Me a Loser: Meet the Lincoln Project Video Wiz Whose Ads Are Driving Trump Insane - Vanity Fair