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NYC Celebrates 150 Years of Alice in Wonderland: Curiouser and Curiouser

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s classic tale of a young girl who tumbles into an unfamiliar world. To celebrate the occasion, Alice fans can go down the rabbit hole this fall in New York City with a slate of events that celebrate the iconic story, including exhibitions, film screenings, and talks.

alice in wonderland nyc 2015

The Morgan Library is championing Alice with its exhibition Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland. The fascinating displays bring together a selection of rare artwork, photographs, and artifacts, but the centerpiece is Lewis Carroll’s original manuscript of the book. Typically housed at the British Library in London, this show marks the first time the manuscript has been displayed in New York in 30 years, making this exhibition a must-visit for any true Alice fan. The exhibition, which opened on June 26, will only run until October 12, making these next few days the last chance to see these fantastic artifacts gathered together before it’s too late.

Though the Morgan’s exhibition may be coming to an end, New Yorkers will have no shortage of Alice displays to check out this fall. This week brought the opening of Alice Live!, a new exhibition at the Library of Performing Arts that runs through January 16. The multimedia exhibition celebrates the history of Alice in Wonderland’s live performance adaptations, which range from traditional theatre and ballet to productions performed underwater and on ice. The exhibition will include photos, videos, audio, and ephemera, along with a selection of special elements specifically for children and younger visitors. Meanwhile, The Grolier Club on East 60th Street is currently hosting Alice in a World of Wonderlands through November 21. The exhibit examines the translations of Carroll’s classic tale, which, as one of the most quoted works of fiction in the world, has been adapted for 174 languages.

Audiences can also celebrate Alice on the big screen with screenings of its numerous film adaptations. In conjunction with Alice Live!, the Library of Performing Arts is hosting Alice film screenings each Tuesday in October. The screenings taking place on October 13 and 27 will feature some lesser-known Alice adaptations, which date all the way back to 1915. For something a bit more mainstream, the Sony Wonder Technology Lab will be screening Disney’s adaptations of the tale on October 10, with screenings of both the classic 1951 animated film and Tim Burton’s 2010 live-action remake. Visitors to the Sony Wonder Technology Lab can also watch a short behind-the-scenes feature on the creation of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which will screen every half hour throughout the month of October.

alice in wonderland 150 nyc

Alice fans can also look forward to talks and events exploring Carroll’s story and its influence. On October 8, Mark Burstein, president emeritus of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, will stop by the 92nd Street Y to answer the question “What is it about Alice?”, discussing the book’s enduring appeal with a focus on the first trade edition of the novel, which featured illustrations by Salvador Dali. Alice’s continuing popularity and charm will also be explored at the NYPL’s Stephen A. Schwartzman Building on December 12 in a discussion with scholars, specialists, and artist Robert Sabuda, who illustrated Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Pop-Up Book. For a more creative take on Alice’s current influence, head over to the Library of Performing Arts, where Alice in Wonderland will be celebrated with an evening of poetry and spoken word on November 19.

For more information on Alice in Wonderland’s 150th Anniversary celebration, visit www.alice150.com.

About the Author

Alison Durkee is a New York-based arts journalist and critic with a background in theatre and dance. She currently serves as the Features Editor of London theatre website Everything Theatre and also covers news and politics for Mic.com.

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