BRIELLE CASIMIR, as Caterpillar, and Isabella James, as Small Alice, are pictured during a school performance of “Alice in Wonderland” at Northside Elementary on Monday morning. Performances for parents, families and people in the community are today and tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. (Photo by Bob Vlach)

“ALICE IN WONDERLAND” features a cast of 50 students, including, pictured from left, Henley Hawkey as Tweedle Dum, Marley Gordon as Alice and Karson Karrick as Tweedle Dee. (Photo by Bob Vlach)

By Bob Vlach

Woodford Sun Staff

Students at Northside Elementary School are bringing “Alice in Wonderland” to audiences with performances at 6:30 p.m. today and tomorrow, and 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Their excitement for performing together in this musical was obvious when these students finished a school performance on Monday morning.

“You feel like you can do it,” says Zach Snow, 10, “because you have a lot of encouraging people.”

“We work as a team to create an amazing performance,” Harper Stoelb, who portrays the Queen of Hearts, says.

Besides the joy that comes from acting and singing, fourth grader Marley Gordon says, being onstage lets her “show who I am.”

Grayson Sparks, 8, couldn’t hide his excitement for playing the Mad Hatter because it’s a role he wants to bring to life for audiences.

Asked what audiences can expect to experience from this cast of third, fourth and fifth graders, Northside Elementary music teacher/director Erin Casimir tells the Sun, “There’s just a lot of movement. There’s a lot of costume changes. There’s a lot of colorful, whimsical (moments), and then there’s a little surprise when Alice falls down the rabbit hole.”

With a large cast and crew of nearly 60 students, “Alice in Wonderland” was also an opportunity for many of them to gain experience as performers – coming on and off stage, Casimir says.

“So there’s a lot of spotlight opportunities” for younger, less-experienced student-performers, she adds.

To purchase tickets ($8 for general admission and $5 for ages 3 to 12), visit https://gofan.co/app/school/KYEL27224 online.