For those who have found themselves mesmerized by the transformative narrative of Gregory Maguire’s "Wicked," a Broadway adaptation that turned the world of "The Wizard of Oz" upside down, and proved once again, audiences gravitate toward stories that are “familiar” but told in “unfamiliar” ways.

Frank Beddor's "The Looking Glass Wars" does just that and more, it should be the next big thing in Broadway adaptations, and here’s why.

Reigniting the Franchise:

Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland is not only an iconic and successful franchise, but it has a profound impact on popular culture across the globe. Successful attempts to reignite previously established franchises frequently take the form of either an origin story or the introduction of new characters/worlds. The Looking Glass Wars combines both historically successful narrative methods by giving the audience the real story behind Alice and expanding that story into a wholly reimagined Wonderland. Wicked (The Untold Story) reinvented the iconic story of the Wizard of Oz and went on to become one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time.

Familiar Yet Unique:

Both "Wicked" and "The Looking Glass Wars" take on the Herculean task of reinventing cherished universes. If "Wicked" challenges everything you thought you knew about the Wicked Witch of the West, "The Looking Glass Wars" does the same for Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." The story deviates from the whimsical Wonderland we think we know, reimagining it as a darker, more complex world with political intrigue and battle-hardened characters. Just as "Wicked" made audiences rethink Oz, "The Looking Glass Wars" has the potential to take us down an entirely different rabbit hole.

Empowering A 21st-century Heroine:

Perhaps one of the most striking features of "The Looking Glass Wars" is its transformation of the traditionally passive Alice into Alyss Heart, a confident and powerful warrior. This shift aligns well with modern-day expectations and aspirations for female characters in storytelling. Gone is the bewildered girl merely reacting to a world gone mad; in her place is a proactive, imaginative woman grappling with responsibilities, moral choices, and her own destiny. In the #MeToo era, where stories of female empowerment are resonating more than ever, Alyss Heart could stand as an icon of what it means to be a woman of agency and substance.

The Multi-Cultural, Multi-Generational Affair:

"The Looking Glass Wars" isn't just a retelling of an old tale; it’s a story for our time. Its characters come from a multitude of backgrounds, reflecting the cultural diversity of our world. This lends the narrative a multi-generational appeal, making it a story that can resonate with audiences young and old. By presenting a Wonderland that mirrors the diversity of our own society, this adaptation could be as meaningful for grandparents as it is for their grandchildren.

Enduring Relevance:

Like a timeless song that never fades from public consciousness, the characters and worlds created by Lewis Carroll have always held a place in our collective imagination. "The Looking Glass Wars" taps into this enduring fascination but updates it for contemporary audiences, adding layers of psychological complexity, socio-political commentary, and ethical dilemmas that make it relatable for today’s world. The issues that troubled Alice and her real-world counterparts are not just issues of a bygone era; they are questions that continue to challenge us, making the story eternally relevant.

Multifaceted Characters:

One of the reasons "Wicked" garnered such immense success is its ability to humanize the Wicked Witch, revealing the events and motives that shaped her into the character we encounter in "The Wizard of Oz." Similarly, "The Looking Glass Wars" gives depth and nuance to Alice, here rebranded as Alyss Heart, the rightful queen of Wonderland. The characters are ripe for the Broadway stage, filled with emotional layers, inner turmoil, and dynamic relationships that can be brought to life through powerful solos and duets.

Narrative Complexity:

Broadway has a history of celebrating intricate, thoughtful narratives, and "The Looking Glass Wars" provides just that. While the original "Alice in Wonderland" focuses on nonsensical adventures, Beddor's reinterpretation infuses Wonderland with political instability, war, and exile. This is a story that allows for a complex web of sub-plots, a feature that can help sustain a two-act Broadway musical with aplomb.

A Visual Feast:

Wonderland, as conceived by Frank Beddor, is not just a setting but also a character. Its fantastical elements offer an exciting challenge for set designers, lighting experts, and costume creators. Imagine the spectacular scenes that could be staged: card soldiers marching into battle, morphing landscapes, and dazzling interpretations of familiar settings like the Heart Palace. If Broadway could make flying monkeys and a shimmering Emerald City, a la "Wicked," think of the stunning visuals that Wonderland could offer.

Music and Emotional Resonance:

Let’s not forget the essential element of any musical: the score. "The Looking Glass Wars" provides a range of emotional highs and lows that could be captured through an array of musical choices. Anywhere from “At the End of the Day” (Les Misérables) to “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” (Phantom of the Opera) to “Your Song” (Moulin Rouge) or “Sun and Moon” (Miss Saigon.)

From the poignant moments of Alyss contemplating her lost throne to the exhilarating action sequences, music can be the heartbeat of this adaptation, engaging audiences just as Stephen Schwartz's music did for "Wicked."

The Time is Now:

In an era where audiences crave stories that can simultaneously entertain and make them think, a Broadway adaptation of "The Looking Glass Wars" is more relevant than ever. People want to be surprised, to see old stories through a new lens. With its layered characters, intricate plot, and visually striking world, "The Looking Glass Wars" can be Broadway’s next big hit, offering a fresh yet nostalgic experience that appeals to both Alice aficionados and newcomers alike.

Conclusion:

While the realm of Broadway is already filled with adaptations and revivals, there's always room for groundbreaking work that challenges our perceptions of classic tales. If "Wicked" could breathe new life into the Land of Oz, there’s no reason "

" can't do the same for Wonderland. Frank Beddor’s masterpiece has all the makings of a Broadway sensation: memorable characters, a gripping plot, and a fantastical world that’s begging to be brought to life on stage. It's high time we go through the looking glass and see for ourselves.

Meet The Author:

Teresa Lin was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and grew up in Tampa, Florida. She attended Duke University and the film program at USC. She started her career working in development for Janet Yang and Oliver Stone. Then she worked on “Frasier” at Paramount. She got her big break as a writer on “Bones” and has projects in development for Automatic Pictures. She intends to produce stories over multiple platforms, raising awareness, empathy and inclusivity. She lives in Los Angeles with her two kids, her husband, his two children, and three bunnies.

Frank and I have been working on Looking Glass Wars for years, developing the TV series, the trilogy of films and of course, that far-flung star in the sky of IPs…the musical. 

“Like a full theatrical musical adaptation?” You ask.  Absolutely.

Years ago, when Frank sat down with fellow author and friend, Gregory McGuire , to talk about ways to expand the Wonderverse of LGW, he gave him a singular piece of advice:

DO THE MUSICAL.

Frank took that to heart. 

For those of you who don’t know Gregory McGuire, he’s the author of WICKED, the novel.  Which is better known now as a musical.  And that’s no accident.  Greg had the insight to collaborate with Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz for the musical, and the rest made history: it surpassed 1 billion in revenue and became the second highest grossing musical after THE LION KING.

The understanding in the industry was that musicals, while fruitful, took a long time to develop. It took years to find the right book writers, composers, singers, production entities, etc.  It is a great idea but hard to execute well.   Following on the heels of other IPs in the public domain that told a familiar story in an unfamiliar way, LGW would be taking a left turn from the original in the same way WICKED took a turn from “Wizard of Oz” and FINDING NEVERLAND from “Peter Pan.”

Then in 2021, The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical hit the scene.  It was a concept album by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear that engaged a new audience and disrupted the entire paradigm.  They did on TikTok within a few months what most musicals would take years to develop. 

A self-produced musical based on a Netflix show from Shondaland, it follows the trials and tribulations of the Bridgerton family as they navigate the competitive world of London’s high society during the social season where marriageable youth of nobility and gentry are launched into society.

It’s Gossip Girl meets Downtown Abbey, where the location and period, although Baroque, taps into the emotional zeitgeist of an audience living those truths today.  Barlow and Bear, at the ripe-old age of twenty-one, were able to capture the feelings of Bridgerton’s characters through the modern, almost pop-sensibility of their music.

Their songs garnered more than 200 million views and 48 million likes on TikTok, and won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.  They became the youngest nominees and winners ever in their Grammy category, and the only Grammy winner developed on TikTok.

Their journey began as a powerful question: “What if?” 

It was posed to their listeners, casting a net wide with possibility and wonder…

It brought to mind Frank’s own “What if” – that began his soul-search 20 years ago.  He wanted to find out how he could transform the woeful “everything-is-happening-to-me” Alice into a modern, “I’m-gonna-slay-you-with-my-imagination” Alyss.  He didn’t want to write another adaptation to Lewis Carroll's stories.  He wanted to tell the story behind the story, to discover the reason it was written in the first place. 

What Frank wrote was Alice/Alyss’ origin story. Then the Mad Hatter’s, Queen Redd’s, expanding into the populace of Wonderland mythos. This was the birth of The Looking Glass Wars…. 

Turns out, Alice Liddell, had quite a life.  She was a disrupter herself – becoming a Victorian icon and muse for Lewis Carroll, rising to the highest echelons of Oxford society and gaining the love of Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria's youngest son.

Alice/Alyss fought against social injustice and criminal enterprises as much as she rebelled against outdated monarchical customs, earning the ire and admiration of Queen Victoria.  She’s orphaned, lost, and chosen all at once, a princess who must return home to fight for her claim to the Queendom, to defend imagination.  It is much more than a coming-of-age tale featuring a single woman. It speaks to our human need for creativity, imagination, and story—a need that transcends time and cultural divides. It’s a story driven by the universal questions of identity, self-expression, and self-determination.

In his research for the trilogy, he teased out the connections between historical fact and Carroll’s fiction, unearthed a universe of material that captivated his own imagination, and brought the rest of us with him.  He redefined Wonderland for a different generation and invited us into his creation.

The best part of this 20-year process was discovering who ALICE/ ALYSS became for other artists.  Collaborating with more than 100 artists/ co-creators (such as Andrea Wicklund, Vance Kovacs, and Chris Appelhans)since the inception of this Wonderverse, The Looking Glass Wars has become a call to action.  The raison d’etre for LGW to exist and evolve circles in our culture and consciousness.

On its surface, this is a story about a girl fighting to find her way home but, in the macro, it is a story about the war that eternally wages between conformity and imagination.  It is a primal battle all beings face -- to respect, defend, and love themselves while living in a world turned upside down—where deceit is truth and honor is whatever you can get away with. A world of disruption. Of upheaval. In media. In culture. In politics. In everything.

The tyranny in Victorian times still feels contemporary today.  Like the social norms portrayed in “Bridgerton” – these feelings of conformity know no time or place; it is the struggle we all face: to be ourselves despite the pressure to be like everyone else.  

Which brings us to our musical….and Barlow and Bear….

WHAT IF… we can bring these two together? 

Can we make “ALYSS OF WONDERLAND” a Barlow and Bear reality?

Who better to give voice to our forgotten inner-child, to sing the story of all women who have the power to see beyond the veil of the matrix and have big-enough-dreams to penetrate the mind of the ordinary world to reach their HEART and become Queens of their Queendom?  

Who better to tell the story of all sisters, mothers and daughters separated and put against each other because of patriarchal ways, the story of integrating and embracing the shadow-self?  To remind us of when we were little and JUST KNEW in our hearts that magic was real and to remember, to belong, to see, to come home...

If it’s true what they say, "FANTASY JUST DECLARED WAR ON REALITY," we need imagination warriors on our side.  Seers from a disrupted world for whom light, beauty and music rise above the fray, and carries with them the feelings of hope just as strong and real and tangible as the bleakness of despair.

If we are to do a musical, my hope is to do it with Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.

Meet The Author

Teresa Lin was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and grew up in Tampa, Florida. She attended Duke University and the film program at USC. She started her career working in development for Janet Yang and Oliver Stone. Then she worked on "Frasier" at Paramount. She got her big break as a writer on "Bones" and has projects in development for Automatic Pictures. Her intention is to produce stories over multiple platforms, raising awareness, empathy and inclusivity. She lives in Los Angeles with her two kids, her fiancé, his two kids, and three bunnies.