If you want a faithful adaptation of Through the Looking Glass look to the BBC adaptation or the Natalie Gregory adaptation(which covers both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass), as other than the title and the characters- and to a lesser extent Humpty Dumpty's Song Twas Brillig- this musical version is probably the least faithful version to the book. Every adaptation however does deserve to stand on its own, and stands on its own this version does, despite its infidelity to the book it is very pleasing in its own right. In fact, my only complaints are some corny and too-family-friendly dialogue and the random throwing in of the three witches which didn't really do anything for the story. Of all the versions of Through the Looking Glass it's this one that's the most beautiful visually, there is a reason why the costumes won an Emmy, the photography while slightly TV quality is still professional and the sets really do have a sense of wonder(did The Wizard of Oz influence it by any chance?). It felt like a nostalgic hearkening back to all the great TV network adaptations of the time(look to the Mary Martin version of Peter Pan for reference), and that was really nice. The music and songs right from the opening title sequence bring a great deal of charm to the adaptation and move the story forward, I Wasn't Meant to Be a Queen will bring great amusement- same with The Backwards Alphabet- though Some Summer Day, Alice is Coming to Tea and Keep on the Grass are very whimsical and the Jabberwock Song is creepy. The story does have an episodic nature like the book does and while not as wonderfully weird or humorous there is plenty of fun, charm and heart to be seen. Judi Rolin is a very enchanting Alice and more than holds her own against the all-star cast, her solo song is sublime and so are her vocals, her chemistry with the Lester of Roy Castle is very sweet. Agnes Moorhead is an imperious Red Queen- she sings Two Sides of Everything surprisingly well- and an unrecognisable Ricardo Montalban touches the heart as the White King, this version's most sympathetic character I feel. Nanette Fabray clearly is having the time of her life as the White Queen, Tom and Dickie Smothers are hilarious, the Humpty Dumpty of Jimmy Durante is over-the-top and egotistical as he should be and not but not least Jack Palance is a frightening and deliciously sneeringly over-the-top Jabberwocky(almost as scary as the Jabberwocky in the Natalie Gregory adaptation). In conclusion, if you want a faithful adaptation of Through the Looking Glass look elsewhere but if you want something with great production values, songs and performance this version should definitely fit the bill. 8/10 Bethany Cox
