The Joffrey Ballet is known for its full-scale productions, which are cinematic in their staging. Atonement combined film noir with period piece drama. Studies in Blue was filled with dreamy subconscious imagery. Now, they have taken it up a bounding leap with the American premiere of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, with music by Joby Talbot. The artistry of the dancers and Talbot's evocative score are dazzling. It was as if the musical notes were dancing as well.

The story of Alice and her trip through an alternative reality has been a favorite of children and adults for over 100 years. It is the quintessential Victorian novel for children, inspired by the imagination of Lewis Carroll, who was also a photographer. The stagecraft and projections resemble the original engraved illustrations by John Tenniel. The production takes the viewer inside the novel in a way that television or film cannot. Illusions and magical creatures can be created with special effects produced in a studio and laboratory. Doing the same effects live and on stage with dancers and music is pretty much genius.

The Lyric Opera House is the home for Joffrey performances, and there could not be a more perfect venue. The use of projections and lighting adds to the hallucinatory vibe of the show. When Alice follows instructions and drinks the potion, she grows tall, and the room becomes a claustrophobic trap. A checkered room appears on a wall of question marks, and Alice is a 3D figure in the room.

Gayeon Jung played Alice on June 12, and she was beautifully childlike, emerging as a precocious teen. José Pablo Castro Cuevas played the gardener Jack and the Knave of Hearts in Alice's alternative universe. Jung and Cuevas had delightful chemistry and delivered great acting performances as their characters. Anais Bueno played Mother and the fearsome Queen of Hearts. When Bueno is rolled out as the Queen, it's a hallucinogenic experience. The giant skirt contraption is an intense shade of red, and the guards wear shiny red a.rmor that fits like rubber suits. Bueno is a fun villainess with perfect expressions and upper body movement. I think that the skirt got bigger, but I also wonder if I had been drawn into the universe through the rabbit hole.

The Joffrey dancers are as versatile as they are talented. Jonathan Dole plays the Magician in Alice's family garden, and then the tap-dancing Mad Hatter. Dole is quite a good hoofer. The tap dancing is part visual, but also percussive, complementing Talbot's fantastic score. Paolo Randon plays the Rajah and the hookah-puffing caterpillar. Randon seemed to be made of jelly, lifting and curving back down to the floor. Zachary Manske plays Lewis Carroll and the White Rabbit. I confess that the character scared me as a kid and gives me the willies as an adult. Manske is great in both roles, and having read about Carroll's inspiration from Alice Liddell, the character was more of a guide than one of the hormone-addled bunnies in Night of the Lepus (1972). (Note: Different performers play these roles at different performances. Here's info about casting.)

The costumes, as well as the scenery for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, are by Bob Crowley, who has designed for award-winning productions on stage and screen. Crowley is a veteran of the National Theatre of Great Britain. One of the best combinations of design and dance is the playing cards. The choreography features steps that make the card suits a fun surprise. I could hear gasps of delight in the audience, and I confess, I was wide-eyed and mouth agape for the entire show. Thank goodness I wore a mask.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has at least two interpretations for me. I read it as a child, marveling at the anthropomorphic characters and knowing I would not drink or eat something because it had instructions to do so. The alternative was revealed through a second reading later in my next decade. It was the '70s, and literature of all types influenced music and the youth culture. Jefferson Airplane sang about the mischievous "White Rabbit," and Aldous Huxley's adventures with mescaline led to The Doors of Perception, and the rock group. Wheeldon's choreography can take you on a childlike adventure or remind you of shag rugs, love beads, and black light posters. You can choose between Wonderland and Haight-Ashbury, or, in my case, a bit of both.

Maestro Scott Speck and the Lyric Opera Orchestra are spectacular. Talbot's score is an aural kaleidoscope with bells, quirky rhythms, and entrancing melodies. The score is as much a character as those in the book. It was the perfect accompaniment. I can imagine the notes dancing merrily on the staff in the score sheets. There are also numbers, clefs, notes, and letters in the excellent projection design by Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an excellent production for all ages. It is family-friendly with a sly intellectual bent. It was a sold-out house when I went, so try to get a jump on those tickets. It is the perfect finale for Season 69 of the Joffrey Ballet. Time flies by so quickly with this performance, and it is even more amazing to see the ensemble's endurance.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland runs through June 22 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Upper Wacker Drive . The performance runs 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermissions. For more information, please visit www.joffrey.org.

For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.

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