By Steve Hubrecht
‘Alice in Wonderland’ is a classic book, and the movies are loved by children and adults too. How could they not be, with a boisterous cast of characters including the nutty, tea party-hosting Mad Hatter, the fearsome Queen of Hearts, the kooky March Hare, the mysterious and always grinning Cheshire Cat, and of course dear Alice herself?
These colourful characters will come to life on ice in Invermere soon during the Columbia Valley Skating Club’s annual ice show. This year the show is called ‘Wonderland’ and the theme is Alice’s mad cap exploits from the famous story.
“We wanted to go with a proper story that has a plot line this year as opposed to something more thematic, such as ‘rock and roll’ or ‘seasons’,” club coach Hailey Beddie told the Pioneer. “Our kids are really excited to perform in front of family and friends in costumes.”
Those costumes are coming along well, with parents chipping in to help make them, explained Beddie.
The show will involve 87 skaters from age 2 to 18 from the club’s competitive figure skating programs as well as its CanSkate and pre-CanSkate programs.
A trio of graduating club skaters will star as the three leading characters — Ocea Dubray as Alice, Courteny Krebs as the Mad Hatter, and Rebecca Van Urk as the Queen of Hearts.
The club recently performed a version of the ‘Wonderland’ show in Creston during the Kootenay Region Championships over the B.C. Family Day long weekend.
“It went very well,” said Beddie.
The club’s annual ice show is its biggest fundraiser of the year, typically bringing in $1,000. The club uses the money to offset costs and make its skating programs more affordable for local families and children.
“Our club has been slowly growing over the years. It’s amazing to have so many kids now,” said Beddie.
‘Wonderland’ unfolds on Saturday, March 15 at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena from 2 to 4 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults and teens, or $5 for those age 12 and under. They are available at the door, or in advance by purchasing in person from families involved in the skate programs or by emailing [email protected]. The club is also running an online 50/50 draw, and the winner will be announced at the show.
The club will have a spring CanSkate program in April for kids who missed programs earlier in the year.
