playbill vip

Writing a musical is hard. Writing a musical about an iconic literary masterpiece carries a lot of pressure. But writing THIS musical has been a dream come true. Lewis Carroll's 'Wonderland' is the perfect subject matter to encompass a heartfelt story, fantastical music, and a cast of talented a committed performers and crew. 
It has been my honour to have the opportunity to create the music and lyrics for this show, and direct these phenomenal performers, all while working alongside my breathtakingly talented librettist; my daughter, Piper J. Distel. It is my hope that you, our audience, gain as much joy from watching this show as we have had writing it. It is my hope as well that you heed the advice of our protagonist and 'never give up on your dreams,' if you don't, 'you never know what you will find..." 

- Lori Robinson Distel ~ Music, Lyrics/Director 


If you were to ask me two years ago if I'd ever write a full-scale musical about 'Alice in Wonderland' and the man who created it, I probably would have laughed. Would I dare tackle someone so beloved by so many people, all over the world? Of course not! That's absolutely terrifying. Besides, I didn't know much about Lewis Carroll, and the only 'Wonderland' I'd ever visited was the technicolor 1999 version that came in my box of Kellog's cornflakes. 
But, when the pandemic hit in March 2020, I found myself on a very enlightening albeit difficult journey of self-discovery. During this time, I recognized that I am neurodivergent, and I went on a quest to find like-minded individuals. That's when I stumbled upon Lewis Carroll, his life story, and thus, 'CURIOUSER' was born. 
My mother, Lori Robinson Distel, and I wanted to create the show that I wish I'd had when I was younger and struggling to understand why I felt different from my peers. We wanted to shine a light on this brilliant man who created a beautiful world in which people still yearn to visit today. We wanted to let all the different, strange, weird and downright curious people who step through the door know that, not only is being different wonderful, but it can also lead you to change the world, just as Charles Dodgson did on that 'golden afternoon' in July of 1862. 
Some of our story is true, some is pure imagination, but we do hope you enjoy our little musical as much as we enjoyed writing it. 

- Piper J. Distel ~ Book/Gertrude Thomson