Tableau Productions Takes Hollywood Down the Rabbit Hole
- By: Ani Gutierrez | Photos By: Zak Agha
Tableau Productions’ newest cabaret, ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’, challenges you to experience Wonderland from a “rather curious” point of view.
It starts with a bookcase. Not a metaphor, an actual bookcase, discreetly tucked into a hallway inside the Hollywood Roosevelt. Someone slides it open, and just like that, you’re not in Los Angeles anymore. You’re somewhere darker, dreamier, and what appears to be a wonderland of its own: The Cinegrill Theater. You’ve fallen down the rabbit hole, literally, and stepped into the seductive and immersive new experience from Tableau Productions known as Down the Rabbit Hole.
Down the Rabbit Hole is the latest vision from director Tracy Phillips, the creative force behind Tableau Productions, a production company that turns iconic LA spaces into portals of provocative performance. The shows? Risqué, yet utterly entertaining.
Set to run every other Saturday night from Sep 13 to Nov 22, performers gave a handful of LA a special premier of the show on Sep 6. It’s not just another cabaret, it’s a seductive spin on Alice in Wonderland where a curious Alice, played by former DanceSport champion Natalya Z, gets more than she bargains for when chasing a dream in the City of Angels, or as this story refers to it, “Wonderland.”
Before the premier even started, the room was buzzing. Servers floated through the crowd with themed cocktails and appetizers that felt like they were ripped from the Mad Hatter’s kitchen. Bites like “White Rabbit” carrot tartare tartlets, “Caterpillar Smoke” deviled eggs, tempura mushrooms nicknamed “Toadstools,” and tiny tea sandwiches were all served with a wink. Tea and wine also made its way around the room, along with cocktails that quite literally read “Drink Me,” which I gladly did.
Then the lights dimmed, and the real trip began.
From the moment the Cheshire Cat slinked onto the stage, the audience fell into a trance. Played by the electric Sharon Ferguson, Cheshire Cat’s sultry narration guides the entire experience. Her commentary is mischievous, offering Alice sly observations about fame, identity, and what it really means to “make it” in the wonderland that is Hollywood.
What follows feels like a blur of riveting dance moves, avant-garde fashion, and catchy tunes all wrapped up in one immersive experience.
All of Wonderland’s characters drift in and out of scenes with mesmerizing movements: Iyana Monet as the Queen of Hearts, Mia Seleno as the Mad Hatter, Kyra Cole as the White Rabbit, Liv Mai as the Blue Caterpillar, and Christian Deshautelle as the Dormouse.
The choreography swirls around the audience, as the performers weave in-and-out of the crowd. At one point, I found myself pulled onto stage by Alice herself for a trippy flower dance scene set to disco, with rainbow lights flashing all around. It felt like a fever dream, yet was fully unforgettable and probably the most fun I had the whole night.
The thing about Down the Rabbit Hole is you’re not just watching it, you’re experiencing it. It’s sexy, strange, and somewhat philosophical. Beneath the glitter bustiers and kicklines of it all, there’s also something deeper. This is a show that hints at the reality of chasing dreams in a city built on illusion, but in the most entertaining way possible.
“I don’t think intimate theatre like this compares to any other night out in LA,” Ferguson told LOOP post-performance, beaming ear-to-ear as if she was still channeling her inner Cheshire Cat. “This show has a little bit of everything. It’s not just hot. It’s curious, fashionable, quirky, and a little avant-garde. I just love Tracy Phillips’ work, and I’m so honored she asked me to be part of this.”
There’s a reason they call it a rabbit hole, you never really know where you’ll end up. One minute you’re sipping a “Drink Me” potion, the next you’re on stage dancing in a field of psychedelic flowers wondering how you got there, but that seems to be the magic of Tableau’s Wonderland.
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