Authenticity, career, and virtual panto Alice in Winterland: A Q&A with Kimberly-Ann Truong

🔊 Play

Pantos are to Christmas as stuffing is to turkey. You can’t imagine one without the other. In Toronto, this association is rooted in the longstanding tradition of holiday pantos presented with fun and finesse by Ross Petty Productions. So it’s great news that on December 18 and 19, families have a new seasonal and safe opportunity to boo, cheer and guffaw to topical jibes, irreverent humour and flat-out silliness in the new virtual, choose-your-own-adventure panto Alice in Winterland, produced in partnership with Crow’s Theatre. 

In the production, Kimberly-Ann Truong makes her panto debut as Allie. Since graduating from Sheridan College’s Music Theatre Performance program, she has worked steadily, performing in classic musicals such as West Side Story, A Little Night Music, A Chorus Line and The Rocky Horror Show at the Stratford Festival. She also made her Broadway debut in the 2017 Tony-Award nominated revival of Miss Saigon. And small screen lovers will recognize her from the popular CBC comedy Kim’s Convenience, and can see her in Take Note (NBC) and the upcoming comedy Run the Burbs (CBC).

 Alice in Winterland is an unabashedly modern – and timely – reimagining. Indeed, Alice’s quest to return home from a fantastical netherworld feels like just the story to re-tell for those longing to escape these pandemic times. In this version written by Matt Murray and directed by Mike Fly and Tracey Flye, Allie is the proprietor of Allie’s Shroom Room, an artisanal mushroom shop on the other side of the rabbit hole in Wonderland. On the day of her store opening, the evil ice witch Frostina (Sara-Jeanne Hosie) and her long-suffering architect Algor (Eddie Glen) show up to ruin everything. Frostina declares herself the villain of Wonderland and sets a plan in motion to turn Wonderland into a sub-zero wasteland, to be known as Winterland. 

If that’s not enough and you’re curiouser and curiouser, Plumbum (Dan Chameroy), who had just dropped into the shop for some shrooms on her way to her timeshare vacation at Wonderland castle, joins Allie and the viewers at home to attempt to stop Frostina and save Wonderland. Will they end up on the Field of Flying Elephants or in the Mellow Marsh? Will they find the elusive ChesPfizer Cat (Thom Alison) or stop for a TikTok dance party with the Mad Hatter? They – and you – can decide in this choose-your-own-adventure panto, all while cheering on Allie and booing Frostina! 

Truong delights in the freshness of the story and her feisty Alice, who is the hero of her own story. And Truong loves that the role provided an opportunity to represent her Vietnamese culture and be a role model for young audiences. Ahead of the panto’s short run, she discusses the appeal of performing in it, her upcoming television roles, and the educational thrill of performing her first role on Broadway.

SM: To start with the most obvious question, can you tell us about this panto adaptation of Alice In Wonderland? It seems different and contemporary, but just as topsy-turvy as the original! Its description as an “interactive one-of-a-kind theatrical experience” is especially intriguing. What can audiences expect to experience?

K-A.T.: This year’s Panto is fresh and completely unique. For the first time, it will be a virtual experience where the audience can participate by choosing their own adventure. There are different paths and kooky characters along the way, and the kids will get the options to decide where Alice and her lovely sidekick goes. It will almost feel like they’re in control, like a video game. Super cool!

SM: This production marks your panto debut. What drew you to it? And how will it leverage your considerable skills?

K-A.T.: I was drawn to the Panto this year because I really wanted kids to have someone really relatable to go on this experience with. It’s important for me to represent and be as real and authentic as I can through my work. My goal is to normalize myself for everyone out there, especially young aspiring artists who maybe haven’t seen someone like them on the big screen or stage. 

I’m not your typical Alice. The Alice you’ll get to hangout with is bold, fierce, funny and earnest. She wears her heart on her sleeve and has already learned so much from her past experiences. Since this virtual world is a whole different platform, I felt eager to be the face and show the world what a multi-dimensional heroine looks like. It is 2021 after all.

SM: You are part of a very talented cast.  What would you like us to know about the castmates that are bringing this production to life with you? 

K-A.T.: I love my cast. All the characters in the show have their own unique, exciting story and are played by actors I adore and admire. Many I’ve worked with many times before so it was very special to come together again and navigate this virtual world together.

SM: What’s ahead for you in the new year? What can audiences look forward to seeing you in?

K-A.T.: I am so excited for what’s to come in the new year. I have been very busy with many projects including two brand new tv series. Look out for me in “Run The Burbs” coming January 2022 on CBC, and “Take Note” on NBC. I am also very excited to be the voice in a couple of new animated series, also coming in the new year.

SM: It’s well known that you’ve already made your Broadway debut in the globally popular Miss Saigon. What was that like for you? Does any experience or learning especially stand out to you?

K-A.T.: Being on Broadway was a year I will never forget. I love New York and I consider the friendships / connections I made during my time there some of the most incredible and transformative of my life so far. The energy of performing on Broadway was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I was especially lucky to be surrounded with a large, loving and welcoming Asian artist community. I felt at home, and I had an absolute blast. I am very aware that I lived a lot of people’s dreams, including my own. Most importantly, I learned a lot about who I am and the mark I want to make in this industry as a leading lady.

SM: The final word is yours. What would you like to add?

K-A.T.: The world is changing, and we have to change with it. I think we are collectively going through some growing pains, which to me, is a great thing. Playing Alice really resonated with me and what I’ve gone through the past 2 years. I think a lot of us were forced to sit with ourselves and rediscover, possibly discover for the first time, accept and develop who we are. I think that recognizing and appreciating our past is an important step towards thriving in our present. Audiences will join Alice on this very journey as she doesn’t run from her past so that she can be the best she can be. An accomplice, but also the hero of her own story.

Fast Five

1. If you could give your younger self some advice, what would you say?

I’d say “Queen, stay true to you because you are one of a kind. Ignore the noise and just enjoy every single moment.” 

2. What song or music got you through the pandemic?

My R&B playlists and of course, all the pop bangers. 

3. What’s something you can’t live without?

My family… and chocolate… okay, and pizza.

4. What’s a pleasant surprise you’ve had recently?

I got to reunite with a lot of my dear friends after almost 2 years apart. The most pleasant surprise party.

5. Tell us something about you that might surprise us.

I am a huge action movie fan. I have dreamed of being an action movie star since I was a little girl. This could have to do with the fact that I’m the youngest of four kids, and the only sister to three 3rd degree black belts. I cherish all of the action movie nights I had with my family.

Reserve tickets to see Alice in Winterland here.

© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2021