What happens when characters from beloved classic stories meet? Bestselling author Andy Weir and illustrator Sarah Andersen decided to find out when they wrote the new graphic novel Cheshire Crossing. In it, Dorothy Gale, Alice Liddell, and Wendy Darling meet at a boarding school where they can control their powers. It’s only a matter of time, though, before they travel back to Oz, Wonderland, and Neverland, discover new evils, and learn to work together to defeat them.
Adapting this graphic novel into an audiobook creates a whole new experience of the story. It leaps off the page; it’s full of music, sound effects, and has a full cast of narrators bringing all the character to life. Cheshire Crossing is a must-listen.
Now, let’s meet the cast:
Meet Pete Bradbury:
I particularly loved the way this piece wove together the disparate strands of these three cherished classic works. Andy Weir has a wonderfully dry wit and such a sly, subversive sense of humor. It was a hoot to read and an even bigger thrill to lay down these tracks. As the father of two teenage girls, I can’t wait to show them the finished product. Such a pleasure working with you and Scott.
Meet Rebecca Soler:
I play Miss Poole, the Mary Poppins‒esque nanny, along with the Queen of Hearts and a few other fun characters. Any time I get to channel my beloved Julie Andrews is a fun day. (Yes, she is my Julie Andrews.) And getting to be in the booth with up to seven other actors at a time playing iconic characters from literature like Captain Hook, the Wicked Witch of the West, Alice, Wendy, and Dorothy was a complete blast. We were cracking each other up. Honestly the energy in the room from everyone playing and having fun is addictive. Such a killer ensemble cast and a delicious adventure story. A must listen!
Meet Brittany Pressley:
Recording this was sooooo fun! I was totally having a blast. So awesome to get to play with other actors. The sparring scene with Captain Hook was my fav. I actually got a little light-headed from giving it my all. (That’s a good thing!)
Meet Sophie Amoss:
It was amazing to combine my experience with audiobooks (which traditionally is one in which you record solo) and that of my theater training (that of the ensemble). To look across the microphone and bounce off your fellow actors was so much fun. Neil Hellegers as the Cheshire Cat and Peter Coleman as big and tiny Peter Pan had me in stitches. And it was great fun to play Cockney spirits alongside Sean Patrick Hopkins.
Meet Kristen DiMercurio:
I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun working on an audiobook! The cast was hilarious, the energy was high, and I could listen to Lisa Flanagan do that Wicked Witch of the West laugh a hundred more times and never get bored. I think listeners will be able to hear just how much fun we’re having as a cast.
Meet Lisa Flanagan:
I love playing witches, and the Wicked Witch of the West is the greatest witch of all. My Halloween performance as the grand dame in high school had the fifth and sixth graders terrified of me for weeks. I love how Andy Weir expanded upon her story. The Wicked Witch of the West and Captain Hook? Total power couple.
Meet James Monroe Iglehart:
I must say I had a blast recording this fantastic story. This was my first audiobook experience, and the cast was so welcoming and fun to work with. I got the privilege to play the role of Captain Hook and others in this awesome story. Nick Martorelli, our producer, made me feel so at home to be myself but also just go nuts and be as silly as I wanted. A lot of my scenes were with Lisa Flanagan, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, and she was the best. We had a ball. I learned so much from the cast around me, and I can’t wait to be able to perform on one of these again!
Meet Neil Hellegers:
Well first, there’s that feeling when you realize that in a room full of Alice, Wendy, Dorothy, Peter Pan, and so forth, you’re playing the one guy who’s actually a real historical figure, and is the father of nuclear physics to boot. But then you find archival recordings of Lord Rutherford and hear his delightful blend of New Zealand and British RP [Received Pronunciation] accents, and all is well. Plus you get to be Smee and the Cheshire Cat, so it’s all good. And then you get to play in a studio full of literally fantastically amazing talent…and it’s all great!
Meet Sean Patrick Hopkins:
Recording Cheshire Crossing was beyond exciting because we so rarely get to share the booth with our talented peers in this business. One of my favorite moments was hearing Lisa’s Wicked Witch cackle live in the booth as I got to skulk around as Nikko the Monkey King. I loved The Wizard of Oz growing up, so her laugh took me right into that world.
Meet Peter Coleman:
My time on Cheshire Crossing was brief but so much fun. Such a great cast to work off of, some faces familiar to me, some friendly new ones. As someone who’s gone his whole life having people call me “Peetaaah,” it was very rewarding to finally have it done professionally, and to have it shouted by such a talented actor as James was the cherry on the sundae.
GO BEHIND THE SCENES IN THIS MAKING-OF VIDEO!
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHESHIRE CROSSING AND LISTEN TO A CLIP:
“The story is a delightful, chaotic romp.”—Seattle Book Review
“Each heroine emerges as a fully three-dimensional protagonist with a distinctive personality that enables her to feel both timeless and timely.”—Kirkus Reviews