Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical)


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a stage musical based on the 1964 children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
The musical premiered in London's West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June 2013 and ran for 3 years and 7 months before closing on 7 January 2017. The show was reworked for a Broadway production opening in April 2017 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and ran almost nine months before closing in January 2018. A U.S. tour opened 21 September 2018 at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York and an Australian tour at Capitol Theatre on 11 January 2019. A second national tour launched on 1 January 2020 in Miami, Florida

Background

The musical is based on the 1964 children's novel by Roald Dahl. Producers held a first reading of the first act from the show in New York City in May 2010, with the intention of opening in London the following year.
Officially confirmed on 18 June 2012, producers announced that the show would play the London Palladium beginning in May 2013, with tickets going on sale in October 2012, before the venue was later changed to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The book was written by playwright David Greig with original score composed by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The production was directed by Sam Mendes, with choreography by Peter Darling, accompanied with the assistance of Brandon Duncan, set design by Mark Thompson and lighting design by Paul Pyant.
The show presents a more contemporary version of the original story. During previews, many changes were made, most significantly the addition of the Great Glass Elevator.

Production history

West End

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was scheduled to begin previews on 17 May 2013, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, before holding its official opening night on 25 June 2013. The show was originally scheduled to open at the London Palladium. Previews of the show were delayed by five days until 22 May, due to "unforeseen problems in the delivery of a piece of stage engineering by a contractor". Shortly after opening night the show's producers extended booking period through May 2014, with a further extension to November 2014, after ticket sales of approximately 300,000 through October 2013. In February 2015, the production booking further extended through 3 December 2016. The show currently holds the record for the highest weekly gross in the West End, with an income of £1,080,260 during the week commencing 30 December 2013. The first major cast change took place in May 2014, when Alex Jennings replaced Hodge as Wonka. In May 2015 a second cast change took place, with Jonathan Slinger as Wonka.
On 23 February 2016, producers once again extended booking through January 2017. The production closed on 7 January 2017.

Broadway

A reworked version of the show opened on Broadway in spring 2017 with changes including new direction by Jack O'Brien, choreography by Josh Bergasse and a new set design by original designer Mark Thompson. Due to other commitments, Mendes stayed as producer only, but did participate in the selection of O'Brien replacement as director. O'Brien stated the score would pay homage to the Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley songs written for the 1971 film and would also feature the songs written by Shaiman and Wittman. In August 2016, O'Brien confirmed that "The Candy Man" and "Pure Imagination" would be included in the musical.
On 9 May 2016, producers announced that the show would open at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre starring Christian Borle as Willy Wonka, Jake Ryan Flynn, Ryan Foust, and Ryan Sell as Charlie Bucket, John Rubinstein as Grandpa Joe, Emily Padgett as Mrs. Bucket, Jackie Hoffman as Mrs. Teavee, Kathy Fitzgerald as Mrs. Gloop, Alan H. Green as Mr. Beauregarde, Trista Dollison as Violet Beauregarde, Ben Crawford as Mr. Salt, Mike Wartella as Mike Teavee, Emma Pfaeffle as Veruca Salt, and F. Michael Haynie as Augustus Gloop. Previews began on 28 March 2017 with the opening night on 23 April 2017. Reviews of the production were mixed to negative, with some critics citing poor staging and restructuring of the story as primary issues.
For this production, the characters of Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt and Mike Teavee are played by adult actors, unlike the child actors in the London production, while the character of Charlie is still filled by a child actor.
On 15 November 2017, producers announced that production would close on 14 January 2018, after 27 previews and 305 performances.

US National Tours

The First US tour premiered on 21 September 2018 in Buffalo, New York at Shea's Performing Arts Center. It is a replica of the Broadway production, with an updated set using mainly LED projections around the stage. The show stars Noah Weisberg as Willy Wonka, James Young as Grandpa Joe and Amanda Rose as Mrs Bucket, with the role of Charlie being alternated between Henry Boshart, Collin Jeffery and Rueby Wood. The production closed on 13 October 2019 in Tampa, Florida. A Non-Equity U.S. tour started in Miami, Florida in January 2020. This tour took a pause in March 2020, due to COVID-19. The 2nd National tour is scheduled for autumn 2020.

Australian Tour

Previews of the Australian premiere of the musical was held at Sydney's Capitol Theatre on 5 January 2019 and opened on the 11th. The musical is a replica production of the US tour. On 13 October the primary cast was announced and includes U.S. actor Paul Slade Smith as Willy Wonka alongside Australian actors Tony Sheldon as Grandpa Joe and Lucy Maunder as Mrs Bucket. The role of Charlie is shared between Tommy Blair, Ryan Yates, Xion Jarvis and Oliver Alkhair. After ending its Sydney run on Sunday 28 July, the transferred to Melbourne in August 2019 at Her Majesty's Theatre, and was supposed to go to Brisbane in March 2020 at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC. However, this tour stopped due to 2020's COVID-19.

Other International Productions

The first non-English production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened on 8 November 2019 at La Fabbrica de Vapore in Milan, Italy. The production stars Christian Ginepro as Willy Wonka, with the role of Charlie shared between Gregorio Jeesee Cattaneo, Alessandro Notari, and Alberto Salve.
A Norwegian production of the show opened on 9 November 2019 at Det Norske Teatret. Fridtjof Stensæth Josefsen portrays Willy Wonka, while Ole Opsal Stavrum and Peter Andreas Hjellnes Moseng share the role of Charlie.
A Brazilian production was announced in November 2019, by the famous company Atelier de Cultura. The show is set to open in March 2020, in São Paulo. The five kids will be played by child actors, like the Original London Production.
In November 2019, Alexandre Piot announced that a French production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would open in Paris on 23 September 2020 at the Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell.

Synopsis

London

Act I

The musical opens with Charlie Bucket searching for valuables in a dump near his home. As he picks up candy wrappers, he speaks with a mysterious tramp, and heads home to his family. His home is a one-room shack under a railway arch. As he and his grandparents wait for their cabbage soup to boil, they tell Charlie about Willy Wonka. After Charlie's father returns home dispirited from lack of work, Charlie's mother tries to lift his spirits. The parents express their gratitude for Charlie and the things they do have. Later, Charlie pens a letter about what he'd invented for his family to Wonka, folds it into a paper airplane, and sends it flying out into the night.
The next morning, Mrs. Bucket returns home from her night job and explains to the family that Willy Wonka is holding a competition where five lucky contestants will find a Golden Ticket in their Wonka Bars, granting them a tour of his factory and the chance to win a lifetime's supply of candy. Charlie is desperate to win one, but he has no money. On their homemade TV, they hear of the first Golden Ticket winner, an obese Bavarian boy named Augustus Gloop.
They soon learn that another ticket has been found by a spoiled British girl named Veruca Salt. Mr. Salt, Veruca's father, recounts how he won the ticket for his daughter. Charlie's birthday arrives, and his grandparents give him a Wonka Bar, but are disappointed when there is no Golden Ticket. As he eats, they hear of the discovery of the third Golden Ticket in Hollywood by wannabe gum-chewing celebrity, Violet Beauregarde. She and her father brag about how they will now be even more famous because of the Golden Ticket and how Violet is going to be the "biggest" diva ever. Shortly after, the TV announces another Golden Ticket discovery, Mike Teavee and the Teavee family. Mike is a violent and obnoxious bully who is addicted to television and video games, and whose frantic mother spoils him rotten and explains his hazardous activities and how he used Wonka's password to get his Golden Ticket.
With all but one ticket gone and no money to buy a bar, Charlie is desolate. His parents sing about how they wish they could raise their son together and about how they hope for a better life. Winter comes, and one day Charlie finds some money dropped by a rich couple. Encouraged by the mysterious tramp, he buys a Wonka Bar, and finds a Golden Ticket inside that prompts Grandpa Joe to get out of bed and walk for the first time in forty years. On the day they are to enter the factory, Charlie and Grandpa Joe feel out of place amidst all the hoopla on the red carpet. Finally, the moment of truth arrives. With a choral fanfare, the factory door swings open and all eyes to turn to see the mysterious Willy Wonka, invites the Golden Ticket winners into his factory to see all the wonders.

Act II

Wonka gathers the ticket winners and explains the rules and regulations of the factory. With the contracts signed, Wonka then welcomes them into the Chocolate Room. As the children explore, the parents ask Wonka what its purpose is and Wonka bemusedly explains that is his artwork. Veruca breaks the reverie with a scream as Augustus is drinking from the Chocolate River when he falls into it and gets sucked up the chocolate extraction pipe. The families then look up to see dozens of tiny workers in red boiler suits called Oompa-Loompas, who make no effort to try and save Augustus.
With Augustus gone, Wonka is more concerned about the possible contamination of bones in his toffee. The party is shocked and mortified, but Wonka assures them that he'll be fine. The next room is the Inventing Room, where white-coated Oompa-Loompas mix and stir. Wonka gives each child an Everlasting Gobstopper, but Violet is unimpressed. Wonka shows her his latest creation, a three-course dinner in one stick of gum. When Violet sees the gum, she pops it into her mouth. Wonka warns her to stop chewing before dessert, but Violet ignores him and begins to turn purple and swell up into a giant blueberry.. Violet explodes in a shower of purple blueberry goo and glitter, but Wonka is unconcerned, sending Mr. Beauregarde to the Juicing Room, assuring that it can get her back to normal.
Wonka next leads the party on a high speed tour around the crazy corridors of his factory until, disoriented, they arrive at the Nut Room, where squirrels sort out nuts to see if they are good or bad. The good nuts are kept for them to eat while the bad nuts are thrown away down a rubbish chute. Veruca demands a squirrel. When Wonka refuses, she takes matters into her own hands, rushing to grab one for herself, instead she is judged a “bad nut”, and she and her father are sent down the rubbish chute. Again, Wonka assures the remaining visitors that Veruca and her father will be all right.
Wonka leads the group through dark cellars, where all his mistakes are kept, finally arriving at a room he calls, The Department of the Future. Wonka demonstrates Chocolate Television. Mike is intrigued and despite Wonka's protests, he puts himself before the cameras, presses the remote and disappears in a puff of smoke. Mike hops from screen to screen until they finally pull him out, leaving him at only 6-inches tall.. Mrs. Teevee is relieved as she won't have to worry about him causing big problems any more, and she places him in her purse and leaves the factory quite satisfied.
Charlie is the only child left. When Grandpa Joe asks about their lifetime supply of confectionery sweets, Mr. Wonka casually dismisses them saying that the Everlasting Gobstopper Charlie had got was the lifetime supply of candy. Grandpa Joe is angry, but Charlie defuses the situation saying that an Everlasting Gobstopper is still an amazing present. When he leaves with Grandpa Joe, Charlie opens a book which contains all of Wonka's ideas, adding a few of his own to the blank pages in the back. Wonka silently returns, and seeing Charlie's additions, he tells him he's won, inviting Charlie into his Great Glass Elevator so that he can show him his prize, the chocolate factory..
They return to Earth where Wonka announces he's leaving, and that Charlie is now in charge. He disappears, but as the Bucket family moves into the factory, Charlie sees the mysterious tramp outside the gates, who is revealed as Wonka. As the Oompa-Loompas and Charlie wave goodbye from the factory windows, Wonka vanishes, singing a reprise of "It Must Be Believed to Be Seen", leaving Charlie to ponder all of the adventures that are to come.

Broadway

Act I

The musical opens with Willy Wonka introducing himself, revealing that he's looking for an heir to run his legendary chocolate factory. Wonka disguises himself as the storeowner of a local candy shop, which quickly attracts the attention of the town's residents and candy- obsessed Charlie Bucket. Despite having no money to spend on sweets, Charlie frequents the shop regularly and befriends the owner, unaware that he is Willy Wonka. Charlie tells him about Wonka's career and remarks that he would do anything to see inside the factory, giving Wonka an idea. Charlie returns to the decrepit shack he lives in, which he shares with his mother and four bed-ridden grandparents: Grandpa George, Grandma Georgina, Grandma Josephine, and Grandpa Joe.
Charlie and Grandpa Joe play a pretend game recalling how the latter became Wonka's security guard before his mother comes home, giving Charlie an old notebook for homework. Charlie daydreams and scribbles a letter to Willy Wonka, suggesting new candies he should consider inventing, before folding it into a paper airplane and tossing it out the window into the night. The next day before he goes to school, he finds out that Wonka has hidden five Golden Tickets inside five Wonka Bars and that the people who find the tickets will win a tour of the factory and a lifetime supply of candy.
Unfortunately, Charlie's mother admits that money is tighter than usual and she cannot afford to buy him his annual birthday candy bar, leaving Charlie saddened at the fact that he has no chance of winning the contest. Grandpa Joe says he would gladly pay for one using his funeral savings, and Charlie's mood improves. As he passes by the candy store on his way home from school, he discovers the first ticket has been found by the "Bavarian Beefcake" Augustus Gloop, an obese boy obsessed with food.
Charlie is sad that a chance is gone, and his mood worsens when he is interrupted with news of the second Golden Ticket winner, a spoiled Russian girl named Veruca Salt. Charlie attempts to buy his usual secondhand vegetables from local beggar-woman Mrs. Green, but is dismayed to find she has taken to selling chocolate and he can no longer afford her prices. His dismay is magnified when the third ticket is found by gum-chewing, wannabe celebrity Violet Beauregarde and the fourth ticket is found by technology addict Mike Teavee, who admits he hacked into Wonka's computers and found the fourth ticket. With his hopes of winning dashed, Charlie heads back home.
Upon arriving home, Charlie is overjoyed to find that his family have pooled their money to buy his birthday chocolate, but is crushed once more when the candy yields no Golden Ticket. His mother and his other three grandparents remark that their lives would be better if Charlie's father were still alive. The next day, Charlie visits the candy store only to find that all the inventory has sold and that the owner is closing up shop. After he leaves, Charlie discovers a single dollar left behind under the cash register.
After attempting to return the dollar, Charlie runs into Mrs. Green once more and decides to buy a Wonka Bar instead of vegetables. As he opens the bar, he is elated to find the fifth Golden Ticket inside. He rushes home to share his good news with his family. Despite her happiness that Charlie has won, Mrs. Bucket is disappointed to learn that Charlie must be accompanied by an adult in order to go on the tour, as she is sure to lose her job if she asks for a day off of work.
Grandpa Joe, however, claims that Charlie's good fortune is his "Call to Arms," and he decides to get out of bed for the first time in years so he can take Charlie on the tour. After a few failed attempts to stand up, Grandpa Joe finally gets on his feet, and dances gleefully with Mrs. Bucket and Charlie. The big day arrives, and the five winners are greeted at the factory gates by paparazzi and "Chocolate TV" reporters Cherry Sundae and Jerry Jubilee, making Charlie and Grandpa Joe feel out of place. Willy Wonka appears at last, and ushers the group into his factory.

Act II

The five winners and their families check in with Wonka, where he explains the rules and regulations of his factory and has the parents sign a ridiculously long and complicated contract. Afterwards, the group enters the Chocolate Room, where everything is edible, and the children explore the candy-coated utopia. The adults however, are less impressed by the world of candy, as they see it as an impractical use of money and resources, much to Wonka's dismay. Despite Wonka's warnings, Augustus takes a drink from a molten chocolate lagoon and falls in. He then meets a terrible demise as he is sucked up a chocolate pipe leading to the Fudge Room. Wonka's pint-sized workers, the Oompa Loompas, arrive and make no effort to rescue Augustus. Wonka fails to console Augustus's distraught mother, as he is more concerned with having to pick bones out of his fudge. The group is stricken, but Wonka assures them Augustus will be fine and sends Mrs. Gloop with the Oompa Loompas to find her son.
They continue into the Mixing Room, where an enormous mixing cup mashes random ingredients together to make new flavors and inventions, from furry lollypops to a glowing orb made from bananas and uranium Charlie dubs "Liquid Sunshine." At Violet's request, he shows her a stick of gum, which contains a three-course meal. Violet and her father are overjoyed, as they believe the new product can catapult Violet into gum superstardom. Despite Wonka's warning that there is a problem with the dessert course and the gum is not yet safe to chew, Violet takes the gum and accidentally swallows it. The excess of juice in the gum causes her to swell up and turn into a human blueberry. Wonka sends Violet and her father to the Oompa Loompas for help, and is quickly distracted from the situation by Mrs. Teavee asking about the origin of the Oompa Loompas. Wonka and the Oompa Loompas recall the story of how they met, not paying attention to Violet's growing size. Violet then explodes in a shower of purple goo onto her father after an Oompa Loompa shoots a blowdart at her. Wonka is unconcerned and sends Mr. Beauregarde to the Juicing Room, assuring him and the group that she will be fine.
Wonka decides that they should visit the ingredient storage corridors, but first they must traverse an invisible maze of deadly traps. The others are skeptical that the maze really exists, but change their minds when Mike Teavee gets beaten up by the invisible traps. The whole group passes through except for Grandpa Joe, who cannot bend down far enough to fit through the door. Undeterred, Wonka suggests changing course to go and see the Nut Room instead. Outside they meet Jeremy, a worker squirrel who sorts the good nuts from the bad. Veruca is enamored by Jeremy, and demands that her father buy her a squirrel. When Wonka refuses to sell, Veruca throws a tantrum and runs into the Sorting Room to retrieve one herself, against Wonka's warnings that the squirrels are very dangerous. Inside, she chases and dances with the squirrels, but tries to run when they begin to get violent. She is seized by the squirrels and dubbed a "bad nut", and is promptly torn apart to the horror of her father and the rest of the group. Wonka assures them that the Oompa Loompas will be able to stick her back together, and Mr. Salt leaves to rescue his daughter. Mrs. Teavee reprimands Wonka for his belief that the Oompa Loompas can really save all the children from their certain demise, but he dismisses her and presses onward.
Wonka and the Teavees board the S.S. Wonka, a bathtub-shaped boat, and travel through an underground river deep below the factory. Charlie and Grandpa Joe, who were too slow to catch the boat, are forced to swim behind them wearing scuba helmets. Wonka leads them into the TV room, much to Mike's delight. Wonka demonstrates Chocolate Television, which uses a machine to send chocolate bars to TV screens. Mike's obsession with electronics overcomes him and, despite his mother and Wonka's protests, he uses the machine to teleport himself into a television set. However, they cannot locate him on the usual channel, so Wonka calls for the Oompa Loompas to bring more screens to try to find him faster. Mike jumps from screen to screen until his mother pulls him out, now as a doll-sized boy. Mrs. Teavee is relieved that her son won't be able to cause trouble anymore, and leaves the factory satisfied with her son in her purse.
Charlie is the only one left. Wonka leads him and Grandpa Joe to the Imagining room, where Wonka writes his ideas into a notebook. When Grandpa Joe asks about their lifetime supply of candy, Wonka replies by giving Charlie a gobstopper. Grandpa Joe is furious at Wonka giving his grandson a "measly Gobstopper," and the two quickly begin to fight. Charlie diffuses the situation, telling Grandpa Joe that the Gobstopper is a great present and that the trip to the factory was enough. Placated, Wonka ushers Grandpa Joe into his office to negotiate legal paperwork and warns Charlie not to touch anything. Charlie breaks the rules and opens the notebook, adding his own inventions to the blank pages in the back, only to be caught by Wonka. Although he seems angry at first, Wonka finds it incredible that Charlie is unable to stop inventing, even if it means breaking the rules. Wonka tells Charlie that he has won, and ushers him into his "Great Glass Elevator".
The two soar above town in the Great Glass Elevator, and Wonka tells Charlie that his grand prize is the chocolate factory. He reaches into his pocket and reveals that he received Charlie's letter after all, and wants to begin working on some of Charlie's inventions. As they land back outside the factory, Wonka is immediately ready to begin working but Charlie is concerned about what will happen to his family. Wonka explains that they have already been moved in to their own room in the factory, and invites Charlie in to begin their new life as candy-making partners.

Musical numbers

London

; Act I
; Act II
†Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Music by Anthony Newley for the 1971 film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
††Replaced, as of 2016, by "Queen of Pop".

Broadway

; Act I
; Act II
"What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" is replaced with "That Little Man of Mine" starting from the 1st National Tour and every production following that.

Cast albums

Original London cast recording

A London original cast album was released on 7 October 2013.

Original Broadway cast recording

A Broadway cast recording was released digitally on 2 June and in stores on 23 June on the Masterworks Broadway label.

Orchestrations

The West End production had a 16 piece orchestra + conductor, which was orchestrated by Doug Besterman. The Broadway production had a 17 piece orchestra + conductor, which was also orchestrated by Besterman and with additional orchestrations by Michael Starobin.
West EndBroadway
ConductorConductor
Rhythm Section
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Keyboard 3
Drums
Percussion
Bass
Guitars		Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Keyboard 3
Drums
Percussion
Bass
Guitars
ReedsReed 1: Flute/Piccolo/Alto Sax/Clarinet
Reed 2: Tenor Sax/Clarinet/Soprano Sax/Flute
Reed 3: Baritone Sax/Bassoon/Clarinet/Bass Clarinet		Reed 1: Flute/Piccolo/Alto Sax/Clarinet
Reed 2: Oboe/English Horn
Reed 3: Tenor Sax/Clarinet/Soprano Sax/Flute
Reed 4: Baritone Sax/Bassoon/Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
BrassTrumpet/Piccolo Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Trombone
French Horn		Trumpet/Piccolo Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Trombone
French Horn
StringsViolin 1/Concertmaster
Violin 2
Cello		Violin 1/Concertmaster
Violin 2
Cello

Principal roles and cast members

Notable West End replacements

West End

The West End production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory received mixed to positive reviews from critics. While the physical production and quality of the performances were generally praised, the score and storytelling received criticism.

Broadway

The Broadway production received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Despite the enormous overhaul to both the book and score from the London production, critics noted that the storytelling was still choppy and relied too heavily on humor. Criticism was also drawn to the decision to cast adults as the Golden Ticket winners instead of children, as well as the lackluster sets redesigned for Broadway. However, Christian Borle received widespread praise for his performance as Willy Wonka, even amongst negativity towards other aspects of the show.

Australia Tour

Like the Broadway production, the Australian tour received mixed to poor reviews, as critics compared it unfavorably with the recent musical production of another Roald Dahl children's story, Matilda. Critic Tim Byrne found the original music "bland and unremarkable" likewise the sets and costumes, but praised the performances of Paul Slade Smith and Tony Sheldon, and the "ingenious" pupetry of the Oompa Loompas. Critic Cameron Woodhead didn't mind the sets and costumes but said deep strucutral issues remained leaving "a show that's too focused on showing off to remember the importance of the simple things".

Awards and nominations

London production

Broadway production

West End