***** The Candy Man Can! That is a line from a marvelous song written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Briscue , and it is part of the musical now on stage at Marriott Theatre. This is a 75 minute version of the film geared for young audiences, and I must say, the packed house filled with children of all ages, loved what they saw. While they cannot do all the special effects that a film can do, the clever people at Marriott Theatre always find a way to create illusions that will keep the youngsters alert and watchful.For those who are unfamiliar with the story, Willy Wonka is a chocolatier, who has created some of the best candy ever. He wants to retire and find just the right person to carry on his traditions. He puts five golden tickets in his candy bars, and advises the world that the five golden ticket holders will get to go into the factory and have a grand tour, with one of them winning the grand prize, the actual factory. Willy Wonka ( played to perfection by George Keating) first meets Charlie Bucket ( an incredible performance by Kai Edgar) who is quite poor, living with his mother ( Megan Long, who also takes on the role of Cherry Sunday) and his four grandparents ( Elizabeth Telford, Veronica Garza, Darian Goulding and Rick Hall). In the film they all shared a big bed, but in this version, they are all in wheel chairs allowing the mobility needed and all four audience sides to have clear vision.
The other tickets winners are Violet ( an adorable portrayal by Avelyn Lena Choi), Mike Teavee ( deftly handled by Gordon Henry Heisler), Veruca Salt ( Elin Joy Seiler takes on the bratty character with great ease) and Augustus Gloop ( Elias Totleben nails it). Each of these youngsters pays no attention to Wonka’s rules and regulations , and so each of them has an incident ( I will say no more about this).
The parents of the children are played by Elizabeth Telford (Mrs. Gloop), Michael Earvin Martin ( Mr. Beauragarde, Violet’s dad), Darian Goulding as Mr. Salt ( Veruca’s dad) and Veronica Garza as Mrs. Teavee. By the way, Charlie’s grandfather , Grandpa Joe attends the tour with him and he is a terrific influence for what is right and what is perfect. Elizabeth Romero is the last of the cast members as Mrs. Green ( who sells Charlie the magic candy bar. All o fhte performers take on other roles and when the Oompas take to the stage, they are played by the cast other than Charlie, Grandpa Joe and of course, Willie Wonka.
This is a slick production that moves quickly and as always, when the curtain call is over, the cast members take too the stage for a Q & A with the cast. Fifteen minutes of fact finding and some great questions from the kids. Speaking of kids: Here is what Anna and Jack felt:
We had the absolute joy of seeing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Marriott Theatre, and it was truly a magical experience for our whole family. Anna (8), Jack (4), and I all enjoyed this play so much.
Anna and I came into the performance already loving the story. I remember reading the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a child and watching the movie countless times, so sharing this live production with her felt extra special.
The Marriott Theatre always does an incredible job, but this production felt especially immersive. When the children entered the Chocolate Factory, the lights transformed the entire space so that you felt it was an entirely different set. Jack was captivated by the glowing colors and especially loved the bubbles floating through the theater. It was magical.
Anna’s favorite character was Willy Wonka. She loved his humor and the way he guided the audience through the factory’s surprises. Jack was fully entertained by Veruca Salt, her dramatic flair was especially funny to him! Anna especially enjoyed the songs and the backstories of each child who received a golden ticket. The musical numbers were catchy, lively, and beautifully performed by everyone in the cast.
As for me, I truly couldn’t choose a favorite character because every performer excelled. I was especially impressed by the young actors portraying Charlie, Veruca, Augustus, Mike Teavee, and Violet. Their voices were powerful and their stage presence was remarkable. They were not only extremely talented, but carried the roles with confidence that I haven’t seen before in the young people’s theater.
It was such an impressive production that I genuinely feel this entire cast could be performing on Broadway. I’ll be telling all of my friends to see this show, whether or not they have children to see it with!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” will continue thru March 28th with performances as follows:
Wednesdays 10:00am (starting March 4th)Thursdays 10:00am
Fridays 10:00am
Saturdays 10:00am
Sundays 10:00am
Tuesday Mar 24:10:00am & 12:30pm
Show Type: Childrens
Box Office: 847-634-0200
Running Time: 1hr, 10mins
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Charlie and the Chocolate factory”
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