Cast Announced For WILLY'S CANDY SPECTACULAR: A MUSICAL PARODY At Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The cast has been confirmed for the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe Festival staged reading of Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody.

Leading the ensemble as the co-narrators are none other than the iconic stars of the original 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), who performs from August 9th to 18th, as well as Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), who will step in from August 19th to 26th. Joining them is Kirsty Paterson, the original Glasgow Chocolate Experience disaster cast member AKA Sad Oompa Loompa.

The cast also will include Shelly Regner (Pitch Perfect series), Eric Petersen (School of Rock The Musical, Shrek: The Musical), Nicole Greenwood (In Plain Sight), Wilkie Ferguson (Broadway’s Motown: The Musical), Cassandra Parker (Cabaret), Monica Evans (Singer/Songwriter), and Chris Villain (Freakshow).

There might even be a few UNKNOWN surprise guests in store. 

Performances run August 9th to 26th at the Edinburgh Pleasance King Dome at 3pm.  

Plus, the latest demo track, "LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS," has also been released. Penned by Emmy-nominee Riki Lindhome, this track features Willy holding a press conference the day after Willy’s Candy Spectacular is shut down, delivering a masterclass in the art of the non-apology apology! Watch the animated lyric video sung by Fletcher Sheridan below:

“If you announce it, they will come,“ muses producer Richard Kraft. “It was only in March that I came up with the notion for a stage musical. I had a press release before I had a show. Then a great team of top songwriters wrote our score of sixteen tunes. Next, the perfect director, Andy Fickman, signed on.   And now our dream cast has assembled to premiere this crazy idea at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest.  Even in my purest imagination, I couldn’t have seen this all coming together so beautifully and so fast.  It is simply scrumdiddlyumptious.”

Director Andy Fickman adds, “I feel like Willy Wonka himself standing at the gates to the factory with this remarkable cast all arriving with their Golden Tickets ready to perform. Working with this glorious cast in this dreamy musical is already a joy, but to add the original Veruca Salt and Mike Teevee to the mix—my head is having an explosion of sweet treats! 

Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody features the songwriting genius of Riki Lindhome, Daniel Mertzlufft, Doug Rockwell & Tova Litvin, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, Megan Cavallari, Kate Miccuci, Jennifer Lucy Cook & Richard Kraft! For more information on Willy's Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody, visit willyscandyspectacular.com