Over 125 Berkshire Students Take The Colonial Stage In WILLY WONKA KIDS

Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) will present Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS on October 26 at 11am and 2pm, and October 27 at 2pm at The Colonial Theatre. This production is directed by Travis Daly, with music direction by Erin M. White and choreography by Kathy Jo Grover. This new annual fall KIDS production will be the first time BTG will feature exclusively 2nd through 7th grade students on the Colonial stage, in a production geared specifically for this age group. This new fall addition has allowed BTG to expand its wide-reaching and extensive year-round education program, BTG PLAYS!, which serves 13,000 school children in over 26 schools across 15 towns.

Director Travis Daly says, "Introducing this new fall production has been particularly rewarding because it's specifically geared towards developing the talent and creativity of the 125 kids in the show."

Charlie Bucket experiences delicious adventures after winning a golden ticket to visit Willy Wonka's mysterious and fantastic chocolate factory. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone's sweet tooth.

The cast of Willy Wonka KIDS represent students from: Allendale Elementary School, BART Charter School, Becket Washington School, Berkshire Country Day School, Berlin Elementary School, Brayton Elementary School, Capeless Elementary School, Conte Community School, Craneville Elementary School, Crosby Elementary School, Egremont Elementary School, Emma L. Miller Elementary School, Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School, Herberg Middle School, Hoosac Valley Elementary School, Hoosac Valley Middle School, Lanesborough Elementary School, Lee Elementary School, Lenox Memorial Middle & High School, Montessori School of the Berkshires, Monument Valley Regional Middle School, Morningside Community School, Morris Elementary School, Muddy Brook Regional Elementary School, Nessacus Regional Middle School, Pine Cobble School, Reid Middle School, St. Stanislaus Kostka School, St. Agnes Academy, St. Mary's School, Stearns Elementary School, Undermountain Elementary and Williams Elementary School.

At the heart of BTG's Education and Outreach Program is a passionate commitment to bring live theatre and all its inherent excitement and creativity to children throughout the region. In addition to the new fall production, BTG added an annual spring Junior production in 2018 of Lion King JR., followed by Aladdin JR. in 2019, exclusively for elementary and middle school students in 3rd through 9th grade. Additional select performance opportunities for students of all ages include: an annual summer community theatre production, and an annual holiday production of A Christmas Carol, going on its 14th year. These shows bring together families across Berkshire County, as both parents and students work together to create the majority of costumes and props for these productions.