BWW Reviews: WILLY WONKA Is a Golden Ticket for York Little Theatre

Had you asked this author who should play Willy Wonka in Central Pennsylvania, she might have dithered a bit before saying that she wasn't sure of the perfect actor to play the world's greatest chocolatier (sorry, Milton J. Hershey). But once she heard that Christopher Quigley was tapped to play Wonka in York, she was certain there couldn't be better casting. As it turns out, that's absolutely true.

WILLY WONKA: THE MUSICAL, with music and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater - yes, the Leslie Bricusse adaptation - is on stage at York Little Theatre, and it's full of carbohydrate-laden sugary goodness. (The piping in of chocolate scent that makes the house smell like a drive through Hershey used to smell is an evil but admirable trick - it's a good thing there's real chocolate being sold out at the concession stand.) Directed by Rene Staub, it's a colorful extravaganza of the things that really matter in life - good behavior, good chocolate, and Oompa Loompas.

But the center of it all is the relationship between Wonka, the man who wants to give up his candy empire to retire in peace, and Charlie Bucket, the most honest child to find a golden ticket to Wonka's chocolate heaven. Quigley is a nearly perfect Wonka, a mixture of recognizable Gene Wilder looks and action with recognizable age - if anything was wrong with Wilder's Wonka, it was that he was overly young and overly frenetic for his age. Quigley lets the audience feel that the greatest chocolatier ever is slowing down and wants a rest - if only he can find a worthy successor. Jacob Schmitt's Charlie Bucket is on the money, and Bob Haag's Grandpa Joe , the former Wonka employee, is a perfect match for his grandson who's never really been allowed to be a child. In today's economy, the position of Charlie's family isn't entirely inaccessible to even the most people's comprehension. If anything, it feels like merely colorful exaggeration now, and not an impossibility.

Also fine are television anchor Phineous Trout (ably played by Jay Aburn), Hannah Langmead as the appalling Veruca Salt, and the crowd of Oompa Loompas, who are the workhorses not only of Wonka's candy factory but of the show itself. Tom O'Shea, better-known as the leader of the York County Bar Association's Barstools, is Veruca Salt's father, a man who lives for his checkbook and always keeps it on him in case Veruca needs to buy happiness.

All in all, this is one of the best-cast shows of the current YLT season, as well as having some of the best known and best-loved music. There's little that can be added to that summary, other than that it's worth the trip for adults as well as for children - there's room for everyone to find something to love in this spectacular.

Kudos to the costume team for a job well done, and to set design. This is a thoughtfully done production of a classic children's show that adults can and do love as well as children do. Look for old favorite songs like "The Candyman" and "Pure Imagination" as well as the Oompa Loompas' mysterious chants. Golden tickets in chocolate bars at each show are also worth looking for.

At York Little Theatre through the 24th. Visit www.ylt.org for tickets and for more information.

Photo courtesy of YLT.

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