Vintage Theatre to Present ROALD DAHL'S WILLY WONKA This Fall in Aurora

Vintage Theatre presents "Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka" September 16 through October 30, at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and Monday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $17 to $31 and available online at www.vintagetheatre.org or by calling 303-856-7830. Group discounts for 6+ are available.

"Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka" follows enigmatic candy manufacturer, Willy Wonka, as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whoever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats: the fifth is a likeable young girl named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of her equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka's rules in the factory... or suffer the consequences.

The adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory features the enchanting songs from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder and new songs by Leslie Bricusse (Jekyll & Hyde, Doctor Dolittle) and Anthony Newley.

The cast includes Eddie Schumacher (Willy Wonka), Ashlynne Bogema (Charlie Bucket), Brian Walker Smith (Grandpa Joe), John White (Phineous Trout), Eli Testa (Augustus Gloop), Elin Martin (Veruca Salt), Serena Kopf (Violet Beauregard), Sean Whitson (Mike Teavee), Brian Rollins (Mr. Bucket), Holly Dalton (Mrs. Bucket), Brooke McNamara (Grandma Georgina), David Ballew (Grandpa George), Margaret Norwood (Mrs. Gloop), Bob Mitchell(Mr. Salt/Grandma Josephine), Angie Mitchell (Ms. Teavee) and Shahara Ray (Mrs. Beauregarde). Rounding out the cast are Oopma Loompa's David Ballew, Jordan Manchego, Mike Barlow and Brooke McNamara who are joined by ensemble members Seamus Rollins, Megan Whitson and Gracie Woo.

Roald Dahl first established himself as a children's writer in 1961, when he published the book James and the Giant Peach. The book met with wide critical and commercial acclaim. Three years later, Dahl published another big winner, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both books were eventually made into popular movies. A film adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 1971, and an originally titled remake of the film, starring Johnny Depp, was released in 2005. The movie version of James and the Giant Peach was released in 1996.Over his decades-long writing career, Dahl composed nine short story collections and 19 children's books including Fantastic Fox (1970), The Witches (1983) and Matilda (1988).

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