ROALD DAHL's most treasured tale is coming to the land where sweet dreams come true- Broadway- in a delicious new musical! Willy Wonka, world famous inventor of the Everlasting Gobstopper, has just made an astonishing announcement. His marvelous- and mysterious- factory is opening its gates... to a lucky few. It's a world of pure imagination.
And who better to conjure up this confectionary wonder than three-time Tony Award-winning director JACK O'BRIEN, the Grammy and Tony-winning songwriters of Hairspray, MARC SHAIMAN and SCOTT WITTMAN, and internationally acclaimed playwright DAVID GRIEG. Audiences around the world have long adored the best-selling book and films, but none have experienced the magic of Wonka quite like this- until now.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY The New Musical: It must be believed to be seen.
What world are we in? Who is this show for? These strike me as the central problems with this adaptation and production. There are 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more' references intended presumably to keep adult theatergoers interested. For example, Veruca proclaims to Russian Dad at one point, 'Buy me North Korea!' But the tonal handling of the surreal so essential to Dahl is neither consistent nor secure. If Charlie is meant to be the incorruptible anchor of our journey, what do we make of this exchange? Wonka to Charlie, 'Do you like seeing children maimed?' To which Charlie responds, 'No, but - I love seeing how chocolate is made.' It seems even Charlie has his price.
In my nearly half century of Broadway theatergoing, I've never witnessed such a second-act reversal of fortune as what's going on now at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' opened Sunday. Only in retrospective can you see glimmers of hope in the musical's desultory first half. Just one song by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman hits the mark in this retelling of Roald Dahl's tale of four children who win golden tickets to Willy Wonka's long-shuttered chocolate factory.
2013 | West End |
West End Original Production West End |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2018 | US Tour |
First National Tour US Tour |
2021 | US Tour |
Non-Equity Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Puppet Design | Basil Twist |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Christian Borle |
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