“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” follows a world-famous chocolate maker who opens the doors of his magical factory to a lucky few children — introducing them to a world of pure imagination as he searches for his replacement.
The story is based on the 1964 children’s book of the same title, written by Roald Dahl. After two movie adaptations, playwright and author David Greig, composer Marc Shaiman, and lyricist Scott Wittman teamed up to bring the story to the stage. The musical was first performed in the West End Theatre in 2013 and ran for 3 years.
Directed by Utah State University professor, actor, and Cache Valley talent Vanessa Ballam, the play was as delicious as the chocolate it centers around.
Bright-eyed USU professor Stefan Espinosa took the stage as Willy Wonka, alongside USU students and younger actors that had no problem keeping up with these experienced performers.
That includes three freshmen USU musical theater students in large roles: Hansen Johns as Charlie Bucket, Greyson Jenkins as Grandpa Joe, and Lizzy Ricks as Violet Beauregard. Coming out of the first year of the program, these three are truly rising stars.
Stepping away from the show for nearly three months allowed the cast time to tighten transitions, strengthen choreography, and put on a quick-paced, highly synchronized performance, delivering lines that sound so natural you wonder if they were improvised.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the show, however, is the lighting and projections, designed and programmed by Bruce Duerden, Megan Campbell, and Samantha Clinger. Without such a mighty crew projecting swirls and stars throughout the theater and working various screens around the stage, the audience would have to use a lot more imagination.
As the main characters come from around the world, the play showcases a variety of accents. While individual dialect is wonderfully executed, the accents of the Bucket family and Wonka himself are inconsistent with one another, as several accents sound American while others are downright cockney, causing the audience to wonder where exactly the play takes place.
To get tickets to the show’s remaining five performances, visit usu.edu/lyricrep/.
