There are a few things I remember from my childhood. My favorite toy: pogs. My favorite TV show: Rugrats. And my favorite book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. So when I found out SRJC’s Theater Department was putting on a stage adaptation, I was excited but nervous. I hoped the producers of the show would stay true to the book, the original movie starring Gene Wilder and the 2004 play adaptation, and try to stay clear of the 2005 remake with Johnny Depp. I was more than delighted at the final result; the play was the most fun I have ever had at the theater.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is the 12th play directed by SRJC theater veteran, Laura Downing-Lee. The play took more than three months to put together with approximately 86 cast and crew members, including costume and set helpers, board operators, mic technicians, a flight crew, make-up crew and a seven-person band. Willy Wonka is one of the more challenging plays to put on in SRJC’s history.
The key in a good play is casting, and no one was better cast than Zane Walters as Willy Wonka. The character is so unique. He has to be playful but a genius; he has to be someone approachable, yet a tiny bit of a creep. Walters nailed it, his facial expressions, his excitement and his ability to create the world everyone else lives in cannot be matched. I have never seen a more promising career waiting to happen. Downing-Lee states her interpretation of the casting and portrayal of Willy Wonka was based on the book and not the movies.
Michael Lumb can sing, and as raised-poor-but-still-has-a-positive-smile-on-his-face Charlie, Lumb plays the innocent-faced boy well. Instantly, Lumb makes your heart cry out for Charlie. When the Candyman asks Charlie if he wanted anything and Charlie makes up an excuse for why he does not purchase any candy. I wanted to jump on stage and give him a dollar. In other words, he was believable.
The great casting does not stop at Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket. Every character was played well, but Augustus Gloop, played by Braedyn Youngberg, caught my eye the moment he opened his mouth. Every detail, every word from the book describing how awful this fat boy lived Youngberg played out perfectly. Youngberg revived the humor the character was deprived of in the second movie remake. In the first scene where Augustus Gloop is introduced he belts out “I EAT MORE,” summing up his entire character into one sentence.
The play is a huge production, from costumes to sets to direction. The show was incredible because no matter how tedious and close to impossible to put on, Downing-Lee kept the scenes to the book and first movie. How could they make the famous glass elevator scene possible? They made it happen by using a video screen and amazing sound effects.
The costumes are well done. My favorite was the Oompa Loompa’s bright green, glittery coat with a big W on the side. Costume designer Marianne Scozzari really understood the concept behind each character. Scozzari with Costume Shop Supervisor Julia Kwitchoff put in countless hours of design and constructing costumes for the 31-member cast.
I laughed every time an Oompa Loompa came onto the stage, the actors gliding on their knees with Oompa Loompa legs glued on. I do not think anyone in the theater didn’t giggle at every “Oompa-Loompa-doompa-de-do.”
Did I mention they gave out candy during the performance? Powell’s Sweet Shoppe donated the candy and is offering a 10 percent discount to customers who bring in their Willy Wonka program.
I cannot say enough good things about this production. It brought a flood of memories back and I found myself singing along to the classic songs brought to life in the first movie, “The Candyman” and “Pure Imagination,” to name a couple. The cast took me on the tour with them through Willy Wonka’s factory, something I have dreamt about from age 3. Well done, theater department, well done.
