Soon you will be able to grab a golden ticket for yourself, as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory The Musical is making its way to Broadway.
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The musical will release in the spring of 2017, but it has already enjoyed immense success in London. There it is helmed by Sam Mendes, but he is passing the torch for its American debut to the talented and three-time Tony Award winning director Jack O’Brien. O’Brien is known for his work on Hairspray and Henry IV, and is bringing multi-award winning musician Marc Shaiman with him. In addition to Shaiman, Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse (Smash) is handling the choreography.
The team certainly has immense credits, and while the play is based on Roald Dahl’s original novel, the American version will also draw inspiration from the 1971 film, including Gene Wilder’s much-loved take on Wonka. (via EW)
“Why does Wonka want to do this Golden Ticket contest and what compels him to want to give it all away? I started with the question why. This is the dramatic premise I hang the whole show on,” O’Brien said in a press release. “Sam and I have both spent our careers putting our personal spin on classics, be it by William Shakespeare or Roald Dahl. Since the first production was created for London, it’s only fair we do an American version, and in America, our connection is to the 1971 movie and the indelible impression of Gene Wilder as the slyly wicked Wonka. The score will pay homage to the beloved Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley songs that are integral to the American relationship to the story, combined with all new songs crafted by the American team that created one of Broadway’s most beloved scores, Hairspray.”
It would be interesting to get a little insight into the mind of Wonka. I never gave the “why” question much thought, but hopefully, the musical will shed some additional light on one of American film’s most intriguing characters.
