The unauthorized Willy Wonka Experience that went viral for its disastrous pop-up in Glasgow, Scotland, has become the source material for all kinds of adaptations – including the stage musical. Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody (formerly titled Willy Fest: A Musical Parody) is the play that was first announced back in March, with Full House star John Stamos attached as a headliner. Now the official premiere date and show details have been revealed, and you can read them below.
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When Does The Willy Wonka Musical Parody Premiere?
Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody will “debut at the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Fest at the Pleasance King Dome from August 9th to the 26th.”
The creative team for Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody includes Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel and Oates, Another Period), Tova Litvin & Doug Rockwell (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Julie & The Phantoms), Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner (First Date, Once Upon a Time) and Daniel Mertzlufft (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, Grumpy Monkey: The Musical).
Track List for Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody
- “Willy’s Candy Spectacular” – Actor John Stamos performs “a post-apocalyptic opening number that traces the downfall of civilization back to the disastrous event in Glasgow. This track is the brainchildof Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, known for their work on Broadway’s “First Date” and ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.”
Songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner explain, “We love musicals with epic opening numbers. And we thought — what could be more epic than John Stamos singing about the end of humanity and linking our species’ demise to an underwhelming immersive experience in Scotland?”
- “Where Dreams Go To Fly” is an uplifting number written by Emmy-award winners Doug Rockwell and Tova Litvin, capturing the unbridled optimism of the impresario behind Willy’s Candy Spectacular. Their previous works include songs for “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and “Julie & The Phantoms.”
“There’s such a fine line between soaring optimism and crushing defeat. In our song, we’ve tried to capture the range of emotions one goes through when creating art, even when that art is mind-numbingly awful,” said Doug Rockwell and Tova Litvin.
● “Dreamed to Dare” is penned by Daniel Mertzlufft – who launched the viral TikTok musical “Ratatouille the Musical” – and features TikTok singing sensations The Sharpe Family and the actual sad Oompa Loompa actress Kirsty Paterson from the viral Wonka Experience in Glasgow (playing a character inspired on her own experiences) as the attendees prepare to enter the world of dreams (or nightmares?).
“Not many shows have such high stakes and absurd characters that we deserve a bombastic anticipatory ensemble number – but with a plot like this I couldn’t resist!” exclaims Daniel Mertzlufft.
- Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody has Richard Kraft of Kraft-Engel Productions serving as the producer and director. Kraft is celebrated for live performances like “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl” and ABC’s “The Little Mermaid”; he previously directed John Stamos in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl” which also starred Finn Wolfhard as Charlie and “Weird Al” Yankovic as the Oompa Loompas.
Says Kraft: “The process of creating a brand-new musical, which usually spans years, is being condensed into just a couple of months, with the team sharing their progress through social media.”
- In the coming weeks, fans can expect additional demo song releases every Sunday, including a song from Riki Lindhome based on the sad Oompa Loompa Wannabe, culminating in the debut of a staged reading of the musical at the Pleasance King Dome from August 9 th to 26 th 2024 during Edinburgh Fringe Fest 2024. Ticket details will be made available on the website soon.
“Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody,” previously known as “Willy Fest: A Musical Parody,” is poised to entertain and creatively play havoc on the musical parody landscape.
Stay tuned for more updates on https://willyscandyspectacular.com/ and socials.
