The new stage adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opens its doors officially April 23 as it celebrates opening night at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 W. 46th Street). The production, led by two-time Tony Award winner Christian Borle as Willy Wonka, began performances March 28.
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Jake Ryan Flynn, Ryan Foust, and Ryan Sell make their Broadway debuts alternating in the role of Charlie Bucket. Flynn's regional credits include Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliot, Shrek, and A Christmas Carol. Foust, a native of Tampa, Florida, has been seen in productions of Beauty and the Beast (Chip), Cinderella Kids (Jaq), Peter Pan (Michael), and Cats (Victor/Bill Bailey). Sell, who was part of the developmental lab of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, has appeared in productions of Mame (Young Patrick), Peter Pan (Michael Darling), and Beauty and the Beast (Chip).
Joining Borle and the three pint-sized actors in the title role are Tony winner John Rubinstein (Pippin) as Grandpa Joe, Emily Padgett (Side Show) as Mrs. Bucket, Kathy Fitzgerald (9 to 5) as Mrs. Gloop, F. Michael Haynie (Wicked) as Augustus Gloop, Ben Crawford (Shrek) as Mr. Salt, Emma Pfaeffle (Finding Neverland) as Veruca Salt, Alan H. Green (School of Rock) as Mr. Beauregard, Trista Dollison (A Bronx Tale) as Violet Beauregard, Jackie Hoffman (On The Town) as Mrs. Teavee, and Michael Wartella (Tuck Everlasting) as Mike Teavee. The 36-member company also includes Yesenia Ayala, Darius Barnes, Colin Bradbury, Jared Bradshaw, Ryan Breslin, Kristy Cates, Madeleine Doherty, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Stephanie Gibson, Talya Groves, Cory Lingner, Elliott Mattox, Monette McKay, Kyle Taylor Parker, Paul Slade Smith, Stephen Carrasco, Kristin Piro, Amy Quanbeck, Michael Williams, and Mikey Winslow.Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman, a book by David Greig, and choreography by Joshua Bergasse. The production includes additional songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley from the 1971 Warner Bros. film.
The Broadway production features scenic and costume design by Mark Thompson, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Andrew Keister, puppet design by Basil Twist, projection design by Jeff Sugg, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, and music direction and supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck. Casting is by Telsey + Company/Rachel Hoffman, CSA.
The musical is described as such: “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. That includes young Charlie Bucket, whose life definitely needs sweetening. He and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a mesmerizing, life-changing journey through Wonka’s world of pure imagination. Get ready for chocolate waterfalls, exquisitely nutty squirrels and the great glass elevator, all to be revealed by Wonka's army of curious Oompa-Loompas.”
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (Mark Kaufman), Langley Park Productions (Kevin McCormick), and Neal Street Productions (Sam Mendes, Caro Newling).
