It was previously reported that two-time Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Something Rotten, Peter and the Starcatcher) will play Willy Wonka in the Broadway premiere of Chocolate Factory. It will be a busy season for Borle, who will also play Marvin in the fall Broadway revival of William Finn and James Lapine's Tony-winning Falsettos.
"Christian was the first — and in truth, perhaps the ONLY person I could imagine to create the role of Willy: his combination of child-like fantasy, edge, mystery, and sheer star power seemed destined for this role,” said director Jack O'Brien in an earlier statement. “I confess I prayed a lot! But this one, at least, was answered!”Additional casting be announced at a later time. Casting is by Telsey + Company/Rachel Hoffman, CSA.
Tickets will go on sale for the general public September 16 and will be available at www.CharlieOnBroadway.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.
"For more than 50 years Roald Dahl's story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has captured imaginations around the world, and now for the first time Broadway audiences are invited to experience Willy Wonka’s delightful and semi-dark chocolate world first-hand,” according to press notes. “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."
The Broadway production will have scenic and costume designs by five-time Tony Award nominee Mark Thompson, lighting design by four-time Tony Award nominee Japhy Weideman, puppet design by Obie and Drama Desk Award winner Basil Twist and orchestrations by three-time Tony Award winner Doug Besterman.
The Broadway musical will be produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (Mark Kaufman), Langley Park Productions (Kevin McCormick) and Neal Street Productions (Sam Mendes, Caro Newling).
The Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning London production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes and choreographed by Peter Darling, has broken house records at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it has been seen by more than 1.8 million people since it opened in June 2013.
