A world premiere staged reading of Willy's Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody is set to play Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 9-26. Based on the viral underwhelming Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow, Scotland, the new musical will be staged at the Pleasance King Dome.
Hear "The Best Show I've Ever Seen," a new demo track from the production penned by producer Richard Kraft and Megan Cavallari (Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper), in the video above.
New to the team is stage and screen director Andy Fickman (Reefer Madness!, Heather: The Musical, Kevin Can Wait), who will helm the Fringe debut.
Willy's Candy Spectacular features a lineup of songwriters which also includes Tova Litvin and Doug Rockwell (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), Riki Lindhome, Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner (First Date), Daniel Mertzlufft (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical), and Jennifer Lucy Cook.
Previously titled Willy Fest, a musical parody, the project was unveiled earlier this year, shortly after the event on which its based became a viral sensation.
The Glasgow "Willy's Chocolate Experience" blew up on social media in late February, when families expecting an "immersive experience" based on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and the 2023 prequel film Wonka were greeted by halfhearted candy decorations, flimsy backdrops, and a menacing masked character named "The Unknown" (with no connection to the films). Parents reported their kids leaving in tears, police were called, and photos of the whole fiasco spread like wildfire on social platforms.
"I decided to take a stab at being the lyricist since my own pirate-themed sixth birthday party was the inspiration for this number," Kraft said in a statement. “My dad poured his heart into making butcher paper pirate ships, balloon swords, and cardboard treasure chests. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t a Tony-level production. But as a kid, I wasn’t waiting for the reviews. Through my eyes, it was, figuratively and literally, the best show I’d ever seen. For the music, I turned to composer Megan Cavallari since her song, “I Am A Girl Like You,” from Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, is a musical earworm that I haven’t been able to dislodge from my head for the last 20 years.”
Visit WillysCandySpectacular.com.
