Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: What a treat!

Fun Fact: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is one of four Roald Dahl books to be adapted into a musical. James and the Giant Peach was not received very well and never made it to the Great White Way after the Broadway preliminaries - it did however undergo adaptation to suit a younger audience and went on tour around the U.S. The West End saw the Fantastic Mr. Fox bounce off the page earlier this year and Matilda continues to amaze audiences following a long run. After great success on Broadway Matilda closed at the end of December 2016, making way for this new family friendly production.

Target Audience: Children of the 20th century should flock to see this production with memories of the legendary Roald Dahl - with or without children of their own! Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is a universal story reminding us to believe in our dreams and never underestimate the power of imagination. This is definitely a family winner but also a great date-night choice to ignite the silliness we too often smother as adults.

Best Bit: There were so many magical moments in this production but the appearance of the Oompa Loompas on stage literally made me jump out of my chair with excitement! Their performance of "Vidiots" was spectacular!

Morning After Effect: Feeling very grateful that I grew up reading such fantastic books and delighted to see one of my favorites come to life on stage!

Verdict: An absolute treat!

What could possibly go wrong? The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre appears to be a magical place before you even step inside with interactive buzzers and funny warning signs posted to the walls. Once you do, Dylan's Candy is on display in their signature colorful wrappings with unique and bizarre flavors such as bacon flavored chocolate - a brand if ever there was that pays homage to the loopy Willy Wonka! There is a photo booth with a giant golden ticket where bodies are swarming to get their pictures - the energy is high as loads of candy is purchased. Of course, there's a "no rules" air in the room as too how many treats one can consume... and that's just the adults.

I always treasure seeing a production that caters to the big and small. The little people appear too grown up in such an elegant place and soon you realize that it may be the giants fumbling around that are cramping their style. But as the lights fade and the sugar fueled giggles are heard I realize that a Roald Dahl fan will forever be young at heart. As I settle in with my giant bag of assorted gummy sweets I too am giddy with excitement!

Many of us (or certainly your parents) remember the late Gene Wilder with his quirky portrayal of Willy Wonka in the 1971 film, followed by Johnny Depp who took the character to a wacky extreme with Tim Burton's remake in 2005 (can you believe it was that long ago?!). Bringing this cherished chocolate man character back to life on Broadway is the talented Christian Borle, whose approach seems to land somewhere between the approachable and absurd. Borle is no stranger when it comes to guiding young audiences on a magical adventure as he starred in Peter and the Starcatcher (where he won a Tony Award), Mary Poppins and Legally Blonde. His impressive resume also includes Falsettos and Something Rotten (which earned him his first Tony). Borle delivers a wonderful performance - one that thankfully won't leave any kids with nightmares.

Jack O'Brien (Director) has a juicy ensemble bringing this ambitious production to life both on stage and back. You might ask... How does one stage a narrative that preaches stretching the imagination? A narrative that moves not just between the town and the factory but the many rooms within the factory! Mark Thompson (Scenic and Costume Design) was given the thrilling task to create the dreamlike world which must have caused a few sleepless nights, even for this acclaimed professional! That is ultimately what Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is, a grey area between reality and fantasy, the impossible and possible, the child and the adult. Thompson and O'Brien will have the audience convinced that anything is possible, with pure imagination of course. Quite deservedly, Thompson received the Olivier for Best Costume Design for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory West End production.

As far as the music goes, you can expect songs from the original film including "Pure Imagination", "The Candy Man" and "I've Got a Golden Ticket", alongside a new score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Each Golden Ticket Winner has been adjusted to suit a modern audience and comes with their very own toe-tapping introduction song. David Greig's book captures the silliness, exploration and fun of this tremendous tale while offering a softer look at the man behind the magic, allowing Willy Wonka to evolve from an outcast to a friend.

Charlie Bucket reminds us that it doesn't matter where you come from - what matters most is where you wish to be. The role of Charlie Bucket is being played by three young actors, all of whom are making their Broadway debut - understandable at this tiny age! We saw Ryan Sell who is adorable and does a great job in this role. On the other end of the age and experience spectrum is the talented John Rubinstein playing the famed Grandpa Joe who has been in bed for twenty years! That sounds like a long time for any grown up but to a child it must seem like two hundred years!

Rubinstein gets all the giggles from the crowd, he is both funny and charming and surfing a fine line between life and death yet embracing every moment with his grandson. He fills the role of the loving, storytelling grandfather that we all love. It is, after all, these very stories that we hold onto so dearly, passed down from generation to generation. And so to see Charlie and The Chocolate Factory living on since the first publication in 1964 is truly special. May we never forget just how powerful storytelling is, and the necessity for imagination. Perhaps, Roald Dahl's chocolate factory was his version of heaven? If so, I'm sure he is looking down with a very big chocolatey grin!

View our show pages for more information about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Lunt Fontanne Theater.