Sweet Fun At Stage Right's Performance Of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka

My son and I just finished reading Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was amazed at how quickly a kid can zip through a book when it's all about chocolate! We were excited to attend the Stage Right's new production of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, performed weekends through July 22 at Crighton Theatre in Conroe. The musical combines the classic story from the book and favorite songs and dialogue from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory with a few new songs and scenes sprinkled in.

Across two acts, the musical follows Wonka's journey to secure his successor by hiding Golden Tickets in five of his candy bars. The children who find the tickets will win a tour of the Wonka factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate. Adam Isbell plays Wonka and also serves as narrator. His Oompa Loompas get lots of laughs channeling their own do-ba-de-do type of Minion talk and gags. We're introduced to Charlie Bucket (played by James Pate) and his family, including his four bedridden grandparents. Grandpa George's lack of hearing serves up quite a few laughs as he struggles to hear the family discuss Wonka's contest. We are introduced to each of the Golden Ticket winners and eagerly anticipate Charlie finding his own Golden Ticket. (Intermission is by no coincidence a great time to head to Concessions to find your own Golden Ticket in a Wonka Bar - a lucky few will win tickets to the Texas Renaissance Festival this fall.) The second act follows the five children and their chaperones along their tour of the Wonka factory. Four of the five children reveal themselves as selfish brats who succumb to their own temptations and the fifth is our hero Charlie. Fans of the film will enjoy hearing favorites like "Pure Imagination," "The Candy Man," "Cheer Up Charlie," "I've Got A Golden Ticket," and "I Want It Now" as well as witty new songs like "Think Positive" and "In This Room Here."

Overall, my son and I thoroughly enjoyed the production. The Act I scene transitions were a bit abrasive and rough with a "construction crew" spinning sets around in the open, but the cheerful childrens' ensemble of over 20 kids poured through the theatre during these set changes and were an adorable distraction. Michael Raabe as Mrs. Gloop was a standout in drag and all of the children were well cast, particularly Katie Kowalik as Veruca Salt. One of the scarier scenes from the movie, the boat journey down the chocolate river, is tamed down and the show's tone was consistently light. I caught Mike Teevee mentioning something being "crappy" and this could have easily been edited this out for a young audience.

Having just read the book with my son, I thought Stage Right's production was a great experience to help compare and contrast the book to a live action performance and eventually the movies. Live theatre is a great opportunity for kids to practice sitting still and patient, listen intently, applaud performers and develop a lifelong love of the arts. I think it was great for my son to see so many children in lead and ensemble roles and show what dedication it takes to learn dialogue, music and choreography. If your kids (grades 1-6) are interested in receiving their own free copy of the book that inspired the musical, have them participate in Barnes & Noble's Summer Reading Program, ending September 3.

Performances are July 6-22 at the Crighton Theatre at 234 N. Main St. in Conroe. Tickets are $15-22 and can be bought online or at 936-441-SHOW. Strobe lights are used in the production. More details available at stage-right.org.

My family was provided complimentary admission to Willy Wonka for this review. View our full FTC Disclosure Statement here. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.