By Shannon Eden
Willy Wonka, put on by Spanish Fork Community Theater, brings you into the pure imagination of director Andrea Johnson, assisted by Larisa Hicken. The play, based on the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and adapted for the stage, follows the story of poor Charlie Bucket – poor in money, worldly comforts, and pretty much everything except a family who loves him and does their best to remind him that, no matter what. “Bucket’s think positive!” With a little bit of that positive thinking and a lotta bit of luck, Charlie is one of five children who get the rare privilege of being invited into the very exclusive and delicious world of the Candy Man himself – Willy Wonka. When your competition is a gluttonous German, a pampered princess, a gum-chewing guru, and a TV techie – Charlie’s odds of winning more than just a life-time supply of chocolate is looking pretty good.
Willy Wonka, played by Robert Kinghorn, opens the show. I felt like Kinghorn was a little stiff at first. As he sang, he was missing the whimsy that his purple velvet jacket required. However, once his spoken lines began, his demeanor lightened and he relaxed into the character. He served as the narrator throughout the first act, really bringing out Wonka in the second act when the children show up at the factory. He had a strong voice and portrayed a likable candy-maker. There were times when he’d give one of those eccentric laughs – for those familiar with the recent film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – it was reminiscent of Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the not-completely-there Willy Wonka. It didn’t really fit with the way Kinghorn played Wonka throughout the majority of the show. His character would have flowed better if he had chosen either the light-hearted dreamer or the kooky, disconnected Wonka, and not tried to do them both.
Charlie, played by Jake Blonquist, interacted naturally with his fellow Bucket’s and the other characters. Blonquist made Charlie someone you easily wanted to root for. The only time he lost his spark was occasionally during his songs and, ironically enough, when he found the golden ticket. The light glinted beautifully off that ticket, and the reaction of a boy given a one in a million chance just wasn’t quite there. But Blonquist’s performance was overall relaxed and enjoyable. His relationship with his grandparents (Grandpa Joe – Chris Bradford, Grandma Josephine – Lucy Bradford, Grandpa George – Steve Whitehead, Grandma Georgina – Liesel Polichette) was companionable; especially with Grandpa Joe (Bradford) who gave a consistent and amusing interpretation of the chocolate-loving, former Wonka employee.
The other children – Augustus Gloop (Mckay Hicken), Veruca Salt (Fatima Reedy), Violet Beauregarde (Shay Swenson), and Mike TeaVee (Ridge Leach) – were all properly horrid in their own way. I enjoyed Hicken’s portrayal of Augustus in his garbled German accent that made you feel like he always had a piece of chocolate stuffed in his cheeks. I was disappointed that his mic struggled so much during the night. Many of his lines were lost and I felt like he didn’t have an opportunity to really let his character shine because of technical difficulties. Reedy was properly spoiled as Veruca. Her tantrums got a little over the top for me sometimes. Where it was a shame that Augustus’ mic was rarely on, it seemed Veruca’s always worked – a little too well during some particularly loud screams! Swenson brought a very snarky tone to Violet and Leach delivered the fast and frenzied attitude of Mike Teavee very well; although, I wished they had each given their factory scenes as much enthusiasm as when we first met their characters.
The children’s parents – Mrs. Gloop (Mariana Adams), Mr. Salt (Andrew Cannon), Mrs. Beauregarde (understudy Lauree Roberts), and Mrs. Teavee (Kara Henry) – showed us everything a parent should not be. Adams was over the top and in your face as she stuffed more and more food into Augusts’ little piggy cheeks. Cannon played the role of Mr. Salt well, though I had a hard time believing his character simply because of his youth (he’s in his teens). He and Veruca looked too close to the same age to be a convincing father/daughter duo. Mrs. Beauregarde had potential as a character, but like Augustus, her mic rarely worked and I lost most of her lines. Henry, as Mrs. TeaVee, was my favorite with her vapid expression and spacey demeanor that never wavered. She could dominate a scene just by standing still and staring like a 1950’s inspired deer in the headlights.
The supporting cast of ‘Wonka’ is dominated by children, making up the Oompa Loompas, Candy Kids, and Squirrels. The Squirrels were the youngest of the bunch, and I challenge anyone who sees them to not join into the collective, “Aww!” of the audience. The Candy Kids and Oompa Loompas are decked out in an array of crazy costumes, done by costumer Mareen Robinson. They are bright and fun to watch. Being in the wildly imaginative world of Wonka, I’d encourage them to let loose even more and to bring the stage to life with their choreography, done by Bethany Taylor, and not concentrate so hard on each step and movement. I mentioned whimsy before – and a lot of the show needed an extra punch of that. It is a show that is meant to have more fun than depth, and it is up to the ensemble to bring that. There were many times where the cast kept their reactions very muted – for example:w Willy Wonka’s crippled exit from his factory that turns out to be only a joke. The audience was driven by the reactions of the cast, and since they stayed silent, so did the audience.
The set, done by David Henry and Ann-Marie Mair, was full of bright colors and brought an animation to the large stage. Touches like the cotton candy boat, gumball machine, and glass elevator were cleverly done. The technical aspects of the show, run by Sara and Brent Harvey, struggled a bit during the night. As mentioned, many of the mics had issues and some of the music cues seemed to lag behind a bit. I enjoyed the special attention giving to different usage of lighting during the show. A golden ticket appeared at the top of the stage as each one was found, and they subsequently disappeared as one by one the children met their ‘sticky’ ends in the factory. I would like to have had more sound effects at key moments in the show. Augustus’ fall into the chocolate river had everyone laughing, but then, as he sat hanging in the tube and eventually got sucked upward, the silence left me with the feeling of anti-climax. The same happened with Veruca’s falling into the nut incinerator and Mike TeaVee’s shrinking.
Overall, Willy Wonka is a fun community show geared toward families who are looking to see something simply fun. I brought my kids – ages six, four, two, and six weeks. While the baby slept through most of it (that’s good theater etiquette for an infant), the other three were engaged throughout the show and singing “oompa loompa…” as we left. It was definitely a ‘sweet’ night that we all enjoyed.
*The show runs July 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, and 27 with the rolls of Charlie, Augustus, Mike, Veruca, and Violet double cast.
Spanish Fork Community Theater
Spanish Fork High School, 99 N 300 W Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Tickets are available online at https://
$6.00 children and seniors, $8.00 adults, $35.00 for immediate families.
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