By Whitney Sorensen
Midway’s High Valley Arts has selected Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story Willy Wonka as its outdoor summer musical this year. Attendees get a taste of both Dahl’s original novel and the 1971 film, both of which are scrumdiddlyumptious and nicely adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusee and Timothy Allen McDonald. This performance stands out for its fantastical costumes, fun special effects, and excellent integration of many children.
To my mind, the story of Willy Wonka endures for two reasons: Dahl’s brilliant novel and Gene Wilder’s equally brilliant performance in the 1971 film. Both versions invite the audience to step into the life of young, poor, and innocent Charlie Bucket to experience a world of “Pure Imagination.” Dahl infused his book with bizarre elements that appeal to the active minds of children in any generation, and Wilder made Wonka unpredictably sweet, incisive, wacky, wise, and heartwarming while still creating a cohesive and believable character.
High Valley Arts’ performance opens on Willy Wonka (Daniel Clegg) singing a few strains of “Pure Imagination” to invite the audience into the fantasy world onstage. His costume is directly inspired by what Wilder’s Wonka wears, a fine bit of nostalgia that invited me quickly into the world. Clegg’s voice steals the show musically, and he gives Wonka a sense of aloofness and mischief that suit the character well. During the first act, Clegg serves both as the narrator and the town candy man, peddling sweets to Charlie (when he has money) and his classmates. The show never explicitly states whether Wonka is masquerading as a candy man or if the actor is playing two roles, but I think that mystery adds to the charm and imagination of the show.
Charlie Bucket (played by Clint Bosshardt on the night I attended) lives in the same village that houses Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. Many of the first act scenes feature the at-home interactions of Charlie, his parents (Jacob McCrory and Ali Lund), and his four grandparents (Doug Barnes, Nina Welker, Karen Barnes, Brett Lee/Scot Wallace), who all live and sleep in the same bed. Although Charlie and his family often speculate about the goings-on inside, he rarely gets to enjoy its creations because his family survives on cabbage soup more than chocolate bars. These scenes include an equal mixture of heart-tugging due to the destitute conditions of the Bucket family and verbal banter caused by Grandpa George (Lee/Wallace) mishearing the conversation around him.
One scene I particularly enjoyed in the first act was Charlie’s pep talk for his dad during the song “Think Positive.” Mr. Bucket is a mostly forgotten (or nonexistent) role in most versions of Willy Wonka, but I had even more reason to cheer for Charlie when he so selflessly encouraged his dad to be happy after losing his job at a toothpaste factory. Bosshardt and McCrory make the scene intimate, a rare thing in a flashy play like this, but they also invite the audience into the moment with some fun, simple choreography by Mindy McMaster and Karee Cannon.
When the first act isn’t focused on Charlie, worldwide newscaster Phineous Trout (Stuart Waldrip) introduces us to the four finders of Wonka’s golden tickets, beginning with Augustus Gloop (Jonah Stirling). Gloop and his mother (Erin Corbridge) have a vocabulary that is illogically German and English. Stirling and Corbridge present an enjoyable anthem to food in “I Eat More.”
Next up is Veruca Salt (Abbey Covarrubias), accompanied by her dad (Rich Goates). Salt’s solo song during act one; “I Want It Now” comes after intermission in the factory’s nut-sorting room. Nevertheless, Covarrubias leaves no room for doubt that Veruca is the brattiest child ever, and her dad is ever the sleazy salesman. Costume designer April Owens contributes to the characterization of the Salts by placing a crown atop Veruca’s head and dressing Mr. Salt in a bright pink suit.
Luckily, the audience gets a brief reprieve from rotten children between Veruca and the next ticket finder, Violet Beauregarde (Anna Belnap). She and her mother (Janalee Hendry) dress like twins in solid blue dresses with red belts, shoes, and head accessories (a headband for Violet, a hat for Mrs. Beauregarde). Violet has a similar brand of brattiness to Veruca, stealing the microphone from Trout the moment he arrives on the scene. I was physically repulsed while she played with her gum, but I never understood why she demanded that her mom follow her around the stage. That bit adds some unnecessary time to the scene in a first act that already feels long, mainly because the audience wants to get into Wonka’s factory as much as Charlie the moment they take their seats.
Finally, a fourth ticket is discovered by screen-addicted Mike Teavee (Brandon Welker). I wasn’t sure who to be more repulsed with in this scene: rude Mike who wouldn’t pay attention to Trout’s questions lest he spend a moment away from his tablet or smartphone, or Mrs. Teavee (Beth Knight) who not only allows but encourages such behavior. This character has been updated more than any other to today’s circumstances, which will certainly help parents use Mike as a parable against too much screen time.
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During the second act, the action finally heads to Wonka’s factory and the pace of the play picks up. In fact, there were moments when I wanted time to stand still so I could savor Wonka’s magical world. The magic of the second act lies partly in the tricky ways Wonka’s factory disposes of the bad children among the bunch. For me, the best bit was Violet turning into a blueberry, but I’m sure each child in the crowd will have his or her own favorite moment. If you have kids who enjoy body humor, brace yourself to hear new renditions of the song Charlie shares with Grandpa Joe (Barnes): “Burping.”
However, the true stars of act two are the Oompa-Loompas (Marianne Barrus, Hannah Berrett, Reagan Corbridge, Emma Eaton, Emmalee Hendry, Anna Nelson, Maile Nielsen, Jordan Schmidt). These seven otherworldly creatures have been brilliantly costumed as a rainbow of chocolate-kiss-shaped humanoids who sing moral lessons in various versions of “Oompa Loompa.”
I applaud director and producer Sue Waldrip for drawing great performances out of all the children in this production. She also serves as stage designer. Her set pieces like the Bucket house and the candy cart contributed to the magic more than the projected backdrops, which contain animation that at times detracts from the onstage action.
High Valley Arts has created a fun interpretation of Willy Wonka perfect for families with kids aged 6 to 13. If you attend, be aware that the venue is temporary stage set up in an empty field in Midway; when you turn down 400 East and see what looks like a dead-end, keep going. You’ll also need to bring your own camping chairs and plenty of blankets because it gets quite cold after the sun sets behind the mountains.
High Valley Arts presents Willy Wonka, Music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, Adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy Allen McDonald
High Valley Arts Outdoor Theater, 200 S 400 E, Midway, UT 84049
June 29-July 14, 2018, Pre-show 7:30 PM, Show at 8:15 PM
Tickets: $10-17
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