Marriott Lincolnshire has winning recipe with ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’
Who can take a staple, sprinkle it with new, cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two?
The Marriott can.
Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences is providing audiences with a musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved tale, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
The 70-minute musical journey runs through March 28 at the Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire.
The musical is directed and choreographed by Jeff Award winner Amber Mak, with musical direction by Isabella Isherwood.
Each performance is followed by a brief question-and-answer session with the cast.
“Getting the opportunity to dive into the whimsical world of Roald Dahl is a true full-circle moment for me,” said Mak. “’Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is a story I grew up with – one that ignited my own imagination as a child, just as it has for so many others.
“At its heart, this is a story about the power of a dream. We see Willy Wonka, a man whose heart has begun to harden against the world, rediscover hope and inspiration through the eyes of young Charlie Bucket. I am especially thrilled to work with this all-star cast, including the incredible Kai Edgar, who brings such a rich history to the role of Charlie from having done the national tour.”
Edgar is strong as Charlie, bringing youthful wonder and excitement to the role.
Edgar was asked what it felt like to own the factory, going beyond the play’s ending.
“It just feels great,” Edgar said. “The entire show I feel so excited to explain the story.”
That excitement can cause Edgar to miss a step, such as not giving the actors portraying his grandparents a piece of the winning chocolate bar as he was supposed to do in Saturday’s show, his production mate Rick Hall (Grandpa Joe) was all too happy to point out, with a chuckle, during the Q&A session.
Edgar, 13, made his debut on the Marriott stage five years ago in the leading role in “Oliver!”
With voice-over credits including Diego in Dora!, Edgar said he loves playing Charlie, whose imagination and enthusiasm puts him in peril.
“Charlie gets in close calls like when he opens the notebook, but he doesn’t mess up as much as the rest of them,” Edgar said.
The actor said being in a show about candy is tempting.
“Every show it looks so delicious,” Edgar said. “Some of the displays look so delicious it’s crazy. They are so creative with the props. They look so real.”
George Keating is charming and charismatic as Wonka, mesmerizing kids and adults alike with his portrayal of the colorful factory owner.
Keating, a veteran of the Marriott’s theater-in-the-round format, seems ideal for the Theatre for Young Audiences having played such iconic roles as The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio, The Cat in the Hat, and now Wonka.
Avelyn Lena Choi (Violet Beauregarde), who turns into a blueberry during the production when her character chews Wonka’s three-course dinner gum, was asked about how the transition occurs during the play.
“The skirt has sticks that go into a hoop that raises the costume up,” Choi said.”I can’t sit down on the stage. I have to kneel, but it is such an awesome costume. The designers make the show work.”
Other notable performers in the production are Darian Goulding (Mr. Salt), who gives Dan Aykroyd’s Irwin Mainway Bag O’ Glass character from Saturday Night Live a run for his money in the Sleaziest Character Competition; and Michael Earvin Martin (Mr. Beauregarde) as the Instagram-enabling and greedy parent of a teen.
