Continuing until October 27th, at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre CTORA Production’s of Roald Dah’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The New Musical is a tasty treat for the whole family.
Most of us know of Roald Dahl’s 1964 book or one of its film adaptations, the story following young, impoverished Charlie Bucket (Quinlan McDonald) and four other Golden Ticket winners, as Willy Wonka (Daniel Curalli) opens the doors to his mysterious chocolate factory.
Photo: Canna Zhou *Appear with the permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
The charismatic Daniel Curalli seems perfectly cast as the gleefully eccentric and somewhat maniacal Wonka, balanced by the wide-eyed innocence and powerful vocal command of Quinlan McDonald, creating a natural chemistry between the acclaimed actor and powerhouse protege.
Director Mark Carter leads a formidable cast of youth and stage veterans including Abbygail Sandler as Veruca Salt, Ashley Nardi as Violet Beauregard, Eric Gibson as Mike Teavee, Joshua Severyn as Augustus Gloop, who perfectly bring to life the four other Golden Ticket winners.
Sanders Whiting, Cathy Wilmot, Kyrst Hogan, Julianne Biegler, Dimitrios Stephanoy, Ryan Nuñez, Paula Higgins, Annika Thakkar, David Grof, Lauren Ridder, Grayson Besworth, Wilson Fowlie, Johanne Boisvenu-Henry, Owen CB Scott, and Julia Eckert round out the cast and ensemble of quirky parents, townsfolk and of course Oompa Loompas.
With a theme of ‘pure imagination’ throughout the show, Brian Ball’s Visual and Set Designer has created a world that let’s us fill in the blanks with our own imaginations. From a drab great cityscape of the Bucket family’s meagre existence to the technicolour dreamworld of Willy Wonka’s confectionary castle. The 8-piece orchestra lead by Musical Director Jeremy Hoffman brings Marc Shaiman’s score to life, live from the theatre lobby. Ken Overbey’s choreography brings energy to the world of villagers, Oompa Loompas, children and even squirrels!
From the sounds of the younger audience members, who could barely contain their glee at seeing their favourite story unfold onstage, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gets their seal of approval.
CTORA’s presentation of Roald Dah’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The New Musical continues until October 27 at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, 950 West 41st Avenue. Visit ctora.ca for show details and tickets.