When you strip away the candy coating and get right down to the gooey center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it’s essentially a medieval morality play. Where else but in Willy Wonka’s factory can you spend an evening watching four children get horribly maimed and call it old-fashioned family-friendly fun? Yet this story has enchanted generations of children and adults for a reason. Like any good assortment of sweets, there’s something for everyone here — sentimental sweetness, surprisingly dark humor, catchy tunes, the thrill of ever-present danger, and a sober cautionary lesson for all.
Prince William Little Theatre’s production is classic family entertainment — in fact, you’ll find several real-life families both onstage and backstage. It’s heartwarming to see parents and children, brothers and sisters, or spouses collaborating on this charming confection. While this cast comprises strong vocalists and comic performers across the board, the incredibly talented child stars deserve a special round of applause. Rarely will you see such confident performances from such young actors.
This adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory first opened on Broadway in 2017, featuring new songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman of Hairspray fame as well as some of your old favorites from the 1971 movie, written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Although it incorporates some classic details from the beloved movie, it hews closer to Roald Dahl’s novel at times while also updating the action to the present, complete with references to the internet and pop culture.
There’s also a darker streak here, including some edgier jokes and references that may not land with the youngest audience members. (“Hope we don’t die in our sleep,” Charlie’s elderly grandparents sing at bedtime.) This chocolate factory can get a bit scary at times, but not enough to stop raucous laughter and applause from filling the Gregory Family Theater on opening night.
As the iconic candy man himself, Nikki Franklyn ably steps into Wonka’s purple suit with just the right eccentric flair. It’s hard to believe that this is Franklyn’s theater debut. His dry delivery works perfectly against this heightened world, and his crooning vocals are as smooth as a Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight.
Rising sixth grader Alan Sarang gives an exceptional performance as Charlie Bucket, carrying numerous musical numbers with a clear, expressive singing voice. While some cast members are difficult to hear or understand at times, Sarang’s diction never falters. He is fully engaged in each scene, making Charlie easy to root for from start to finish.
The scenes set in the Bucket household are highlights of the first act, equal parts heartfelt and humorous. George Fulda plays tall-tale-telling Grandpa Joe (he claims Pythagoras was an old friend) with a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step — in fact, his crowd-pleasing rendition of “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” escalates into a tap dance number! It’s a brilliant touch and executed marvelously, thanks both to Fulda and co-choreographers Kelly Delaune and Deya Parajillo. As Charlie’s careworn mother, Samantha Fulda sends a hush over the crowd with her sweet and delicate singing voice. Charlie’s other grandparents (Amy Treat, Carolyn Cameron, and audience favorite Luis Vasquez) bring plenty of laughs as they sit crammed into a tiny bed, often dozing off. The impoverished Bucket family feels rich in love.
In contrast, Charlie’s fellow golden ticket winners are a repulsive bunch of spoiled brats, accompanied by their equally awful parents. All seem to be having tremendous fun embodying their larger-than-life characters.
June Tuss portrays pint-sized terror Veruca Salt with tight, sharp acting choices, razor-focused on each new item she covets. Denton Waits plays her sleazy Russian businessman father as alternately protective of and terrified of her. (During their amusing song, “When Veruca Says,” keep an eye out for Asher Dollery in a very funny cameo role as the Salt family’s bodyguard.)
Reimagined as a would-be social media celebrity, Christiana Berg’s Violet Beuregard effortlessly belts out the high notes in her introductory number, “The Queen of Pop.” She really commits to chewing her gum, even in the opening number before Violet is introduced. Sean Gilliam gives a highly energetic performance as her Dad-ager, while the 1960s throwback style sported by their backup singers feels like a fun reference to Shaiman and Wittman’s Hairspray.
The bad boys of the chocolate factory, Augustus Gloop (a tuneful Elliot Fulda) and Mike Teavee (Lucas Pellerito) introduce themselves in some of the show’s most imaginatively staged numbers. We meet Augustus in his Bavarian hometown, where everyone dresses in quaint dirndls and lederhosen, and performs traditional Schuhplattler dances while the golden boy himself — festooned in a string of sausages — shows off his yodeling skills.
Mike, sporting VR goggles, is backed by dancers in black morph suits with blue LED lights — very Tron, very cool. Parents, be aware: this adaptation explicitly portrays his mother as a pill-popping alcoholic who sedates and restrains her hyperactive son. This is probably the most disturbing piece of the show besides watching Veruca get torn apart by squirrels. Still, Deb Hansen’s dizzy and deranged Mrs. Teavee is a highlight of the factory tour sequences, delivering funny one-liners with excellent timing throughout.
A versatile ensemble gets plenty to do here, whether as Oompa-Loompas, squirrels, or even Wonka’s dancing shadows. Played by a combination of kids and adults, the Oompa-Loompas wear the classic green wigs from the 1971 movie, and some even wear the traditional white coveralls, though others are dressed in blue or green jumpsuits instead.
Costume designer Ms. Val gives each character attire fit for their unique personalities, from Charlie’s homespun sweaters and scarves to Veruca’s fur-trimmed pink ballet-core outfit. Wonka himself is kitted out in the dandyish attire you’d hope to see, complete with top hat and cane.
The technical and creative demands of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are a lot for the intimate space of the Gregory Family Theater and a community theatre budget, which requires “pure imagination” from the creative team. Director and set designer Vincent Worthington establishes a clear vision for the piece and does some clever problem-solving, like how to show Augustus being carried downstream on the chocolate river, or how to depict Mike being reduced to molecules. Though most sets aren’t lavish, they effectively convey the settings, like the Bucket family’s shack with a small bed, moldy walls, and cluttered surfaces.
The candy room is a whimsical delight, with an adorable peppermint-lined chocolate lagoon and a painted backdrop of cotton candy trees by scenic artist Paul McCutcheon. For other aspects of the factory, the script allows us to fill in the scenery with our imagination, including a mimed maze of invisible deadly traps that the cast must navigate — all very successfully. A projection screen helps set the stage.
While the sheer number of set pieces is impressive, and arguably necessary to tell this story, slow set transitions occasionally gum up the works, and stage crew sometimes pulls focus in the background of scenes. A disco ball lighting effect during “Pure Imagination” (the excellent Ken and Patti Crowley) is truly beautiful, but background noise from the stage crew slightly diminishes the magic of the set transformation. But minor opening night technical difficulties aside, this production is an inspiring display of multigenerational local talent. If the kids in this cast are anything to go by, the future of local theater, much like the future of Wonka’s factory, is in good hands.
The cast and creative team should all be very proud of their versatility, creativity, and willingness to commit to the bit. This adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory might not be every purist’s cup of tea, but you might call it a cup of hot chocolate: sweet, heart-warming, and sometimes surprisingly scalding!
Running time: Approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory plays through July 19, 2026 (Friday at 8 PM, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 PM, and Saturday evening at 7 PM), presented by Prince William Little Theatre, performing at the Gregory Family Theater, Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Cir, Manassas, VA. Purchase tickets ($35 adult; $29 senior; $25 student, youth, military) online or in-person at the box office. Prices include fees. Seats are general admission.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Original score composed by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Book by David Greig
Based on the book by Roald Dahl
Songs from the motion picture by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Directed by Vincent Worthington
See full cast and creative team credits here.
