Jr. Civic presents ‘Willy Wonka Junior’

June 16, 2009 04:23 pm

— Indianapolis Civic Theatre’s educational youth program, Jr. Civic, presents Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Jr.” playing evenings June 19 and 20 and weekdays June 22-24.
Show times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This “kids-only” production gives youth ages 6-18 the opportunity to participate in a professionally staged, full-scale musical production on the theatre’s mainstage. Previous shows have included “Alice in Wonderland,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” “Twelve Dancing Princesses,” “Once Upon A Shoe,” and the American premiere of “The Curious Quest for the Sandman’s Sand.”
Dahl’s timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to life in this stage adaptation of “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory,” which features the songs from the classic family film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It’s the story of kind-hearted Charlie Bucket who, along with a handful of greedy, obnoxious children, finds a golden ticket that allows him a one-day trip through the magical factory of mysterious candy man Willy Wonka. Once inside, the children and their parents discover a psychedelic world of outrageous inventions, awesome treats, and advice-giving “Oompa Loompas.” The memorable score features “The Candy Man,” “Pure Imagination,” “Oompa Loompa,” and “I Want it Now” by Academy and Grammy award winners Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.
Jr. Civic’s production of Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Jr.” is directed and choreographed by Brent E. Marty, who has directed the theatre’s annual Jr. Civic musical production since 2002. Mr. Marty, Civic’s director of music and education, has also directed the theatre’s recent productions of “Nunsense” and “Little Shop of Horrors” and has overseen the musical elements for numerous productions on the theatre’s mainstage. The artistic production team also includes Todd Allen Hawks (musical director), Troy Trinkle (set design), Ryan Koharchik (lighting design), Robin Uhrig (costume design), and Michael J. Lasley (sound design). The show is stage managed by Katie Rae who also serves on the Jr. Civic teaching staff.
The cast of more than 30 young actors includes Tyler C. Braun in the role of quirky candy man Willy Wonka. Tyler, a junior at Roncalli High School, has also recently appeared in Civic’s productions of “West Side Story,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Joshua Peduto is Charlie Bucket, the kind-hearted little boy from modest means that finds a golden ticket and Nathan Hurst portrays Charlie’s lovable Grandpa Joe who accompanies him to the factory. The other golden ticket holders are portrayed by Devin Feltman as the gluttonous Augustus Gloop, Lauren Frank as gum-smacking Violet Beauregarde, Thomas Anderson as TV-addicted Mike Teavee, and Jessica Paschen as spoiled Veruca Salt. Other cast members include Rachel Walls as Mrs. Gloop, Emily Mannheimer as Mrs. Beauregarde, Connor Gehlert at Mr. Salt, Broghan Phelan as Ms. Teavee, Scottie Manners as Mr. Bucket, Sarah Miles as Mrs. Bucket, Sarah Sutphin as Phineous Trout, Gabby Sandefer as Grandma Josephinia, Isabella Litwack as Grandma Georgina, and Kurt Green as Grandpa George. An ensemble of singing and dancing Oompa Loompas and jazz-dancing Candy Kids rounds out the cast.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children 12 and younger (a special $6 per child group rate is available for daycare centers). For ticket reservations and information about upcoming events, including subscriptions for the 2009-10 Mainstage Season, call the theatre’s box office at 923-4597 or buy tickets online at www.civictheatre.org. Regular box office hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Indianapolis Civic Theatre is at 3200 Cold Spring Road on the campus of Marian College.

Photos