OUTLOOK - We are just a few weeks away from entering the world of fun and fantasy as Outlook’s Equinox Theatre brings “Willy Wonka” to the stage.
The story, based on the book by Roald Dahl, tells the tale of world famous candy maker Willy Wonka, and his quest to find the right heir to take over his candy empire. It is a story that has delighted children and adults alike, and Equinox Theatre is bringing a large cast and crew to the task of staging this major musical production.
In the story, Willy Wonka holds a contest in which he hides five golden tickets amongst his scrumptious candy bars around the world for children to try and find. The winners of the golden tickets and their chaperones are invited on a tour of the factory and promised a lifetime supply of candy. While four of the golden ticket winners are rather insufferable children who end up facing consequences for their disobedience, one sweet young boy named Charlie invites his grandfather to join him and they embark on a life-changing journey.
Sheri Lovrod is directing the production and says the community theatre group has been eager to stage a production involving children since they did The Little Mermaid in 2018. “Willy Wonka made the short list,” she said, “and then COVID hit and we couldn’t do anything.” Since then the group staged three productions involving smaller casts to help put them on financial footing to allow for staging a large musical again.
“The spectacle of Willy Wonka was intriguing,” Sheri said. “The color, the fantasy, and little touches of the absurd caught my attention. There’s so much potential to do fun things with the script and with the actors so it was a good option.”
A cast of 34 adults and children will be on stage bringing the story to life in a show that features memorable music including “Pure Imagination”, “The Candy Man”, “Cheer Up, Charlie”, “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” and of course, numbers by the Oompa Loompas. The cast includes longtime veterans as well as newcomers to the stage. “We have people who didn’t know they could do what they’re doing on this stage,” Sheri remarked. “It’s quite exciting. The initial rehearsals were very impressive.”
Working equally hard is a crew of 25 people who have been involved in building props, painting, sewing and producing all the color and fun that will create the fantastical world of Willy Wonka. It’s people coming together to make something of this scale happen that draws Sheri to being part of the group. “Equinox is all about working together. It’s a community endeavour. Everybody does their part and sometimes it’s being on the stage, sometimes it’s building props, sometimes being a musician or running lights. Sometimes it’s setting up chairs or emptying the garbage. All of those jobs are important. They all make the show happen.”
Willy Wonka runs November 16-19. Tickets go on sale October 19 at Outlook Printers The show is filled with memorable characters, great music and touches of whimsy that won’t soon be forgotten. The director is having fun pulling all the elements together and hopes audiences will enjoy the funny and heartwarming show. “Ultimately it is the story of a very sweet boy who gets to carry on a very big dream,” Sheri said. “I think people will be touched by the telling of Charlie and the chocolate factory.”
