Photos: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Celebrates Opening Night

The John W. Engeman Theater's production of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. opened this weekend, and Broadway World was on hand to capture the festivities. Check out photos from the opening night party below!

The mysterious Willy Wonka is opening the gates to his secret candy factory–but only to a lucky few who find one of the five Golden Tickets. Charlie Bucket and four other winners will go on a life-changing journey through Wonka's world of pure imagination, including chocolate waterfalls, nutty squirrels, and the Great Glass Elevator. A fun-filled show for the entire family featuring favorites from the 1971 film, including “Candy Man,” “I've Got a Golden Ticket,” “Oompa-Loompa Song,” and “Pure Imagination.”

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is directed by Drew Humphrey (Engeman Theater: Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Oklahoma, Mary Poppins, A Chorus Line, Singin' in The Rain, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Guys and Dolls, 42nd Street, and Gypsy) and choreographed by Mandy Modic (Engeman Theater: Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; National Tours: 42nd Street; Regional: The Marriott Theater, Drury Lane Theater, Chicago Shakespeare, Paramount Theater, The Wick, Mill Mountain Theater).

The Creative Team includes Alec Bart (Musical Director), Kyle Dixon (Scenic Design), Dustin Cross (Costume Design), John Burkland (Lighting Design), Laura Shubert (Sound Design), MEGAN COHEN (Props Design), Jeff Knaggs (Wig Design), Wojcik Casting Team (Casting Directors), Chelsey Steinmetz (Production Stage Manager), JENNIFER DOLCE (Director of Production) and RICHARD DOLCE (Executive Producer).

The cast of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY features MATTHEW EBY as CHARLIE BUCKET (Regional: Theatre Three, CM Theater, Pride Performing Arts; Film/TV: “The Penguin,” “American Horror Stories”), Cooper Grodin as WILLY WONKA (National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables; Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse, Maltz Jupiter Theater, Barrington Stage Company, Shakespeare in the Park, Denver Performing Arts Center, Olney Theater, Barington Stage; TV/Film: “The Blacklist,” “Deception,” “Music and Lyrics”), and Howard Pinhasik as GRANDPA JOE (Off-Broadway: King of the Jews; Regional: Gateway, Metropolitan Playhouse, Theatre at 14th Street, Cidermill Playhouse; TV/Film: “Law and Order,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Do No Harm,” “The Job”). 

Also featured are RICKENS ANANTUA as MR. BEAUREGARD, CÁITLÍN BURKE as MRS. GLOOP, JAMES CHANNING as MR. SALT, SARAH COLT as MRS. BUCKET, and Molly Samson as MRS. TEAVEE.

Alternating the roles of THE CHILDREN are OLIVER CIRELLI as AUGUSTUS GLOOP, BENJAMIN CORSO as MIKE TEAVEE, LONDON DEL VECCHIO as VERUCA SALT, BRIAHNA GRIBBEN as VIOLET BEAUREGARD, ELYANA RANDOLPH as VERUCA SALT, LUCA SILVA as MIKE TEAVEE, Elliot Torbenson as AUGUSTUS GLOOP, and SATYA WILLIAMS as VIOLET BEAUREGARD.

The ensemble includes Cate Benioff, MADELINE BENOIT, Steven Bidwell, HERO DELA CRUZ, CAROLINE EBY, ZOE GILLIS, KATLYN HAROLD, ALYSSA JACQULINE, TJ Kubler, JOI MCCOY, Mac Myles, NOAH PIERRE PLEUNIK, and NOAH RUEBECK.

Photo Credit:  Genevieve Rafter Keddy

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