Review: Delightful Confection for the Entire Family: MSMT Presents WILLY WONKA,JR.

MSMT closes its Family series on August 11 with a colorful, lively, special-effects-laden presentation of Roald Dahl’s WILLY WONKA, JR.  The production is the fruit of MSMT’s Summer Theatre Intensive, which auditions, casts, and trains local youth (ages 8-18) to perform a fully mounted main stage production. In the four years since the program’s inception, the productions have continued to grow in sophistication and artistic and technical excellence, with this year’s WILLY WONKA, JR. distinguishing itself for cast size and talent and production complexity.

WILLY WONKA ,JR., with music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse  and Anthony Newley, is an excellent choice because of the number of children’s roles, its sparkling score, and  overall magical ambience. Music Director Matt LeBerge schools the youngsters well vocally and stylishly plays the score’s sometimes frothy, often mysterious music.

Director/choreographer Betsy Puelle, fuses both the dark comedy and the delightful world of imagination to create a rich, fluidly staged theatrical confection. Using the stationery set pieces from the current main stage show (WEST SIDE STORY) to clever effect and adding bright geometric props, combined with realistic and abstract video projections, Puelle, who is also the Set Designer, and Video Designer Luis Garcia achieve a magical realm and  successfully create the numerous special effects the show requires. Seifallah Salotto Cristobal‘s lighting design and John Russell’s sound design add to the fantasy element, while Flo Florence Cooley’s costumes are witty and characterful.   Once again,  Megan Franco anchors the production expertly.

The twenty-five member cast features some very talented youngsters. In the title role, Joshua Webber portrays Willy Wonka with a quiet, mature, sometimes sly demeanor that underlies a natural authority, and he delivers his solos like “Pure Imagination” with a pleasing, lyrical baritone. As Charlie Bucket, Nathaniel Cummings displays a pure, well-schooled boy soprano, perky optimism, and plenty of stage presence. Abe Fortin brings a strong vocal presence and kindly benevolence to Grandpa Joe, as do Spencer Fieldroy as Mr.Bucket, and Maddie MacLearn as Mrs. Bucket.

August Flynn as the gluttonous Augustus Gloop and Isla Shovlin as Mrs. Gloop deliver an amusing parody of a German folk family, while Aubrey Favreau is a spoiled Veruca Salt with Lyra Legawiec as her entitled mother. Aida Ameswright as Violet Beauregarde and Caitlin Ellis as her mother poke fun at this Southern American pair, complete with thick accents and Dolly Parton hair. Scout Martin perfectly captures Mike Teevee’s digital obsession and gives a vibrant performance of “I See It All on TV,” and she is nicely supported by Caroline Hester as Mrs. Teevee. Madelyn Sweet makes the reporter Phineas Trout into a vivacious female newswoman.

Rounding out the cast are  Molly O’Brien as Grandma Josephina, Henry Adams as James, and John McGillicuddy as Grandpa Bucket, together with seven delightful blonde-cloned Oompa-Loompas, (Lukas Charrier, Milo Fantigrossi, Alexa Largay, Allison Largay, Silas Monk, Cameron Reagan, Estella Wigg) who tie the action together with their whimsical song-dance interludes.

Like so many of the productions in the TYA series WILLY WONKA, JR.  is about dreams and dreamers. And as such, it makes the perfect finale to the Family Series. For after all, what is theatre, but imagination taken to great heights – to a place where the impossible no longer exists?

Photos courtesy of MSMT, Dane  Whitlock, photographer

WILLY WONKA, JR. runs for four performances on August 11, 2025, at the MSMT’s Pickard Theater on the campus of Bowdoin College, 1 Bath Rd., Brunswick, ME

207-725-8769 wwwmsmt.org