WILLY WONKA JR - Davis Musical Theatre Company Non Equity Auditions

AUDITION DATES

Attend one of the following:

Monday, March 15, 2027 from 4:30–7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 16, 2027 from 4:30–7:00 p.m.

Actors should arrive by 4:15 p.m. to complete the required paperwork and should expect to remain for the entire audition period. Actors only need to attend one audition date.

Callbacks, if invited, will be held Wednesday, March 17, 2027 from 4:00–7:00 p.m.

LOCATION

Davis Musical Theatre Company
Jean Henderson Performing Arts Center
607 Pena Drive, Davis, CA 95618

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

Performances run May 8–30, 2027.

School matinees will be held May 11, 2027, with performances at 9:15 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Actors must be available for all technical rehearsals, public performances, and school matinees. A complete rehearsal and performance schedule will be provided at auditions.

ELIGIBILITY

Actors ages 7–17 as of the first performance are eligible to participate. Actors who are 18 and currently enrolled in high school are also eligible.

No previous theatrical experience is required. Casting is determined by audition and is based on each actor’s ability and suitability for the available roles.

Cast size is limited to 35 actors.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Please prepare 16–32 bars, or approximately one minute, of a song in the style of the show. Bring sheet music in the appropriate key for the accompanist. A cappella singing and recorded accompaniment are not permitted.

Auditions will also include a dance combination taught by the choreographer. Please wear or bring clothing and shoes that allow you to move safely and comfortably.

Please bring:

• Sheet music for your prepared vocal selection
• A complete list of rehearsal conflicts
• A completed audition form signed by a parent or guardian

Walk-ins are welcome, but auditioners are encouraged to sign up online at dmtc.org. The audition form may be completed digitally in advance or on paper at the audition.

The callback list will be posted on the DMTC website following Tuesday evening’s auditions.

All rehearsal conflicts must be disclosed at auditions. Conflicts are not permitted during technical rehearsals, performances, or school matinees.

PARENT OR GUARDIAN COMMITMENT

Davis Musical Theatre Company is an all-volunteer organization. Every YPT production depends on active participation from the parents and guardians of cast members.

For each child cast in the production, a parent or guardian is required to:

• Complete 25 volunteer hours
• Attend required parent meetings
• Ensure the actor arrives at rehearsals and performances on time and prepared
• Communicate promptly with the production team
• Meet with the costume coordinator as required
• Provide costume pieces according to the costume coordinator’s instructions
• Complete all required forms and signatures

Parents and guardians should consider their own availability before their child auditions. The actor’s participation requires a commitment from the entire family.

For questions or additional information, contact
ypt@dmtc.org or visit
https://dmtc.org.

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Enigmatic candy maker Willy Wonka announces that he has hidden five Golden Tickets inside Wonka chocolate bars. The children who find them will receive a tour of his mysterious factory and a lifetime supply of candy.

Among the winners is Charlie Bucket, a kind and humble child whose family has very little. Accompanied by Grandpa Joe, Charlie enters a fantastical world filled with chocolate rivers, incredible inventions, Oompa-Loompas, and surprises around every corner. As the visitors make their way through the factory, each child must decide whether to follow Wonka’s rules—or face the unexpected consequences.

Featuring memorable songs from the beloved film alongside an imaginative score, Willy Wonka JR. is a whimsical story about honesty, humility, family, and the rewards of doing what is right.

Recommended for the whole family.

AVAILABLE ROLES

All roles are open. DMTC does not pre-cast. DMTC welcomes performers of all backgrounds and encourages actors to consider any role with which they identify.

Listed casting requirements are approximate and may be adjusted at the discretion of the production team.

Willy Wonka: The eccentric and elusive owner of the world-famous Wonka Chocolate Factory. Quirky, clever, unpredictable, and highly particular about how his factory is run, Wonka guides the Golden Ticket winners through a series of extraordinary inventions and carefully designed tests. Beneath the character’s peculiar manner is a genuine fondness for children who demonstrate honesty, humility, and imagination. This demanding leading role requires a confident singer and actor with commanding stage presence, excellent comic timing, and the ability to balance mystery, warmth, authority, and mischief.

Charlie Bucket: A kind, thoughtful, and resilient child who lives with a loving family despite their difficult circumstances. Charlie rarely asks for more than is given and treasures even the smallest pleasures. Although quiet and unassuming, Charlie possesses tremendous courage, integrity, and inner strength. This major role requires a strong singer and sincere actor capable of carrying the emotional heart of the story.

Grandpa Joe: Charlie’s oldest grandparent and closest friend. Despite his age, Grandpa Joe remains youthful, imaginative, and full of enthusiasm. He encourages Charlie to believe that finding a Golden Ticket is possible and eagerly accompanies him into Wonka’s factory. Requires a warm, energetic singer and actor who can convey humor, affection, optimism, and a childlike sense of wonder.

Mr. Bucket: Charlie’s hardworking and compassionate father. Mr. Bucket does everything possible to care for Charlie and the entire Bucket household during difficult times. Requires a sincere actor who can bring warmth, patience, and quiet optimism to Charlie’s family.

Mrs. Bucket: Charlie’s loving and resilient mother. Mrs. Bucket works to hold the family together and remains deeply devoted to Charlie and Mr. Bucket despite their hardships. Requires a warm, emotionally grounded actor who can convey strength, tenderness, and hope.

Grandma Josephine: A quick-witted and cheerful member of the Bucket family. Grandma Josephine brings humor, affection, and plenty of personality to the crowded Bucket household. Requires strong comedic instincts and lively characterization.

Grandpa George: An outspoken and somewhat hard-of-hearing member of the Bucket family whose misunderstandings and lively opinions create comic chaos. Requires excellent timing and the ability to create a distinctive, memorable character.

Grandma Georgina: A spirited and easily exasperated member of the Bucket family who frequently finds herself reacting to Grandpa George’s misunderstandings. Requires bold comedic characterization and the ability to work closely within the Bucket family ensemble.

Phineous Trout: A clever, dry-witted reporter who follows the Golden Ticket story and interviews each winner. Trout appears throughout the contest coverage and helps connect the audience to events happening around the world. Requires confident delivery, strong comic timing, and an energetic broadcast presence.

Camera Person: Phineous Trout’s ever-present camera operator. This featured role follows Trout during the Golden Ticket interviews and helps create the excitement of a major international news story. Requires expressive physical acting, focus, and strong comic instincts.

Candy Man: A friendly local candy vendor who delights neighborhood children with Wonka candy and the possibilities contained inside every wrapper. This featured role requires a confident singer, a welcoming stage presence, and the ability to establish the magical world of the story.

Augustus Gloop: An enthusiastic Golden Ticket winner who is almost always thinking about food. Augustus’s inability to control his appetite creates one of the factory tour’s first major disasters. Requires a bold singer and comedic actor willing to make energetic physical and character choices. The role includes speaking and singing with a German accent.

Mrs. Gloop: Augustus’s doting and overprotective mother. Proud of her son and inclined to indulge his every appetite, Mrs. Gloop is swept into the chaos when Augustus ignores Wonka’s warnings. Requires a strong comedic actor capable of an exaggerated character performance. The role includes speaking with a German accent.

Veruca Salt: A wealthy, demanding Golden Ticket winner who is accustomed to receiving everything she wants. Veruca can appear charming when it serves her, but quickly becomes forceful and furious when denied anything. This featured role requires a confident singer, actor, and mover with commanding energy, sharp comic timing, and fearless characterization.

Mr. Salt: Veruca’s wealthy and indulgent father. Mr. Salt uses his money and influence to satisfy his daughter’s every demand, regardless of the consequences. Requires strong comic timing and the ability to portray arrogance, exasperation, and complete devotion to Veruca.

Mike Teavee: A sarcastic and intensely technology-focused Golden Ticket winner who would rather engage with screens and electronics than the people around him. Mike is clever, restless, and convinced that technology can solve anything. Requires a high-energy performer with strong comedic instincts, precise delivery, and dynamic physicality.

Mrs. Teavee: Mike’s permissive and technologically savvy mother. Although she recognizes some of her son’s behavior, she struggles to control or redirect him. Requires a confident comedic actor who can react effectively to Mike’s constant energy and sarcastic remarks.

Violet Beauregarde: A bold, competitive, and relentlessly self-promoting Golden Ticket winner. Violet is proud of her accomplishments, dismissive of others, and determined to remain the center of attention. She chews gum constantly and ignores Wonka’s warning about an experimental piece of gum. Requires a strong singer and character actor with confidence, attitude, comic timing, and committed physicality.

Mrs. Beauregarde: Violet’s enthusiastic and image-conscious mother. She proudly encourages her daughter’s competitive behavior and often mirrors Violet’s mannerisms, expressions, and attitude. Requires an energetic comedic actor who can develop strong physical and character chemistry with Violet.

Oompa-Loompas: The inventive and hardworking employees of Willy Wonka’s factory. The Oompa-Loompas guide the audience through the factory, respond to each child’s misadventure, and deliver the story’s lessons through song and dance. These featured ensemble roles require strong singing, dancing, characterization, and stamina. Oompa-Loompa performers may also portray several additional characters throughout the production.

James or Jamie: One of Charlie’s close friends and a featured member of the neighborhood community. This role may be assigned to an Oompa-Loompa ensemble performer and requires lively characterization and strong ensemble instincts.

Matilda: One of Charlie’s close friends and a featured member of the neighborhood community. This role may be assigned to an Oompa-Loompa ensemble performer and requires lively characterization and strong ensemble instincts.

Children and Townspeople: Members of Charlie’s neighborhood who gather at the candy shop and become swept up in the worldwide search for Wonka’s Golden Tickets. These featured ensemble roles may be assigned to Oompa-Loompa performers and require strong reactions, energy, singing, and movement.

Squirrels: Highly trained workers inside Wonka’s Nut Room who carefully inspect each nut and each visitor to determine whether it is good or bad. These featured movement roles may be assigned to Oompa-Loompa performers and require precise physical storytelling, comic timing, and strong ensemble coordination.

Cooks: Members of Wonka’s factory workforce who appear during the factory tour. These featured ensemble roles may be assigned to Oompa-Loompa performers and require energetic characterization, singing, movement, and the ability to work as a tightly coordinated group.

Ensemble: The ensemble brings Charlie’s neighborhood and Wonka’s extraordinary factory to life. Performers may portray candy-shop customers, townspeople, reporters, factory workers, Oompa-Loompas, squirrels, cooks, and other imaginative characters encountered during the tour.

The ensemble is essential to the production’s music, choreography, comedy, and sense of spectacle. Featured lines, solos, dance moments, and specialty characters may be assigned from the ensemble.