Broadway Review: ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ The Musical
6 / 10
As for the character who looms over everything in this show - the reclusive chocolatier known as Willie Wonka - he's not as dopey as Gene Wilder or as creepy as Johnny Depp. But, as played by Christian Borle (wonderful in 'Something Rotten'), he's much too charming and lacks the aura of stranger-danger that Dahl took care to give him in his story. It's no secret that Warner Brothers has poured considerable cash into this lavish production. That could explain (but won't forgive) the overwhelming emphasis on visual effects, which look like the refined-sugar nightmares of naughty children who consumed a two-pound box of Godiva Chocolates.
