Previews: WILLY WONKA KIDS at Patel Conservatory - Straz

Patel Conservatory’s young performers step into a world of pure imagination in Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS at the Straz Center’s TECO Theater Feb. 19–22, directed by Jamie Lynn Gilliam. Students ages seven to eleven have been rehearsing Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, building a candy-coated universe of chocolate rivers, mischievous moments, and big-hearted lessons. As the conservatory describes it, the show features “the delicious adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory,” along with songs from the beloved 1971 Gene Wilder film and several new musical surprises.

For Abby Cappiello, stepping into Willy Wonka’s purple coat was a moment of awe. “At first I didn't realize how big a deal it was because I had been in school plays before - but that night I realized this was the Straz!! It hit me later that Wonka was a main character! Wow!” she said. She leans into Wonka’s uncanny intuition and whimsical unpredictability. “Wonka is someone who has foresight - like he almost already knows what’s going to happen. He already knows the kids character before they actually show it and is able to tempt them a little bit with his pure imagination. slay” she said.

Cappiello is especially excited for audiences to catch one of the show’s funniest moments. “When Mike TV is talking to the imaginary Oompa Loompa saying I ‘Freeze, put your hands in the air punk,’ and Augustus is trying to sneak to the chocolate pipes and freezes and puts his hands in the air. I think that’s a really funny part of the show.” She’s discovered something new about herself in the process. “I have loved the opportunity to be expressive in my acting and speech. At first I wondered how I was going to be able to add Wonka's touch - and I hope that I have captured it.”

Opposite her, Aiden Martin brings wide-eyed sincerity to Charlie Bucket. “It means a lot to me. I really like going to rehearsals and interacting with the other kids. It is a really great cast,” he said. For him, the magic clicked during tech week. “When we use the microphones and props, it feels professional. With costumes, the characters of the cast really come to life.”

Martin’s favorite moment is one of the story’s most iconic. “I really like ‘I Got a Golden Ticket’. It is a phenomenal scene for Charlie. It is the best part of his life. He is one out of 5 kids in the entire world that get to tour the factory.” He hopes young audiences walk away with the message at the heart of Dahl’s story. “I hope they understand that even though your life may be really bad, things can change, even when you least expect it.”

With a cast this enthusiastic and a story built on wonder and possibility, Patel Conservatory’s production promises a spirited escape for families — and a golden ticket into the imaginations of Tampa Bay’s youngest performers.

Gilliam said, “It is so wonderful to be part of show that reminds us that though the window we see through today maybe dusty, dark and shaded, there is sun on the other side peeking through. With kindness, found joy, and imagination those windows clear up.”