REVIEW: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Now Playing Paramount Theatre Through January 14, 2024

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,  receiving its Professional Regional Premiere  November 8, 2023-January 14, 2024

Don't miss this delicious modern morality tale with a fabulous gender swapping set of Charlies, a charmingly snarky Wonka, and creatively colorful costumes and sets. 

Highly recommended--ChiIL Mama.

Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features (front) Stephen Schellhardt as Willy Wonka, (middle row, kneeling, from left) Tiffany T. Taylor as Violet Beauregarde, Meena Sood as Charlie Bucket, Heidi Kettenring as Mrs. Teavee, (back row, standing, from left) Devon Hayakawa as Veruca Salt, David Blakeman as Augustus Gloop, August Forman as Mike Teavee, Jason Richards as Mr. Salt, Lorenzo Rush Jr. as Mr. Beauregarde, Abby C. Smith as Mrs. Gloop, and Gene Weygandt as Grandpa Joe.  REVIEW: By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara Here at ChiIL Mama we love the magic and creativity of live theatre. Where else do so many areas of the arts collide, to make epic story telling possible? We're also big fans of making fun, family memories together. Experiential gifts like tickets to a family friendly musical, make for great clutter busting gift ideas for the holidays. Theatre is also here for you, when the turkey's been devoured and you're left with a houseful of family and a need for something fun to do together.  Gluttony dooms Augustus Gloop (David Blakeman, center), as Mrs. Gloop (Abby C. Smith, left), looks on in horror, while Willy Wonka (Stephen Schellhardt)...not so much…in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Paramount Theatre has the perfect recipe for multigenerational family fun with their tasty treat of a holiday extravaganza. We had the pleasure of seeing the Professional Regional Premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on opening night and we've been singing the catchy lyrics and raving about this show ever since.  Nick Druzbanski (left) is reporter Jerry Jubilee and Allison Sill is fellow correspondent Cherry Sundae in Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Veruca Salt (Devon Hayakawa, right) and Mr. Salt (Jason Richards) are amazed by Oompa Loompas in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The sets, costumes, lighting, and orchestra are all next level. The choreography and special effects pop, and the entire colorful conglomeration makes for a fabulously phantasmagorical production, with a timely message we can all get on board with.   The boat ride scene in Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, featuring Stephen Schellhardt as Willy Wonka at the helm with his telescope, and Heidi Kettenring (left) as Mrs. Teavee, with her flask.  We particularly love the diversity in casting, with a range of ethnicities, body types, and genders, a perfect update from the lily white original.  Jaye Ladymore (left) plays Mrs. Bucket and Meena Sood is Charlie Bucket in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.   Paramount has also added excellent modern touches since Roald Dahl's original book, published in 1964. Violet is an obnoxious, black, social media influencer, played to perfection byTiffany T. Taylor, with Chicago favorite, Lorenzo Rush Jr. as Tiffany’s father, Mike. Of course she's still easily recognizable as the gum smacking brat we all love to loathe.  Mr. Beauregarde (Lorenzo Rush Jr., from left) live streams the moment his daughter, social media star and “The Queen of Pop,” Violet Beauregarde (Tiffany T. Taylor) meets Willy Wonka (Stephen Schellhardt), but Wonka isn’t having any of it in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Tiffany T. Taylor (center) plays Violet Beauregarde and Lorenzo Rush Jr. (behind) is Tiffany’s father and front man, Mr. Beauregarde, in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  August Forman, crazy talented trans Chicago actor, is hilarious as Mike Teavee, the brilliant, screen addicted hacker kid with an attitude problem. This is the 3rd Paramount production we've caught August in, including a lead in Hand to God, and fun supporting roles in Little Shop of Horrors, where they were directed by their spouse, talented Chicago actor and director, Landree Fleming. August Forman plays Mike Teavee in Paramount Theatre’s  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  David Blakeman makes a great glutton, as Augustus Gloop. Devon Hayakawa shines as spoiled Russian princess, Veruca Salt. And Stephen Schellhardt is spectacular as snarky curmudgeon, Willy Wonka. Their respective parents are pretty perfect in their enabling roles, too. And like Shakespeare's characters, this collection of intrepid kids and their caregivers are as timeless and timely as ever.  David Blakeman (center) plays Augustus Gloop and Abby C. Smith (with basket) is Mrs. Gloop in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Veruca Salt (Devon Hayakawa) learns if she’s a good nut, or a bad nut, in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Stephen Schellhardt plays Willy Wonka in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  We've been huge fans of Broadway star and Chicago gem, Gene Weygandt, for years, and we adore his Grandpa Joe in this production! We did a video interview and shot song clips with him way back in 2011, in rehearsals for A Christmas Story at Chicago Theatre, and since then we catch him on stage every chance we can. Gene's a true local treasure. https://www.chiilmama.com/2011/12/christmas-story-musical-interview-with.html. Gene Weygandt (left) plays Grandpa Joe and Meena Sood is Charlie Bucket in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Gene Weygandt (left) plays Grandpa Joe and Charlie Long (center) is Charlie Bucket in Paramount's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Charlie Long alternates performances with Meena Sood as Charlie.) Photo: Amy Nelson Finally, we are completely enamored with lovable Charlie Bucket, played by alternating boy and girl leads, Meena Sood and Charlie Long. We caught Meena in action on opening night and were charmed by her Charlie Bucket. What a great role model and inspiration for kids to see that a beloved character can truly be embodied by a kid of any gender or ethnicity. Representation matters, and this is huge!  Kudos to the entire cast and crew for a truly memorable, world class production. Don't miss this! Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).   Meena Sood (left) and Charlie Long (right) rotate performances as Charlie Bucket in Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Photo left by Liz Lauren. Photo right by Amy Nelson.) (Stephen Schellhardt (left, both photos) plays Willy Wonka, opposite Meena Sood (left) as Charlie Bucket, who rotates performances with Charlie Long (right) as Charlie, in Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Photo left by Liz Lauren. Photo right by Amy Nelson.)

Enter a world of pure imagination when Aurora’s Paramount Theatre presents the Professional Regional Premiere of  Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  directed by Jeff Award-winner Trent Stork, open now and running through January 14, 2024.  Tickets: paramountaurora.com or (630) 896-6666 Stephen Schellhardt (center) plays Willy Wonka in Paramount Theatre’s  Professional Regional Premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Oompa Loompas, oodles of fun and other surprises  await audiences  

Character sketches by Ryan Park, costume designer,  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

We love to peek behind the curtains at the process, and checking out Ryan Park's sketches, we're already getting excited to see how the sausage gets made... or the chocolate, as the case may be!

Step behind the gates and discover the magic that awaits when Aurora’s Paramount Theatre presents the Professional Regional Premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, November 8, 2023-January 14, 2024.  Stephen Schellhardt plays Willy Wonka in Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Follow young Charlie Bucket, his Grandpa Joe and four more Golden Ticket winners on a private tour of eccentric “Candy Man” Willy Wonka’s magical and mysterious chocolate factory. Who will win the lifetime supply of chocolate? Experience their life-changing journey through a world of “Pure Imagination," revealed with Wonka’s army of curious Oompa-Loompas.  Trent Stork, Paramount’s Artistic Producer and Casting Director, and winner, Jeff Award, Director-Musical-Large, for Paramount’s Kinky Boots in 2022, and their design team are planning a high-energy, technicolor production performed on a dazzling set designed by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, with choreography by Kasey Alfonso, music direction by Kory Danielson and costumes by Ryan Park.  Before audiences even step into the theater and see the amazing set, Paramount’s Grand Gallery will be fully decked out for the holidays, anchored by a two-story, Willy Wonka-themed Christmas tree, the perfect backdrop for pre-show holiday season selfies.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is your golden ticket for a scrumdiddlyumptious holiday outing for the whole family at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. Single tickets, $28-$79, are on sale now, or save with a Paramount Theatre three-play Broadway Series subscription package.  Welcome to a world of pure imagination: Paramount’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is based on the beloved 1964 children’s novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The musical features an original score composed by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray) and a book by David Greig.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also pays homage to the original score by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley including favorites like "Candy Man," "I've Got a Golden Ticket," "Oompa Loompa Song" and "Pure Imagination."  The musical premiered on London’s West End in 2013 where it ran for more than three years and earned seven Laurence Olivier Award nominations, including Best New Musical. It premiered on Broadway in 2017, ran for nine months, and was followed by two national tours.  

Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory stars (top, from left) Charlie Long and Meena Soodalternating as Charlie Bucket, (middle, from left) Stephen Schellhardt as Willy Wonka, Gene Weygandt as Grandpa Joe, David Blakeman as Augustus Gloop, Abby C. Smith as Mrs. Gloop, Devon Hayakawa as Veruca Salt, Jason Richards as Mr. Salt, (bottom, from left) August Forman as Mike Teavee, Heidi Kettenring as Mrs. Teavee, Tiffany T. Taylor as Violet Beauregarde, Lorenzo Rush Jr. as Mr. Beauregarde and Jaye Ladymore as Mrs. Bucket.  For Paramount’s Professional Regional Premiere, two super talented child performers - Charlie Long and Meena Sood - will alternate in the role of Charlie Bucket. Long played Kurt last season in Paramount’s The Sound of Music and rocked out as Billy and in the ensemble of School of Rock. Sood made her Paramount debut last spring in School of Rock as Shonelle, and she stepped into the role of class factotum Summer Hathaway for several performances. Paramount’s principal cast for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory includes Stephen Schellhardt as Willy Wonka, Gene Weygandt as Grandpa Joe, David Blakeman as Augustus Gloop, Abby C. Smith as Mrs. Gloop, Devon Hayakawa as Veruca Salt, Jason Richards as Mr. Salt, August Formanas Mike Teavee, Heidi Kettenring as Mrs. Teavee, Tiffany T. Taylor as Violet Beauregarde, Lorenzo Rush Jr. as Mr. Beauregarde and Jaye Ladymore as Mrs. Bucket.  Ensemble members are Terrell Armstrong, Lexie Bailey, Brian Bandura, Matthew Bettencourt, Ben Broughton, Lydia Burke, Morgan DiFonzo, Evan C. Dolan, Nick Druzbanski, Alley Ellis, Jared David Michael Grant, Dakota Hughes, Michael Lunder, Jessica Minter, Sara Reinecke, Nellie Shuford, Allison Sill, Ayana Strutz and Matthew Weidenbener. 

Trent Stork Director Trent Stork, Paramount’s Artistic Producer and Casting Director, won their first Jeff Award, Director-Musical-Large, for Paramount’s Kinky Boots in 2022. Stork also helmed last season’s blockbuster productions ofSchool of Rock, and Into the Woods with co-director Jim Corti.  Stork’s production team includes Kasey Alfonso, choreographer; Kory Danielson, music director, conductor and music supervisor; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Ryan Park, costume designer; Greg Hofmann, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer; Paul Deziel, projection designer; Jesse Gaffney, prop designer; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Max Fabian, fight and intimacy director; Susan Gosdick, dialect coach; Amanda Raquel Martinez, assistant director; Maria Blanco, associate choreographer; Celia Villacres, associate music director and associate conductor; Jaci Entwisle, stage manager; and Amber R. Dettmers and Erin Nicole Eggers, assistant stage managers.

Stephen Schellhardt (right) plays Willy Wonka in Paramount Theatre’s Professional Regional Premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Performances run through January 14, 2024. Trent Stork directs.  Photo credit for all: Liz Lauren (*unless otherwise indicated - photos featuring Charlie Long as Charlie by Amy Nelson.) Times, dates and ticket information Previews start November 8. Opening Night is Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m. Performances run through January 14: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Run time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes with intermission.  Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, melissas@paramountarts.com or (630) 723-2461.  Jaye Ladymore (left) plays Mrs. Bucket and Charlie Long is Charlie Bucket in Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Charlie Long alternates performances with Meena Sood as Charlie.) Photo: Amy Nelson  Exceptions/added performances No 1:30 p.m. matinee Wednesday, November 8. No shows Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23 and Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24. Added holiday matinees are Friday, November 24 and Friday, December 22 at 3 p.m., and Thursday, December 28 at 1:30 p.m.   Pay What You Can Performances Paramount will offer two Pay What You Can performances of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Thursday, November 9 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, November 11 at 3 p.m. Both days, starting at 10 a.m., visit the Paramount box office in-person to request tickets. Limit four per person. Subject to availability. See paramountaurora.com/pay-what-you-can for details.   August Forman (left) plays Mike Teavee and Stephen Schellhardt is Willy Wonka in Paramount Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.   Access Services Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a listening device. Paramount will offer opening captioning on Wednesday, January 3 at 1:30 p.m., and American Sign Language interpretation on Friday, January 5 at  8 p.m.  If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com in advance. Sponsors Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is sponsored by Rush Copley Medical Center and Jakes Inc. Paramount Theatre Broadway Season sponsors include the Dunham Foundation, the City of Aurora, BMO Harris Bank, ComEd and the Illinois Arts Council.  What’s next in Paramount’s 12th Anniversary Broadway Series?

Join the growing ranks of Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, the largest subscription-based theater in the U.S. Three-play packages including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Billy Elliot: The Musical (February 7-March 24, 2024) and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (April 24-June 16, 2024) are also on sale, starting at $50.40. Plus two BOLD Series shows, right across the street at Paramount’s Copley Theatre

In addition, Paramount second BOLD Series continues across the street in Paramount’s Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., with the recent Off-Broadway sensation What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck (October 4-November 12, 2023), and Tennessee Williams’s classic drama A Streetcar Named Desire (March 13-April 21, 2024).                                                                       For tickets, subscriptions and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or visit the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days.

About Paramount Theatre

Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931. After launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount Theatre has rapidly grown to be the largest subscription house in the U.S. In 2022-23, more than 35,000 subscribers enjoyed Paramount’s critically acclaimed, Broadway-caliber productions, along with an array of internationally known comedians, musicians, dance troupes and family shows. For over 50 years, the Joseph Jefferson Awards has recognized excellence in Chicago area theater. Last season, Paramount took home six Jeff Awards for Kinky Boots, including Best Musical-Large, Paramount’s fourth win in that category following Sweeney Todd (2017), West Side Story (2016) and Les Misérables (2015). Over the last 11 years, Paramount has been honored to earn 115 Jeff nominations and 27 wins.  Paramount Theatre is one of four live performance venues programmed and managed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA). Paramount’s “sister stage” is the 165-seat Copley Theatre, home to Paramount’s BOLD Series, across the street at North Island Center. ACCA also oversees RiverEdge Park, the city’s 6,000-seat outdoor summer concert venue, Stolp Island Theatre, an immersive space opening in 2024, and the Paramount School of the Arts. Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals. For the latest updates, visit paramountaurora.com or follow @paramountaurora on Facebook, and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.