'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' is all empty calories, landing at Young People's Theatre as a musical dud
Overstuffed with saccharine sentimentality and an unctuous, smarmy score, this latest adaptation misses the delicious bite of Dahl's original story
For all its bells and whistles, the show's clumsy staging and miscast leads leave a bad taste in the mouth
Roald Dahl's beloved children's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" has been adapted for the stage countless times, but the latest musical iteration, now playing at Young People's Theatre, is a particularly bitter disappointment.
Overstuffed with saccharine sentimentality and an unctuous, smarmy score, this latest adaptation misses the delicious bite of Dahl's original story.
The show's central problem lies in its music. The songs, by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, are uniformly bland and forgettable, lacking the wit and whimsy that made their work on "Hairspray" so memorable.
The lyrics are particularly egregious, often resorting to clunky rhymes and awkward phrasing.
The show's staging is equally clumsy. The set, by Christine Jones, is a garish mishmash of candy-colored scenery and oversized props that make the stage seem cluttered and cramped.
The direction, by James Lapine, is equally uninspired, with the actors often left to wander aimlessly around the stage.
The cast is uniformly miscast, with the exception of Alex Brightman as Willy Wonka. Brightman brings a manic energy to the role, but his performance is ultimately too one-note to be truly satisfying.
The rest of the cast is equally underwhelming, with the young actors playing Charlie and his friends coming across as wooden and unnatural.
In the end, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is a hollow and unsatisfying experience. The show is all empty calories, with nothing to truly savor.
Conclusion
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is a classic story that deserves a better adaptation than this.
This latest musical version is a missed opportunity, and it's likely to leave audiences feeling disappointed and hungry for something more.
