Posted: 4/14/17 at 1:13pm
Hi All,
I usually just sit back and read the threads. I decided to register and post for the first time in response to this thread.
I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in London. The show was quite dreadful. The set was quite large in some scenes. It was beautiful at some points. It did have a lot of static elements and used projections heavily to make it appear that the set was more complex than it actually was. The set (in some scenes) was the ONLY saving grace of the London production.
I saw Charlie on Broadway this past week with a group of friends. We all quite loved the show we saw on Wednesday night! The audience that attended with us was very enthusiastic and quite happy as well.
The music and songs are so much better than the London production. The movie songs and new songs have been reworked nicley. There is some work that needs to be done on the book/narrative. The show is good. It could be better if some of the narrative elements are polished.
The show and set are COMPLETELY different than the London show. That is a plus in my opinion.
The cast was AMAZING! They gave it their all and it showed every moment they were onstage. The "adult" actors always seemed childlike in their performances. I found it to be very tongue in cheek! Charlie seemed so honest and innocent compared to the other "kids".
The set is quite brilliant. There are many amazing moments. It does not look cheap. (Nor do the costumes.) It is just more stylized than the London version. The stage here is also much smaller. Things have been compacted a bit because of the venue.
The only part of the set that was a bit of a letdown was the Chocolate Room. It was much better than described on this thread....however....it could use a makeover. The colors and shapes in the diorama seem out of place. The scale is off. It could be reworked a bit and it would be more appealing. The plant elements and miniature cows are very odd. They could "replant" the garden, add some projections to the side walls, add a few side elements and the scene would work fine. (The London Chocolate Room set was a wide swath of fake green grass and some giant flowers. It was just bigger & slightly more colorful....not necessarily better!)
I can't find fault in the set at any other point in the show. I think less is better is some cases. (I loved the set for Aida!) The Charlie set works stylistically throughout....except for the Chocolate Room. I was very happy with the way they enhanced the elevator at the end. It does not simply move around in front of a starry background. The entire roof of the set comes down to reveal the factory & village below. It was BEAUTIFUL!
The set is not cheap! There are some very complex projection effects that are integrated throughout. Mike's scene is well done! The end of act one offers a wonderful bit of magic as well!
I love the "adult" humor and elements in the show. Varuca's tragic end left the audience stunned....and then there was a mass applause! There are a lot of "grown up" jokes in the show. The dark side of Dahl is alive and well in this production. I loved that aspect! The audience was calling out to Charlie in the final moments of the show! He was about to peek into Wonka's notebook and the audience (adults) called out to protect him! It was so much fun!
Honestly....this show is not as bad as the "original" Carrie or Urban Cowboy (YUCK!)! It doesn't come close to being the bomb of the century!!! Heck...Book of Mormon has one set (the African village) on stage for almost the entire second act! I thought that set was much more of a letdown than Charlie's set! Charlie's set is much more original! Please give it a chance!
This is simply my opinion/POV. I plan on heading back after opening to see how the show has been polished up. I just wanted to share some hope!
Updated On: 4/14/17 at 01:13 PM
