I saw the show last night and after reading this thread, I was expecting the worst show ever. I was pleasantly surprised and honestly, I really enjoyed it (I know, I'm in the minority here). I thought the sets were done nicely (I already knew about the minuscule chocolate room so no disappointment over that on my end), the score was fun and the cast was top notch. Standouts were definitely Michael Wartella as Mike Teavee, Kathy Fitzgerald as Mrs. Gloop. Also enjoyed Borle's performance, though, after seeing him as Shakespeare several times, it seems some of that role was brought into this one. Had Jake Ryan Flynn as Charlie and thought he was adorable.
I was dreading the most talked about squirrel ballet & them wripping Veruca limb from limb, and yes, it was as disturbing and out of place as I thought it would be. It was the worst part of the show and I wish they had cut it. People didn't know whether to laugh or cry...the end of that scene was mostly left with silence and a few people slowly clapping. Other than that, my Mom and I thought show was fun and entertaining. I'd recommend it to friends if they were looking for a fun night at the theatre. Lots of kids in the audience and thunderous applauses throughout from start to finish. I thought the oompa loompa's were done very creatively. To be honest, though, had I not read this thread prior to attending the show, I'm not 100% sure my opinion would be the same; I went in with extremely low expectations.