CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Previews- Page 8

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 1:27pm

newintown said: "What a strange writing team - book by a Scottish playwright of small "serious" dramas (and no other musical theatre experience), paired with a songwriting team known for simple fun showtunes, and a director with a definite talent for putting together a tidy show (most often a comedy or musical comedy).

The book writer seems to be odd man out here."'

Ah yes, David Greig is responsible for killing children. That makes more sense.

 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 1:28pm

This sounds positively AWFUL, which is a shame since I love many in the cast and my boyfriend is DYING to see it...

[BroadwayMomma]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 1:31pm

neonlightsxo said: "Can someone clarify- are they actually killing the kids or do they come back at the end? (I don't mean literally)

I didn't see it last night, but based on these comments it sounds like at least some of the kids are actually killed (torn apart, explode, etc.) but then are "put back together" and appear in the closing number.  In the book and movies, the kids are not killed or destroyed -- they are manipulated in some way and then leave the factory at the end. 

 

[CRS14]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 1:33pm

The first act had two "sets" that were pretty much on stage the whole time. Stage right was the Bucket family home which was a two-level set with the Grandparents bed on top and a bathtub/chair on the bottom. It kept coming in and out throughout the show and would weirdly spin around (which had zero purpose since there was no need to see the back of it. That's what led to the gaffe on Grandpa Joe's first song). Stage left was the candy store where Charlie interacted with Wonka. 

During the other kids golden ticket songs there was a backdrop that came in that would highlight a scenic image for where they were (Russian landscape for Veruca, for instance). 

The outside of the factory came to prominence at the very end of the act and was just a typical house. I didn't mind this being underwhelming because - at the time at least - I figured would add to the magic of the inside of the factory (I was wrong).

Act two is pretty much entirely in the factory which, on its own, is literally just the stage with some angled walls. It's literally blank. 

The magical room where everything is edible is a 10x10 box that gets rolled downstage. It was laughable to be honest - even for a high school production to be honest. 

The mixing room and the machine for Mike Teavee were basically the same - just a big apparatus int he center of the stage.

Someone else mentioned the "maze" scene where they had to mime through  swamp, wind tunnel, flying pans, and then hitting a gong. This wasn't a HUGE miss in my opinion but the scene dragged on and on which took away from it.

Lastly, the elevator is just a glass box that is supported directly from the trap door it comes out of. It just goes up and down (no leftway or rightways or slantways or sideways). It makes Elphaba feel like she is literally flying.

Big, big, big miss. 

 

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 1:50pm

A friend of mine attended the first preview last night and sent this to me from the lobby. 
Nothing happens when you push it.

Apparently this button symbolizes the entire show.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 1:52pm

Sounds like I did good taking this off of my must see list. 

Just out of curiosity,  how is it with Charlie being the only child actor with the rest of the kids being played by adults?  I don't know the adult actors,  so I don't know if they look young or not. Like are they able to pass for at least teens? That's 1 thing I find odd about this production.  

[drewalexander]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 2:01pm

Thank you so much for the set info! I'm really sad this is what this show has turned to. Hopefully preview changes are made. Let's hope for the best! 

[EvanK]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 2:44pm

So to confirm with those who have seen it,

the sets are completely changed from what's in the London trailer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XodF7sI1kbw

[CRS14]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 2:47pm

EvanK said: "So to confirm with those who have seen it,

the sets are completely changed from what's in the London trailer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XodF7sI1kbw

 

"

Wow - I hadn't seen that trailer (or anything from West End). I can confirm the sets are DRASTICALLY different. The Broadway show feels like a high school adaptation of that West End trailer. I can't begin to describe the 10x10 grid in comparison to what is seen at the :50 mark of that video. Couldn't be more different.

[EvanK]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:09pm

And in the london version the candy garden was this big green lawn/hill piece that rolled forward and had the chocolate pond/waterfall in the centre, which the kid then fell into.. A pipe was then lowered to the pond and the kid was sucked up it. 

This is most certainly not a bootleg of that moment...

 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYXfChUrl-w

 

[RW3]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:12pm

I've laughed way too hard at some of these reports. Almost choked on my sandwich when I read about Veruca and the squirrels. This sounds like a hot mess.

[The_Spielers_2017]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:21pm

Crazy question- is it possible some set pieces aren't finished/ working yet? Maybe that accounts for the unfinished/ minimalist nature of the sets seen last night?

I just find it so odd (after ALL the cast interviews of them gushing over the set) that THIS would be the result.

[Patty3]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:25pm

Add me to the disappointed list. I saw it twice in London and loved it. I liked that you did't see Wonka until the end of act one except in disguise. There was an air of mystery that will be lost with the NY production. The sets in London were spectacular. I also liked the music and Pure Imagination in the elevator scene. Why they had to mess with that - no need for a new song there at all. And the Oompah Loompahs were so ingenious and creative although that has been done before in movie musicals from the 50s. I was hopeful when I saw the effort that went into the outside of the theater a few weeks ago. Except for Borle's performance there doesn't seem to be any reason to open the door of that factory!

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:25pm

I know its a long shot, but do you think that they simply ran out of time and instead of delaying previews, they started with less than half of their set in place?   I mean...it's a stretch, but maybe? lol 

I have so many questions. Why put it into a large musical house that has ample storage space and not utilize it?  How many producers are on this? People really signed off on this design? Out of the entire Creative staff, no one was like, "Having a minimalist set, might not be a good idea for a show like Wonka."  It all just doesn't make sense.

Updated On: 3/29/17 at 03:25 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:31pm

The show would have to have more technical rehearsals to get new sets in place. That's extremely time-consuming and would almost certainly require shows to be canceled.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:34pm

"Crazy question- is it possible some set pieces aren't finished/ working yet? Maybe that accounts for the unfinished/ minimalist nature of the sets seen last night?"

"I know its a long shot, but do you think that they simply ran out of time and instead of delaying previews, they started with less than half of their set in place?   I mean...it's a stretch, but maybe? lol "

 

...no.

[The_Spielers_2017]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:38pm

Famebroadway2 said: "I know its a long shot, but do you think that they simply ran out of time and instead of delaying previews, they started with less than half of their set in place?   I mean...it's a stretch, but maybe? lol 

I have so many questions. Why put it into a large musical house that has ample storage space and not utilize it?  How many producers are on this? People really signed off on this design? Out of the entire Creative staff, no one was like, "Having a minimalist set, might not be a good idea for a show like Wonka."  It all just doesn't make sense.

 

"

To be fair, the Lunt Fontanne is one of those theatres (like the Richard Rodgers or the St. James that SEEMS like a house capable of holding a giant show, but in fact has terribly cramped/ non-existent wing space. Mermaid in particular was particularly hampered by the limitations. That being said, these theatres have held large scale productions, the designer just has to be creative with how they manage the space (Addams Family, Bullets Over Broadway, Beauty and the Beast, and The Producers all come to mind as using the limitations excellently).

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:41pm

Almost every Broadway theater has cramped wing space. That's part of the gig.

[evic]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:41pm

Maybe a bit premature to comment....but it seems that Jackie Hoffman may be having her own Groundhog Day....stuck in a bomb of a musical at the Lunt Fontanne which will probably run 1 1/2 years just like The Addams Family....well- at least she gets her own song in this one.   I detested it in London and will not see it again no matter what the changes are.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:45pm

I mean they chose that theater... But if I recall the theater in London had a TON of backstage space, so they could get bigger set pieces in. I just don't get why they didn't take that design and scale it down a bit for Broadway. 

[brian1973]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 3:52pm

Can't believe people are STILL asking if it's the same production as London..or aren't they using the London design...or maybe the whole set hasn't arrived yet!!!

 

maybe this is the version they have wanted to do ?!

 

i for one like the show curtain, it's whimsical. I'm going to reserve judgement until I see it next week.

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 4:06pm

" To be fair, the Lunt Fontanne is one of those theaters (like the Richard Rodgers or the St. James that SEEMS like a house capable of holding a giant show, but in fact has terribly cramped/ non-existent wing space. Mermaid in particular was particularly hampered by the limitations. That being said, these theatres have held large scale productions, the designer just has to be creative with how they manage the space (Addams Family, Bullets Over Broadway, Beauty and the Beast, and The Producers all come to mind as using the limitations excellently) "

 

Yes, the Lunt has shallow wings, but so do many other houses on Broadway. Everything lives in the air or below these days.... I know for a fact that the Lunt can hold a huge show.  I mean ****, they dug out the basement for the spiral lifts in Titanic.   Wonka as designed in London should have been able to fit in there. 

 

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 4:49pm

Yikes. From what I'm reading they appear to have gotten rid of what was good in London (the design, the creative way they did the Oompa Loompas) and just piled more crap on top of the pile of crap that was left. It's a real shame considering the source material they're working with; much like with the adaptation of Addams Family, the creatives seem to have missed everything that makes the material iconic and beloved and instead have just made a mess of things. 

[smidge]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 4:56pm

The producers probably just wanted to do this on the cheap,  and hope the name alone will sell it to families. 

[Trish2]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 5:47pm

smidge said: "The producers probably just wanted to do this on the cheap,  and hope the name alone will sell it to families. "

 

Sounds like the "families" will heading over to the more lavish production of ANASTASIA