Sanders producing stage version of Willy Wonka

[hilltop]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 1:36pm

From Michael Musto's Village Voice column:

Breaking news: Purple co-producer SCOTT SANDERS is working on a stage version of Willy Wonka. Hope I get a golden ticket!

link Updated On: 4/24/07 at 01:36 PM

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 3:20pm

Of course, they should get HUGH JACKMAN to play Wonka!
Who else could do it better than him?

[jess20882]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:10pm

i think michael cerveris would make an interesting willa wonka

[jv92]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:11pm

COMING SOON-

JOHNNY DEPP'S
WILLY WONKA: THE MUSICAL
(a Scott Sanders production)

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:12pm

Denis O'Hare would be a fantastic Willy Wonka.

[Raspberry]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:28pm

Give it to Alan Cumming. I like my Wonkas as creepy as possible, thanks.

[InTheKnow2]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 10:37am

Wonka is one of the creepiest characters EVER...
Johnny Depp sounds perfect!

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 11:21am

Johnny Depp was in the remake num-nuts.

[D2]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 11:25am

What took them so long?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 11:31am

Wonka: Denid O'Hare or Alan Cumming
Charlie: That kid in Tarzan (the replacement)
Grandpa: Robert Morse

That's all I want. Then I'll be happy.

[BroadwayAbridged]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 12:21pm

I would like to see Robert Morse as my Grandpa.

[InTheKnow2]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 12:38pm

Well considering Sanders' taste for casting it will star some American Idol kid with some tragic childhood past involving chocolate :)
Updated On: 4/25/07 at 12:38 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 12:44pm

Joel Grey as Grampa Joe.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 12:58pm

I would also like to see Alan Cumming as Wonka. I think he would bring the pefect edge to the character.

[RevolutionaryCostume]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 1:56pm

I would also love to see Alan Cumming as Wonka.

I really hope that it is based on the 70's movie version. I love the music from that!

~Jacob.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 2:03pm

Prior to the Tim Burton version on film, Wonka had never been a threatening character. Wilder's version had just enough hint of intimidation to make the movie interesting without scaring the little kids. For most small children, the newer version was pretty scary and inappropriate.

The great thing about the character is that he can be just about any age...there is no requirement for this character to be young OR old, so there are lots of casting opportunities. I could see Norbert Leo Butz in the role, Nathan Lane, Roger Bart, Marc Kudisch...just to name a few.

[ABSteel]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 2:16pm

I'd love for Alan to do it!

And Joel Grey for Grandpa Joe? That's a role he was BORRRRRRRRRRRN TO PLAYYYYYYYYYYYY!

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 2:23pm

Wow, this would be a lot of fun. I would definitely go with Alan Cumming for Willy Wonka. I agree with a previous poster that Dylan Riley Snyder would be fine as Charlie, though I think Alex Rutherford (the other current Young Tarzan) would be a better choice. Of course, all of this is moot if the show can open before Liam Mower is too old for the part. Can we get Kevin Cahoon submitted for Slugworth? I can go with Robert Morse as Grampa Joe, but how about Joel Grey as Grampa George? Please, just don't let them reset the story to Pittsburgh.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 2:25pm

Perhaps just maybe this could be an acid flashback and the idea came as a hallucination in the middle of some party at Avalon as a reaction to the pills Musto writes about in the same column.

This is an utterly sucky idea.

Produce it as a holiday show at the Garden or the Music Hall. Christmas, Easter, but not as some 12 million dollar car wreck.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 2:29pm

What?! You're for Alan Cumming over Hugh Jackman?!
Cumming could NEVER play Wonka even if his life depended on it!

He was never born to be a candyman. The only person we know who was was definitely Hugh Jackman. He can definitely play it like Gene Wilder did in the '70s. As far as Alan Cumming goes, he is FAR too creepy for the kiddies.

[InTheKnow2]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 3:02pm

LOL, you crack me up WOSQ!
I completely agree

[gumbo2]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 3:07pm

Okay so just because Alan Cumming is really good at being creepy means he can't play a different character? I think he'd be great in the role, as would Hugh Jackman. Honestly out of all the people mentioned so far I'm partial to Roger Bart. I can see him being very silly but still just strange enough to evoke a bit of a threat. Not to mention he's got a lovely tenor voice.

What do you mean Hugh Jackman was born to be a candyman? I just don't understand.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 7:13pm

The only casting I NEED to see for this is Robert Morse as Grandpa Joe. I can die happy if I see that.

[jv92]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 7:18pm

Re: My post

I was making fun of Scott Sanders and how the last show he did did not say
SCOTT SANDERS PRESENTS
but
OPRAH PRESENTS.
In this case I used, Johnny Depp. Gene Wilder isn't big enough. He is for me, but for most of America?
I wasn't saying Depp should star. (God no.)

[RainbowHigh2]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:42am

"Perhaps just maybe this could be an acid flashback and the idea came as a hallucination in the middle of some party at Avalon as a reaction to the pills Musto writes about in the same column."

Is Avalon as much fun as Limelight was back in the day? I didn't think you could hallucinate at Avalon as much as you used to.

Back on topic, though, I liked the trippy feel of the Willy Wonka movie from the 70s - the Tim Burton version was very creepy. I agree that it should be based on the 70s version.