Show guide
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory brings Roald Dahl's beloved tale of a mysterious candy maker and his extraordinary factory to the Broadway stage.
- Broadway premiere
- 2017
- Music by
- Marc Shaiman
- Genre
- Comedy
- Setting
- Timeless
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: quick answers
What is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory about?
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory follows Charlie Bucket, a poor, kind boy who finds a Golden Ticket and joins four spoiled children on a tour of Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory, where the other children's bad behavior catches up with them one by one.
When did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory open on Broadway?
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened on Broadway on April 23, 2017, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, with Christian Borle as Willy Wonka. It played 305 performances before closing on January 14, 2018.
What kind of musical is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
- It is a family musical comedy with an original score by Marc Shaiman, adapted from Roald Dahl's 1964 novel. The Broadway version also borrows The Candy Man and Pure Imagination from the 1971 film.
Where and when is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set?
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has no fixed date: it moves from the Bucket family's ramshackle home in a poor town to the inside of Willy Wonka's factory.
Has Charlie and the Chocolate Factory played in London's West End?
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory premiered in the West End at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on June 25, 2013, starring Douglas Hodge as Wonka, and ran until January 7, 2017.
Is there a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie?
- There is no film of the musical, but Dahl's book was filmed as Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) with Gene Wilder and by Tim Burton in 2005 with Johnny Depp; the 2023 prequel Wonka starred Timothee Chalamet.
The story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The musical follows Charlie Bucket, a kind hearted boy from a poor family, who wins one of five coveted golden tickets granting entry to the reclusive Willy Wonka's fantastical chocolate factory. Told in a timeless, storybook world rather than any fixed decade, the story takes Charlie and four other very different children on a tour full of wondrous inventions and cautionary lessons, as each child's flaws are exposed one by one.
It is ultimately a comedy with a moral heart, celebrating humility and kindness while poking gentle fun at greed, entitlement, and bad behavior through the fates of Charlie's fellow ticket winners.
The music and the makers
Marc Shaiman composed the music, crafting a score full of playful, candy colored production numbers that match the story's whimsical, larger than life world. The songs balance comic set pieces for the more outlandish characters with warmer, more grounded moments for Charlie and his family.
As a comedy adapted from a classic book, the show leans on that mix of humor and heart, using its music to bring Wonka's fantastical inventions vividly to life on stage.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened on Broadway in 2017, joining a long line of stage adaptations of Roald Dahl's works and bringing fresh production numbers and design to the well loved story. It arrived with the benefit of built in name recognition from Dahl's book and its earlier film adaptations.
The show appeals to family audiences and Dahl fans in particular, offering colorful spectacle, inventive staging of the factory's marvels, and a sweet, family friendly message that has kept the story popular across generations.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: frequently asked questions
When did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory open on Broadway?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened on Broadway in 2017.
Who composed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
Marc Shaiman composed the music for the Broadway musical.
Is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory based on a book?
Yes, it is adapted from Roald Dahl's classic children's novel.
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