Post by santtu on Sept 19, 2013 10:15:31 GMT -5
The musical version of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY opened in London's West End in June 2013 at the legendary Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The show is directed by Sam Mendes with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and his partner Scott Wittman. Sets and costumes are designed by Mark Thompson.
Leading the cast are Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka and Nigel Planer as Grandpa Joe. Four boys are alternating as Charlie Bucket.
There are two films made of this story by Roald Dahl, one with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and one with Johnny Depp in the same role. Everyone is probably familiar with the plot, so I'm not going to get into that here.
The show is basically divided in two parts: Act I introduces the main characters and tells of the events before the Golden Ticket winners get inside the Chocolate Factory, and Act II we are inside the Factory with Willy Wonka and the Ticket winners. So if you are eager to see the spectacle that takes place inside the Factory, you'll have to wait until the Act II starts. ;-)
As for the score, I was disappointed by it. Shaiman's melodies aren't as great as for example the songs for HAIRSPRAY were. Some are downright irritating - especially Act I "big number", "Don't ya pinch me, Charlie" which is performed right after Charlie finds the Golden Ticket. Just imagine a kind of a march tempo/song and fit in the lyrics "don't, don't, don't ya pinch me, Chaaaarleyyy, I don't want to wake up from this golden dreeeaam" and keep it going for about 5mins and you'll know what the song is like. And the song "The Double Bubble Duchess", performed by Violet Beauregard and her father and the entourage, was kind of pop-rap-hip-hop -number with lyrics so fast it was very hard to understand the lyrics. But it wasn't all bad, "More of him to love", sung by Augustus Gloop & Mrs Gloop, was a fun song and Veruca Salt and her father's number "When Veruca Says" was just hilarious. And Veruca's 'downfall' in "Veruca's Nutcracker Sweet" was great, as was "Vidiots", which also was visually one of the best scenes - the Oompa-Loompa's in that sequence were hilarious! Wonka's Act II solo "Simply second nature" was a beautiful ballad. The lyrics are as clever as ever from Schaiman/Wittman team, but unfortunately some of the melodies are just 'blah', like the opening song, Charlie's solo "Almost nearly perfect". I wonder how much different the score would have been if Shaiman and Wittman hadn't been a part of tv-show "Smash"? Would some of those great melodies had ended up in this score? Well, we will never know, I guess. There is one 'borrowed' song in the score, "Pure imagination" which is by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.
Visually the show is impressive! Act I maybe not so much, but in Act II Mark Thompson's designs really are worth seeing. And if you are wondering if they've included the flying elevator scene into the stage musical, then... yes, they have. ;-) Unfortunately, the flying elevator scene has the song "Pure imagination" in it, which isn't my favorite number of this score.
As for the actors, Douglas Hodge has gotten great reviews for his performance, but I didn't find his character of Willy Wonka eccentric or even peculiar. His Wonka seemed to me more a nervous person than an elusive, mysterious eccentric man. He was good, but not all that great. Nigel Planer did a great job as Grandpa Joe, and of the two Charlies (yes, I saw this show twice!) were both very good (I actually preferred the second, who I think was Louis Suc, his voice wasn't as high-pitched as the first boy's, and was a bit easier for the ears).
It's a great night out, a very entertaining show. But a show of this scale would deserve a better score.
The show is directed by Sam Mendes with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and his partner Scott Wittman. Sets and costumes are designed by Mark Thompson.
Leading the cast are Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka and Nigel Planer as Grandpa Joe. Four boys are alternating as Charlie Bucket.
There are two films made of this story by Roald Dahl, one with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and one with Johnny Depp in the same role. Everyone is probably familiar with the plot, so I'm not going to get into that here.
The show is basically divided in two parts: Act I introduces the main characters and tells of the events before the Golden Ticket winners get inside the Chocolate Factory, and Act II we are inside the Factory with Willy Wonka and the Ticket winners. So if you are eager to see the spectacle that takes place inside the Factory, you'll have to wait until the Act II starts. ;-)
As for the score, I was disappointed by it. Shaiman's melodies aren't as great as for example the songs for HAIRSPRAY were. Some are downright irritating - especially Act I "big number", "Don't ya pinch me, Charlie" which is performed right after Charlie finds the Golden Ticket. Just imagine a kind of a march tempo/song and fit in the lyrics "don't, don't, don't ya pinch me, Chaaaarleyyy, I don't want to wake up from this golden dreeeaam" and keep it going for about 5mins and you'll know what the song is like. And the song "The Double Bubble Duchess", performed by Violet Beauregard and her father and the entourage, was kind of pop-rap-hip-hop -number with lyrics so fast it was very hard to understand the lyrics. But it wasn't all bad, "More of him to love", sung by Augustus Gloop & Mrs Gloop, was a fun song and Veruca Salt and her father's number "When Veruca Says" was just hilarious. And Veruca's 'downfall' in "Veruca's Nutcracker Sweet" was great, as was "Vidiots", which also was visually one of the best scenes - the Oompa-Loompa's in that sequence were hilarious! Wonka's Act II solo "Simply second nature" was a beautiful ballad. The lyrics are as clever as ever from Schaiman/Wittman team, but unfortunately some of the melodies are just 'blah', like the opening song, Charlie's solo "Almost nearly perfect". I wonder how much different the score would have been if Shaiman and Wittman hadn't been a part of tv-show "Smash"? Would some of those great melodies had ended up in this score? Well, we will never know, I guess. There is one 'borrowed' song in the score, "Pure imagination" which is by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.
Visually the show is impressive! Act I maybe not so much, but in Act II Mark Thompson's designs really are worth seeing. And if you are wondering if they've included the flying elevator scene into the stage musical, then... yes, they have. ;-) Unfortunately, the flying elevator scene has the song "Pure imagination" in it, which isn't my favorite number of this score.
As for the actors, Douglas Hodge has gotten great reviews for his performance, but I didn't find his character of Willy Wonka eccentric or even peculiar. His Wonka seemed to me more a nervous person than an elusive, mysterious eccentric man. He was good, but not all that great. Nigel Planer did a great job as Grandpa Joe, and of the two Charlies (yes, I saw this show twice!) were both very good (I actually preferred the second, who I think was Louis Suc, his voice wasn't as high-pitched as the first boy's, and was a bit easier for the ears).
It's a great night out, a very entertaining show. But a show of this scale would deserve a better score.