In one week鈥檚 time, the high school gym will be transformed into a home for sweets, as the Jasper Junior/Senior High School鈥檚 drama students bring Roald Dahl鈥檚 classic children鈥檚 book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to life.
The musical, which will closely mirror the first film adaptation of the book, follows the story of Charlie Bucket. Bucket鈥攑layed by Casey Salanski鈥攊s a young boy growing up in extreme poverty with his parents and his bed-ridden paternal and maternal grandparents.
Despite his position in life, the young boy does his best to remain positive鈥攅ven when his father loses his job, and especially when his idol, the famed chocolatier, Willy Wonka, announces a competition that will see five lucky children tour his famous factory.
To win this amazing prize鈥攁s well as a lifetime supply of chocolate鈥攖he kids have to find one of five golden tickets hidden in Wonka鈥檚 chocolate bars.
Following the news of the contest, it doesn鈥檛 take long before children begin finding tickets around the world.
First it鈥檚 Augustus Gloop鈥攑layed by Laramee Desjardins. Then it鈥檚 Veruca Salt鈥攑layed by both Cheyenne Henderson and Elena Kellis. Then Violet Beauregarde鈥攑layed by Sadie Howe鈥攁nd finally Mike Teavee鈥攑layed by Stella MacMahon.
With only one ticket left, Bucket鈥攚ho has nearly given up hope鈥攆inds his own and runs home to share the news with his family.
With his ticket in hand, Charlie and his Grandpa Joe鈥攑layed by Kiana Boisvert鈥攕kip off to the factory to be whisked away into a mesmerizing world of experimental treats.
It is there that they meet the world-renowned Willy Wonka鈥攑layed by both Jaymes Schmidt and Sydney Kirychuk鈥攁nd the adventure really begins.
Two weeks before showtime, drama and music teacher Jonathan Thornton was beaming with pride as he talked about the show.
鈥淚n my five years here, this is our first musical, and everybody鈥檚 pulling their weight, memorizing their lines and throwing themselves into the singing and dancing.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e killing it!鈥�
The students chose the play back in December, after looking through a number of scripts and narrowing their choices down to three. Thornton said he likes to let the students decide because that way the show becomes theirs, and they take ownership over it.
And, according to Thornton, that鈥檚 just what鈥檚 happened. The students have been putting their all into rehearsing, perfecting costumes and making sets and props that will bring the show together on May 14 and 15.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 ask to work with a better group of people,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he sets, props and costumes are going to be awesome, and the cast itself is stellar.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to miss something big if you don鈥檛 get to see this show.鈥�
To purchase tickets, talk to a student in the show or drop by the high school office.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
