“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ review: Paramount production is fun but not golden

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a timeless tale of a poor boy who gets a chance to meet his idol, the mysterious and legendary Willy Wonka, and ultimately pull his family out of poverty as a reward for being honest and full of wonder.

Although not a holiday story, Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” has the wonder of children’s daydreams and stories of grandeur passed down from older generations to fit in nicely this time of year, and it arrives just weeks before the much anticipated “Wonka” is set to open Dec. 15 in theaters.

Aurora’s Paramount Theatre has staged a solid version of “Charlie,” with a few tweaks to the 1964 book, some of which will undoubtedly confuse diehard fans.

Directed by Trent Stork, in this version the lead of Charlie Bucket is played at alternate performances by Charlie Long, and on other nights by Meena Sood (including opening night) as a female “Charlie.” It’s a wise choice, eliminating the need for Sood to tuck up her hair into a cap and pretend to be a boy.

The plot follows Charlie, who lives in poverty with his/her mother and two sets of grandparents, and utimately winds up with four other “Golden Ticket” winners on a private tour of eccentric owner Willy Wonka’s candy factory.

Bucket, like most kids, is excited that Wonka — the subject of rumor and legend because of his decades-long seclusion inside his factory — has offered five lucky children the chance to tour his factory. The cost of entry is one of five glistening tickets, placed inside the wrappers of Wonka’s chocolate bars.

This of course sets off a frenzy around the world — an affirmation of Wonka as a “marketing genius” — and we see the spoiled kids spending lots of money on candy to increase their chances. For Charlie, who often spends a few cents on rotten vegetables, buying candy bars is a luxury that comes twice a year — on his/her birthday, and perhaps Christmas. But unlike the other winners, some of whom seem to view it as one of many cool experiences among many in their lives, Charlie simply wants it more.

The Paramount version is not affiliated with the version that hit Broadway in 2017 nor the national touring version that followed soon after. Instead, it features an original score composed by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The original songs are good, but not nearly as catchy as the original score, which features favorites like “Candy Man,” “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” “Oompa Loompa Song” and “Pure Imagination,” which thankfully are also featured in this stage version.

Stephen Schellhardt plays the role of Willy Wonka with some of the same sarcasm that endeared Gene Wilder to several generations of fans of the 1971 film version.

The characters of Charlie and Augustus Gloop (David Blakeman) largely stick to Dahl’s interpretation, while Mike Teavee (August Forman), Veruca Salt (Devon Hayakawa), and Violet Beauregarde (Tiffany Taylor) have been tweaked a bit. Mike, whose name seems to reflect a bygone era, is now a tablet-carrying cyberpunk who got his golden ticket by hacking Wonka’s computer system. Violet is a gum-chewing singer whom her opportunistic father (played by Lorenzo Rush Jr.) bills as “the queen of pop” for both talents. And the spoiled Veruca is now Russian.

Tweaking characters a bit for a 60-year-old story is understandable, but this leads to some confusion about the play’s setting. While Charlie and his/her family seem to be stuck in the 1930s, the other characters, with their cell phones, tablets and references to #hashtags and Twitter, seem to be from the present.

The costumes are of little help as the style varies from character to character. The sets are well done and cute, and the blue-faced Oompa Loompas are quite athletic.

While the Paramount musical follows the original Dahl book, it did not include the character of Arthur Slugworth. This was a mistake. Slugworth, whose character is expanded in the film and provides a vital test to the children, is gone, and so is the plot device he provided. 

That said, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a fantasy, and overall it’s a fun trip for the whole family.