MTI musical · Broadway KIDS
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDSScript, Piano/Vocal Score & show details
- Broadway KIDS
- Medium–Large cast (11+), flexible
- Roles: 9 women · 10 men + ensemble
- G
The printed Willy Wonka KIDS script comes with your MTI license. The digital version is a separate add-on for your whole cast and crew. See pricing
Willy Wonka KIDS synopsis
LYRICS AND MUSIC BY Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley · ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY Leslie Bricusse and Timothy Allen McDonald
The delicious adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl's fantastical tale. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone's sweet tooth.
Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka's rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences.
Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka KIDS has a flexible cast size with many featured and ensemble roles, including the singing and dancing Oompa-Loompas.
Full synopsis
Willy Wonka, the greatest candy maker in the world, has a problem: it's time for him to retire, but who can replace him? Who will make new candy dreams come true?
Willy Wonka gathers all the Oompa-Loompas to announce his retirement and the search for the perfect "bright spark" of a child to replace him ("Golden Age of Chocolate").
Meanwhile, Charlie Bucket lives in a tiny shack with his family. They are very, very poor. Charlie's dad reads in the newspaper that Mr. Willy Wonka is having a contest! Golden Tickets have been hidden in five bars of chocolate; the lucky people who find Golden Tickets will win a tour of the factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.
The local candy man arrives with his cart of Wonka treats and gives Charlie a sample "on the house" ("The Candy Man"). While enjoying his candy, Charlie learns that the enormous eater, Augustus Gloop, has found the first Golden Ticket in Munich, Germany. The reporter, Phineous Trout, announces that Veruca Salt has found the second Golden Ticket in São Paulo, Brazil. Veruca's father assisted her search by having factory workers shell chocolate wrappers.
Charlie makes his way home to a "Surprise!" It's Charlie's birthday! Charlie receives a Wonka bar as his present, but no Golden Ticket is found. The family tunes in to the radio, only to learn Violet Beauregarde, of Snellville, Georgia, has found the third Golden Ticket. Violet is a gum chewer who switched to chocolate in order to win the contest, but is now back to constantly chewing gum. Phineous Trout interrupts to announce that Mike Teavee, in Television City, California, has found the fourth Golden Ticket. Mike and his mother explain that the only thing they need is TV, the Internet and computer games.
The city is blanketed in a deep snow and Charlie encounters the Candy Man on the way to school. Charlie finds a coin buried in the snow and asks the Candy Man if it belongs to him. The Candy Man rewards Charlie with a Wonka bar for being "such a good kid." The starving boy wolfs it down and then immediately purchases another... finding the final Golden Ticket ("I've Got a Golden Ticket")! He runs home to tell his family the news, and they decide Grandpa Joe should accompany Charlie on the tour of Wonka's factory ("At the Gates – Pure Imagination").
Wonka greets the five winners and their parents at the gates, and they begin their tour of the magical factory ("Factory Reveal Sequence"). They arrive at the Chocolate Smelting Room, where Wonka chills chocolate to the perfect temperature for dipping strawberries. Augustus cannot resist tasting the chocolate and falls into a vat of it, which hardens instantly like Magic Shell, trapping him. The Oompa-Loompas remove Augustus and his mother and reveal the moral of easting too much ("Oompa-Loompa 1"). They arrive at the Inventing Room, where Violet is tempted by the Everlasting Gourmet Gobstopper. She snatches one, chews it and swells like a giant blueberry. The Oompa-Loompas remove her and her mother and explain the hazards of children who chew gum too much ("Oompa-Loompa 2").
Charlie and Grandpa Joe are separated from the group and discover the Fizzy Lifting Drink. They taste a bit of the drink and fly towards the sky. Right before they are sucked into a large fan, they discover that, by burping, they can float safely back to the ground ("Burping Song"). They rejoin the group in the Nut Room, where Veruca demands a squirrel, a pink candy boat and an Oompa-Loompa ("I Want it Now!"). Veruca and her father disappear down a trash chute that may or may not lead to the incinerator, and the Oompa-Loompas discuss the moral of spoiled brats ("Oompa-Loompa 3").
With just Charlie, Grandpa Joe, Mike and Mrs. Teavee left, the tour reaches the Choco-vision Room, whre Mike meets his temptation and is shrunk to barely six inches tall. The Oompa-Loompas discuss the moral of too much TV and technology ("Oompa-Loompa 4").
At the conclusion of the tour, Charlie does something remarkable: he thanks Wonka for the tour and admits to breaking the rules by tasting the Fizzy Lifting Drink. Wonka reveals the truth: that the tour was a test of character, and only Charlie has succeeded! Wonka proclaims Charlie as his successor as Charlie's family joins them at Wonka's factory ("Finale").
Synopsis courtesy of Music Theatre International (MTI).
Willy Wonka KIDS characters & vocal ranges
The Willy Wonka KIDS musical has 24 named roles plus an ensemble, for a medium to large cast (11+), and the cast size is flexible. Many roles can be cast across gender. ‘Written as’ reflects how MTI lists each role.
| Character | Written as | Vocal range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grandma Josephina | Female | Not listed | Charlie's three grandparents are mainly non-singing character roles. Cast performers that are innately interesting, who have good comic timing and are solid actors. These actors can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. |
| Grandma Georgina | Female | Not listed | Charlie's three grandparents are mainly non-singing character roles. Cast performers that are innately interesting, who have good comic timing and are solid actors. These actors can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. |
| Grandpa George | Male | Not listed | Charlie's three grandparents are mainly non-singing character roles. Cast performers that are innately interesting, who have good comic timing and are solid actors. These actors can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. |
| The Candy Man Kids | Any | Not listed | Sophie, Danny, Alfie, Billie and additional kids as needed are The Candy Man Kids -. These kids sing "The Candy Man" and their numbers may be expanded as you see fit and your program will allow. The names of the characters have been drawn from other Roald Dahl books. Feel free to assign additional names to match the number of performers you cast. All students like to go home and exclaim "I'm playing Alfie" versus "I'm just Kid 2 in 'The Candy Man.'") You may also cast a single class (say the sixth grade chorus) to perform these roles, as they appear only in this number unless you choose to double them as Cooks and Oompa-Loompas. |
| Oompa-Loompa Chorus | Any | Not listed | The Oompa-Loompa Chorus can be as small as a handful of performers or as large as your stage and theater can accommodate. Consider casting your youngest performers as Oompa-Loompas and augment them with a handful of older students who can take the lead and serve as Oompa-Loompa wranglers. |
| Willy Wonka / Candy Man | Male | E5–G3 | Willy Wonka is an enigmatic character; at once mysterious and mischievous but also charismatic. There are a number of directions to take with Wonka, ranging from Gene Wilder's version in the original film, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, to Johnny Depp's portrayal in the recent film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and everything in between. Pick a young man (or a young woman) who is charismatic, engaging and has a great voice (in the case of a young man, preferably a changed voice). The actor should be able to be funny and serious and change between the two on a dime. It is preferred that Wonka double as the Candy Man, as it helps reinforce that Wonka has staged the Golden Ticket competition and is somewhat controlling this contest along the way. |
| Phineous Trout | Any | Not listed | Phineous is the reporter who announces the winners of the Golden Ticket contest throughout the show. The role requires some singing, and can be played by either a boy or a girl. If played by a girl, be sure to change the pronouns appropriately. |
| Mrs. Gloop | Female | Not listed | Mrs. Gloop is Augustus' mother who has overindulged her son with food. The role requires a character actress who isn't afraid to take positive risks both in her acting and her singing. |
| Violet Beauregarde | Female | Db5–C4 | Gum chewer extraordinaire, Violet hails from Snellville, Georgia, so it's nice if she has a Southern American accent, but not necessary. Violet should stand in stark contrast to Veruca Salt. Veruca is a wealthy refined brat; Violet is more of a blue-collar, middle-class brat. |
| Matilda | Female | B4–C#4 | Matilda is also a schoolmate of Charlie's, but she's a bit of bully. Matilda has a few lines and sings the introduction of "The Candy Man" along with James and Charlie. |
| Candy Man | Male | E5–G3 | The Candy Man goes from neighborhood to neighborhood selling candy, much like an ice cream truck. He should be pleasant, charismatic, and friendly. It's possible for a girl to play this role, but she should play the role as male, otherwise, the title of the song may not make sense. |
| Mr. Bucket | Male | Not listed | These are great roles for young people who have nice voices, and are natural nurturers. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. |
| Mike Teavee | Male | Db5–Db4 | For this adaptation Mike is not just a TV junky. He is also addicted to video games, the Internet and any other mindnumbing technological device. Mike is bratty, loud and obnoxious. He does not know the word "no." Mike could also be portrayed by a girl playing a boy, but generally works best with a male actor. |
| Squirrels | Any | Not listed | The squirrels are non-speaking, non-singing roles and you can cast as many as necessary. This is a great part for beginning actors. |
| Charlie Bucket | Male | D5–A3 | The role of Charlie Bucket is the emotional heart and soul of the musical. The actor performing Charlie should have an unchanged voice and lots of pluck and enthusiasm. Think a male "Annie." Charlie is in nearly every scene, so make sure you select an actor who can handle the demands of a sizable role. |
| Mrs. Bucket | Female | Not listed | These are great roles for young people who have nice voices, and are natural nurturers. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket can double as Oompa-Loompas in the second half of the show. |
| Augustus Gloop | Male | Db5–Eb4 | Augustus is the overachieving eater who represents the evils of eating too much. Be extremely sensitive in casting this role as it is tempting to cast an overweight young person and that can be scarring-especially if the child struggles with this issue. Consider casting a thin child and creating the illusion of size via the costume. Either a boy or a girl acting like a boy can play Augustus. |
| Ms. Teavee | Female | Not listed | Ms. Teavee is a take on all television moms of the distant past. Think June Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver) or Marion Cunningham (Happy Days) or Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch). She's perfectly put together and a bit vacant. |
| Veruca Salt | Female | D5–A3 | Veruca is the wealthy, class-conscious, spoiled brat. She is often portrayed with a high British accent that is by no means required (brats come in all nationalities). Veruca's solo number "I Want It Now" is deceptively tricky and comes late in the show, so select a young woman with a strong voice. Veruca should contrast sharply with Violet Beauregarde in terms of look and physical type. |
| James | Male | A4–A3 | James is Charlie's friend from school. He has a few lines and sings the introduction of "The Candy Man" along with Matilda and Charlie. |
| Mrs. Beauregarde | Female | Not listed | Mrs. Beauregard is a teacher of geography and has invested a great deal of hard-earned money on therapy for her orally fixated daughter, with less than stellar results. The role is virtually non-singing. Her accent should match Violet's. |
| Grandpa Joe | Male | D5–C4 | Grandpa Joe is the grandfather we all wish we had when we were Charlie's age. He is caring, patient, sweet and always reminds Charlie to remain cheerful. Cast an actor who can be kind and funny. |
| Chorus Of Cooks | Any | Not listed | Please note this is an optional chorus. The Cooks appear during "I Eat More!" presenting Augustus with a smorgasbord of food choices. (Check out the Director's Guide note in the song for more information.) Double the Candy Man Kids Chorus and Oompa-Loompa Chorus or cast a single class of kids to perform this section. (For example, Mrs. Ripley's third grade class.) |
| Mr. Salt | Male | Not listed | Mr. Salt's solution to most problems is to buy his way out. He is upper class, and usually portrayed with a high British accent. (But this accent is not necessary-just make sure Veruca and Mr. Salt sound like they hail from the same place.) He sings very little. A female actress playing male may also play the role. |
Willy Wonka KIDS song list
- The Candy Man
- Golden Age of Chocolate
- At the Gates (Pure Imagination)
- Factory Reveal Sequence
- Oompa-Loompa 2
- Oompa-Loompa 3
- Burping Song
- Oompa-Loompa 4
- (I've Got a) Golden Ticket
- Oompa-Loompa 1
- I Want It Now!
- Bows
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