Kee High School Drama Department to present “Willy Wonka Jr.” this weekend ...
The Kee High School Drama Department will be presenting the musical production “Willy Wonka Jr.” on stage this weekend in the Kee High School gymnasium through special arrangement with Music Theatre International with words and music by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly and the production adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy A. McDonald. “Willy Wonka Jr.” is based off of the novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” by Roald Dahl, and the musical represents many of the classic songs from the original movie starring Gene Wilder.
The production is scheduled for two performances, including this Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door, and there will also be a sweets and cotton candy shop available to purchase treats from.
“I chose to do this version as many of us will remember the classic movie edition and relate back to our childhood days,” shared Tammy Manning, Director of the Kee High School Drama Department. “I also chose the junior version as it is a shorter version of the script but yet still kept all the original songs. This whimsical musical was fun to cast with all the character personalities to portray. The set alone has not been like any other one we have done in the past as it is creatively designed to be a chocolate candy masterpiece. A musical is no easy task and requires many more practices, and I’m so proud of the seniors who have stepped up to lead the cast and crew. I even have a cast of eight sixth and seventh grade students as the Candy Kids, and they have been learning two of the songs and the dance steps for those numbers. This musical will be one for families to bring their children to, and we will even have a candy sweet shop open before the show and during intermission. We will also be selling cotton candy.”
Cast and crew members include the following Kee High School and Middle School students (some of whom are pictured in the submitted photos above):
Isaiah Wagner - Willy Wonka Justin Wagner - Grandpa Joe Rose Wheeler - Veruca Salt Damien Keene - Augustus Gloop
Brayden Waters - Mr. Bucket Lilly Kolsrud - Stage Manager Noah Connelly - Grandpa George Izzy Mettille - Candy Mam/Phineous Trout
Gwen Furlong - Set Helper Areona Claycomb - Mrs. Beauregarde Grace Hornseth - Mrs. Gloop Nyomi Jones - Mrs. Bucket/Oompa Loompa
Ashlyn Mohn - Mrs. Teavee Regan Troendle - Oompa Loompa/Mics Jasmine Lankford - Spotlight Josie Kubitz - Spotlight Assistant
Gavin Furlong - Light Manager Braiden Hatlan - Sound Manager Alexus Rowan - Violet Beauregarde Sara Waterworth - Set Helper
Marley Gramlich - Mic Assistant Emily Bailey - Oompa Loompa Brooke Little - Mrs. Salt Evelynn Dibert - Charlie Bucket
Elliott Renk - Mike Teavee Maddie Martin - Oompa Loompa Josy Connelly - Grandma Georgina/Oompa Loompa
Ella Renk - Grandma Josephina/Oompa Loompa Tammy Manning - Director Faye Schluter - Music Player
Candy Kids - Olivia Mauss, Lenna Rohrer, Iris Reiter-Marolf, Ella Winters, Alayna Larson, Adalyn Leiran, Nayelly Creasman and Kaili Stein.
