HELD OVER!!! Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka has extended its run, with performances at 8:00 p.m. on July 29, 30 and 31, and a 3:00 p.m. matinee on July 31!
Enter a world of pure imagination when everyone's favorite candy man throws open the gates to his chocolate factory as Workshop Theatre presents Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka July 9-24!
Author Roald Dahl's timeless story of the world-famous chocolatier and his quest to find an heir comes to life in this stage adaptation that features such songs as "The Candy Man," "Pure Imagination," "Cheer Up, Charlie," "I've Got a Golden Ticket" and "I Want the World" from the classic family film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. When Wonka stages a contest by hiding five Golden Tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars, he announces that whoever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of chocolate. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, and together they venture into the factory to see firsthand what a tasty, tempting and surreal world Willy Wonka has created for himself.
Click here to read more.
The Reviews Are In!
"Workshop Theatre's new summer musical, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, delivers everything you might want from a children's theatre spectacular: a large cast of talented and adorable moppets, charismatic leads, familiar, uplifting and hummable songs, some eye-catching fantastical costumes and special effects, and an easily understood lesson at the end for the little ones." -- August Krickel, Onstage Columbia [Click here to read the full review]
"With superb direction, high production values and a talented cast of more than 70 performers, Workshop (presents) a creative, moving and beautifully paced work that has the makings of a huge summer hit...This deliciously sweet summer treat is suitable for the entire family." -- Larry Hembree, Free Times [Click here to read the full review]
Updated July 17, 2010
Workshop Theatre is excited to announce its 2010-2011 season, which is filled with Columbia stage premieres!
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka
July 9-24, 2010
Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to life in this stage adaptation of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, which features the songs from the classic family film Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
September 10-25, 2010
Six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicling the experience of adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show's Tony Award winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.
A Few Good Men
November 5-20, 2010
This Broadway hit about the trial of two Marines for complicity in the death of a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay sizzles on stage. The Navy lawyer, a callow young man more interested in softball games than the case, expects a plea bargain and a cover-up of what really happened. Prodded by a female member of his defense team, the lawyer eventually makes a valiant effort to defend his clients and, in so doing, puts the military mentality and the Marine code of honor on trial.
‘Tis the Season
December 9-12, 2010
This is a wonderful opportunity for Workshop Theatre to showcase the young stars of tomorrow - along with some familiar "older" faces - in a holiday musical revue sure to please children of all ages. We can expect fantastic voices, energetic dance numbers and some great family fun for the holidays!
Sealed for Freshness:
A Tupperware Party Gone Awry
January 14-29, 2011
Doug Stone has set his play in 1968 during the heyday of Tupperware parties. Hostess Bonnie invites a group of neighbors over for a party. The guest list: perky, rich Jean; Jean's cranky and very pregnant sister Sinclair; ditzy-blonde Tracy Ann; and new neighbor Diane, who's made quite a career selling Tupperware, but at the expense of her marriage. The mix of personalities and the number of martinis consumed lead to a great deal of absurd high jinks, plus revelations of an equal number of secrets and insecurities.
Victor/Victoria
March 18 – April 2, 2011
We know we're in Paris, but is this person a he or a she? A man or a woman? What confusion...what fun! Victor/Victoria is an appealing, sophisticated show, based on the movie about the career of the Paris entertainer Victoria Grant, who becomes a star female impersonator, only to fall in love-at-first-sight with macho gangster King Marchan. Musical numbers include "Le Jazz Hot," "You and Me," "Almost a Love Song," "Trust Me," "Living in the Shadows," "Paris by Night" and "Crazy World." Life's complications are both hilarious and touching.
Hairspray
May 20 – June 4, 2011
Hairspray delighted audiences by sweeping them away to 1960s Baltimore, where the '50s are out - and change is in the air. Loveable plus-size heroine Tracy Turnblad has a passion for dancing and wins a spot on the local TV dance program, The Corny Collins Show. Overnight she finds herself transformed from outsider to teen celebrity. Can a larger-than-life adolescent manage to vanquish the program's reigning princess, integrate the television show, and find true love (singing and dancing all the while, of course!) without mussing her hair?
- *NEW* JUNE SHOPTALK ... Our latest newsletter is available for download. Click
here.
- *NEW* SUMMER 2010 CLASSES ... Click here for in-depth information on our exciting Summer camps and classes, or click here to download a copy of the Summer brochure!
- *NEW* BROADWAY BOUND 2010-2011 ... Would you like to be a part of next year's Broadway Bound company? Click here for a "Monday Masters" registration form, or click here to learn more about Broadway Bound!
- *NEW* REWIRED 2010-2011 ... Would you like to be a part of next year's ReWired improv comedy team? Click here to learn how!
- AUDITIONS ... Audition
times, dates and other details.
- Want to buy tickets, purchase season memberships, or make donations online? ... If so, click here.
- Like to receive e-mail notification of auditions, class schedules, or e-newsletters? ... If so, click here.
Workshop Theatre is supported in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission,
which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
It is also a member of and receives funding from a Tier III grant
made possible by contributors to the United Arts Fund of the
Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties.
