{"id":30166,"date":"2018-11-07T09:46:33","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T14:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30166"},"modified":"2018-11-07T09:46:36","modified_gmt":"2018-11-07T14:46:36","slug":"on-stage-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-comes-to-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30166","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory comes to Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory\u201d exists in a variety of forms.<\/p>\n

It started with a children\u2019s novel published in 1964 by British author Roald Dahl.<\/p>\n

Its second incarnation was \u201cWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,\u201d an Academy Award-nominated musical fantasy in 1971 starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.<\/p>\n

Next was \u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory,\u201d an American film released in 2005. Johnny Depp, who starred as Willy Wonka, was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.<\/p>\n

Then came \u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory,\u201d a stage musical based on the 1964 novel with music by Marc Shaiman. The musical premiered in London’s West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June 2013 and ran for 3 years and 7 months before closing in January 2017.<\/p>\n

Moving right along, the show was reworked for a Broadway production that opened in April 2017 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. The Broadway show ran almost nine months before closing in January 2018.<\/p>\n

The latest version is the National Tour of \u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory\u201d \u2013 a tour that is being presented now through November 18 at the Academy of Music (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333<\/a>, www.kimmelcenter.org<\/a>) as Part of the Kimmel Center\u2019s 2018-2019 \u201cBroadway Philadelphia\u201d series.<\/p>\n

The tour features Noah Weisberg as Willy Wonka, James Young as Grandpa Joe and Amanda Rose as Mrs. Bucket.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first production of the show that is going out on the road,\u201d said Young, during a phone interview last week from Moab, Utah.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt originally was just a London show and then went to Broadway. Our director Jack O\u2019Brien was also the Broadway director. He thought the Broadway production was too over the top and wanted a smaller production for the U.S. tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just a wonderful production. It had a lot of LED lighting that they didn\u2019t have on Broadway.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story was originally inspired by Roald Dahl’s experience of chocolate companies during his schooldays. Cadbury would often send test packages to the schoolchildren in exchange for their opinions on the new products.<\/p>\n

At that time (around the 1920s), Cadbury and Rowntree’s were England’s two largest chocolate makers and they each often tried to steal trade secrets by sending spies, posing as employees, into the other’s factory. Because of this, both companies became highly protective of their chocolate-making processes. It was a combination of this secrecy and the elaborate, often gigantic, machines in the factory that inspired Dahl to write the story.<\/p>\n

The musical version includes the songs from the original film, including \u201cPure Imagination,\u201d \u201cThe Candy Man\u201d and \u201cI\u2019ve Got a Golden Ticket,\u201d alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of\u00a0\u201cHairspray.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willy Wonka is opening his marvelous and mysterious chocolate factory\u2026to a lucky few. That includes Charlie Bucket, whose bland life is about to sweeten with color and confection beyond his wildest dreams.<\/p>\n

Bucket, an 11-year-old, lives in poverty in a tiny house with his parents and four grandparents. His grandparents share the only bed in the house, located in the only bedroom. Charlie and his parents sleep on a mattress on the floor. One day, Grandpa Joe tells him about the legendary and eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka and all the wonderful candies he made until the other candymakers sent in spies to steal his secret recipes, which led him to close the factory forever.<\/p>\n

The next day, the newspaper announces that Wonka is reopening the factory and has invited five children to come on a tour, after they find a Golden Ticket in a Wonka Bar. Each ticket find is a media sensation and each finder becomes a celebrity. The first four golden tickets are found by the gluttonous Augustus Gloop, the spoiled and petulant Veruca Salt, the gum-addicted Violet Beauregarde, and the TV-obsessed Mike Teavee.<\/p>\n

One day, Charlie sees a fifty-pence coin (dollar bill in the US version) buried in the snow. He then buys himself a Wonka Bar and finds the fifth golden ticket. The ticket says he can bring any family members with him to the factory and Charlie’s parents decide to allow Grandpa Joe to go with him.<\/p>\n

After meeting Wonka, the kids and their parents go inside where they meet Oompa-Loompas, a race of small people who help him operate the factory since he rescued them from poverty and fear in their home country Loompaland. The other kids are ejected from the factory in comical, mysterious and painful ways, befitting their various greedy characters and personalities. Augustus gets sucked up the pipe after falling into the Chocolate River in the Chocolate Room, Violet blows up into a giant blueberry after sampling an experimental three-course chewing gum meal in the Inventing Room, Veruca is thrown down the rubbish chute in the Nut Room after the nut-testing squirrels consider her a “bad nut,” and Mike gets shrunk after he tries to be the first person to be sent by television in the Television Room’s Television Chocolate Technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a show about hope,\u201d said Young, who was in Utah on a break from the show to attend his daughter\u2019s wedding. \u201cThere are some real good lessons in it \u2013 like pulling everyone together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe film came out in the early 1960s. It\u2019s pretty iconic. We use songs from the movie and our writing team has written some new songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cGene Wilder, who played Willie in the original film, was great. Our Willie, Noah Weisberg, is wonderful. He still finds the dark edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a dark edge but it\u2019s still good for children. We haven\u2019t heard any kids crying out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show stays very close to the movie but has been modernized a bit. The original novel is probably darker, Roald Dahl is a pretty dark writer.\u201d<\/p>\n

One constant factor in all the story\u2019s incarnations \u2013 people love it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAudiences like this show because it\u2019s a wonderful story \u2013 a story of hope,\u201d said Young. \u201cIt has good live lessons. It\u2019s a very joyful, fun production.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/x0nN99ljvFk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show is running now through November 18 at the Academy of Music. Ticket prices range from $25-$139.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dawn Landes<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 7, The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484-273-0481<\/a>, sonapub.com<\/a>) will host a show featuring Dawn Landes and Chris Stills. Landes is touring in support of her new album \u201cMeet Me at the River.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out in August,\u201d said Landes, during \u00a0\u00a0a phone interview last week from her new home in Nashville. \u201cI\u2019ve been living in Nashville for two years now. Before that, I was living in New York for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A self-described \u201cNashville record,\u201d\u00a0Landes\u2019 \u201cMeet Me At The River\u201d\u00a0was produced by Country Music Hall of Famer Fred Foster (Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, Kris Kristofferson).\u00a0Only sporadically producing for friends like Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price,\u00a0Foster produced \u201cMeet Me At The River\u201d and it was the first time that Foster has taken on a new act in years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the whole record in Nashville,\u201d said Landes. \u201cOne of the reasons I moved to Nashville was to work with Fred Foster as my producer. He\u2019s got a great CV \u2013 and quite an ear. I was lucky to get him onboard because he\u2019s mostly retired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Landes was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and Branson, Missouri, and spent years in New York\u2019s music scene, where she cultivated her musical gifts not only through performing and songwriting, but also through learn-by-doing production work that eventually led to co-owning a recording studio.<\/p>\n

She first established herself in the New York indie music scene as a recording studio engineer. At the same time, she was starting to develop a career as a performer \u2013 a singer\/songwriter\/multi-instrumentalist in New York\u2019s \u201cFast Folk\u201d community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a recording nerd,\u201d said Landes. \u201cI love the ins-and-outs of production. I wanted to make a record that sounded like classic Nashville.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, Fred thought I was just a singer coming to him to look for songs. Each meeting, I\u2019d bring him my songs. He gave me some assignments to cover songs. Eventually, I won him over as a writer. That\u2019s what kick-started it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote or co-wrote 10 of the songs on the album. Two are two arrangements of Jimmy Driftwood songs. The whole project took about two years. The album was mixed the day my daughter Callan was born one-and-a-half years ago. After she was born, I took some time off before I went out o9n the road again. I did a lot of touring this summer. I spent three weeks doing shows in Europe. And now, I have this run with Chris.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 12-song collection on \u201cMeet Me At The River\u201d\u00a0features some of Nashville’s most acclaimed musicians, including Eddie Bayers, Charlie McCoy, Bobby Wood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe difference between this and my previous albums is that this is getting labeled as country,\u201d said Landes, who had four previous albums. \u201cThat hasn\u2019t happened before. Previously, I was labeled as folk and indie rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a country album. It has a great country producer and wonderful Nashville session musicians. We recorded it here in Nashville at Sound Emporium. It\u2019s the \u2018Nashville Sound.\u2019 That\u2019s how they do it here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Dawn Landes \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/13KUpN48dv8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at The Locks at Sona will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $20.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Devildriver<\/p><\/div>\n

Another act that is touring in support of a new album and bringing that tour to this area is Devildriver.<\/p>\n

On November 7, Devildriver — Dez Farfara, Vocals; Mike Spreitzer, Guitar; Neal Tiemann, Guitar; Diego Ibarra, Bass; Austin D\u2019Amond, Drums — is headlining an all-ages show at the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684<\/a>, http:\/\/www.chameleonclub.net<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The new album is \u201cOutlaws \u2019Til the End.\u201d It is described as \u201ca monstrous collection of savage and slamming metal interpretations of Farfara and his comrades\u2019 favorite outlaw country songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Outlaws\u2019 was an exercise in old meets new,\u201d said Tiemann, during an interview Monday. \u201cOf course, we brought the tried and true Devildriver sound but there was an honest effort to incorporate some old western sounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe added a decent amount of lap steel and reverbed out baritone. Even though some of this is deep in the mix, I think it helps the western feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting ready for shows, Dez would always listen to a mixture of country and metal. Music coming from the back lounge would flow from Cash to Pantera smoothly. The idea was born, and we made it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Fafara, \u201cI think real music has always gotten to me, whether it\u2019s the blues, outlaw country or even real Goth music like Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy. That stuff has always attracted me, and this is absolutely the real stuff. The blues and outlaw country are what made rock\u2019n\u2019roll. They were around before rock\u2019n\u2019roll\u2026 and in my head, I\u2019ve always heard these songs heavy. Lyrically, these are some of the most poignant songs on the planet. So, they fit the heavy genre very well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devildriver has never made a record like \u201cOutlaws \u2018Til The End\u201d before. But then nor has anyone else. The perfect marriage of badass country grit and neck-wrecking groove metal supremacy is a game-changer delivered by true heavy metal outlaws.<\/p>\n

But, there were some challenges making this type of songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSong choice became a hurdle at one point,\u201d said Tiemann. \u201cA few of the primary picks didn\u2019t make it because we couldn\u2019t find the right feel. An example would be \u2018Tiger by the Tail\u2019 by Buck Owens. I wanted to do it, but we just couldn\u2019t find the correlation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite track is \u2018If Drinkin\u2019 Don\u2019t Lill Me\u2019 — for sure. Wednesday ruled that song. I\u2019ve been a George Jones fan for a while and am super happy this one made the cut.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the music for \u2018Outlaws\u2019 from December 2016 through February 2017.\u00a0The vocals were done throughout 2017 as per the guest\u2019s schedules.\u00a0He album was produced by the fabulous Steve Evetts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devildriver is already on its way to making a more traditional album.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike, Austin, and I just finished up the music for the next double album of originals one week before the start of this tour,\u201d said Tiemann.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this tour, we\u2019re currently playing \u2018Whiskey River\u2019 and it\u2019s going over great. Since it\u2019s a cover record, we\u2019re still focusing on our originals and just using these as a spice, if you will, to the set.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe set right now is fun. We\u2019re opening with my favorite Devildriver song, \u2018Ruthless\u2019, and playing a pretty comprehensive set. We leave the last song for Dez to call out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Devildriver \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/hlDPWmwO7SU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The all-ages show at the Chameleon Club, which also features Jinjer, Raven Black, One Day Waiting, and Andhera, will start at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times \u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory\u201d exists in a variety of forms. It started with a children\u2019s novel published in 1964 by British author Roald Dahl. Its second incarnation was \u201cWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,\u201d an Academy Award-nominated musical fantasy in 1971 starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[10735,10736,8549,6518],"class_list":["post-30166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory","tag-dawn-landes","tag-devildriver","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30166"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30167,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30166\/revisions\/30167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}