Billy Elliot the Forum

Articles in Playbill and Broadway.com report Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will make its long rumored appearance on Broadway in the 2016-17 season. However it won't be staged by London director Sam Mendes.

http://playbill.com/news/article/charli ... xit-374941

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/177152/jus ... way-bound/

This looks like a brilliant casting choice! Two-time Tony winner Christian Borle will play Willy Wonka in Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The show has also found a theater. The musical will begin performances in March 2017 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, currently home to Finding Neverland.

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/ne ... =09may2016

The complete cast has been announced. Special congratulations to Jake Ryan Flynn,
Small Boy in 2015's North Shore production of BETM, who will be one of three boy playing the title role.

http://www.playbill.com/article/casting ... te-factory

Here's an article introducing the three boys who will play Charlie. The show begins previews tomorrow, March 28th. Break a leg, boys!

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/187875/a-t ... ryan-sell/

From Playbill:

http://www.playbill.com/article/charlie ... s-march-28

Also in the cast is F Michael Haynie, who played Quasimodo in Ogunquit Playhouse's production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Another local lad 'done good' - Ryan Sell comes from the same Florida town as Joshua Colley. His family runs Sells Broadway Dance Company:

https://www.facebook.com/Sells-Broadway ... 338684364/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninter ... or/2318202

This is an interesting article about why the production has chosen to cast 20- and 30-something adults to play the other children, besides Charlie. F. Michael Haynie, who plays Augustus Gloop, is mentioned.

http://www.playbill.com/article/why-are ... te-factory

CJ-Rochester wrote:This is an interesting article about why the production has chosen to cast 20- and 30-something adults to play the other children, besides Charlie. F. Michael Haynie, who plays Augustus Gloop, is mentioned.

http://www.playbill.com/article/why-are ... te-factory

Having had the great fortune of working with F Michael, I can think of no one better to take on this role! You are in for a treat!

I saw the show last weekend during my visit to the city. I enjoyed it but there are some flaws. It's still in previews so maybe they can fix things. Good cast, good costumes (flashy and bright), but sadly a cheap looking set. The set is my biggest area of criticism. It looks more like the set for a tour. In this particular Broadway theatre that previously housed "The Little Mermaid" and "Finding Neverland", I expected a much more elaborate and colorful set.

I loved how the Oompa-Loompas were staged, using a combination of dancers and puppets. It's hard to describe, but I thought they were brilliant!

Three boys play Charlie. They rotate like the Billys. Funnily enough they are all Ryans. I was fortunate to see Jake Ryan Flynn, former Small Boy from the North Shore Theatre BETM in 2015. Jake did a fantastic job!

The other four golden ticket winners who tour Wonka's factory with Charlie are cast as young adults playing kids. I think this makes Charlie appear more vulnerable. F. Michael Haynie plays Augustus Gloop. Some of us saw him last year in his amazing performance as the Hunchback at the Ogunquit Playhouse. In this show he and his fellow adult children are played as caracitures.

Christian Borle stars as Willy Wonka. I remember seeing him a few years back in his Tony winning role in "Peter and the Starcatcher" as Black Stache. He was truly something amazing in that role! As Wonka, I thought he was fine, but nothing exceptional.

Two years ago, Jake Ryan Flynn was Small Boy at the North Shore Music Theatre's production of Billy Elliot. Today, he is starring on Broadway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QeV6Y9 ... ture=share