#ryan sell

Armageddon Time

Ok so, like, I’m a HUGE fan of the original book. And I’m also a fan of both movies, though (unpopular opinion) I like Burton’s version better because it captures the overall spirit of the book. Neither movie does it perfectly, though, and I was super curious about how they would update the story for Broadway.

I’d packed drawings for Ben and Trista because I’d grown attached to both of them through their Instagram stories. And I wasn’t expecting Christian to be there because of Popcorn Falls. Buuuuut everyone was there. No understudies. Which was a pleasant surprise :D

The show:

The music was unbelievable. I teared up during the Candy Man (Borle’s voice was like velvet, but I’ll talk about him later). They kept the songs from the original film, and added a bunch of new ones, which were very refreshing and catchy. My favorites were, “It Must be Believed to Be Seen”, “Vidiots”, and “The View From Here” (and the sound quality for the end of IMBBTBS had me FLOORED).

The show was surprisingly dark, even for Roald Dahl. I was prepared for the deaths of the kids (excluding Mike, and possibly Augustus? Though I’ve heard that he gets decapitated in the pipe. But I couldn’t tell), but they were still pretty shocking. Violet pops, and a shit ton of purple glop splashes from offstage. Veruca is torn to pieces by giant, red-eyed squirrels. It was kind of nightmare fuel? It was a bit funny, but maybe a bit too much. Even Dahl didn’t kill the kids off. They went home (mostly) unharmed.

I really liked the sets. They were simple, yet surprisingly effective. The Chocolate Room itself was what got the most criticism, but I really enjoyed it. It was glittery and pretty, and there were silhouettes on the walls that made the room seem much more full. The minimal sets brought more attention to the actors themselves (like the Invisible Trap room!), and they were so much fun.

All of the adult children were so funny, and I loved the original versions of their characters (though I felt like everyone but Mike needed much more dialogue, so they could seem more rotten). Ryan Sell was amazing as Charlie. The Oompa Loompas were pretty great, too, and so were the parents (I admire Ben Crawford’s ability to keep a straight face the whole time). The people who said that Borle is the only good actor are wrong. The whole cast is wonderful.

But Borle, oh my god, Borle. He was fantastic. Everything he did was so fucking funny. Being horrified by, and throwing, a rubber duck (a really funny reference to “The Lucky Duck”), acting pouty when everyone but Charlie is eliminated (that killed me), Mimicking Violet’s screeching, the way he giggled, the character voices he put on, the dry sense of humor, the unpredictable-yet-charismatic personality... everything was totally Wonka. He really made the character his own while staying true to Dahl’s vision. He is my new favorite version of this character.

The Stage Door:

I knew Christian wouldn’t be coming out, so I didn’t set myself up for disappointment (I have no right to be disappointed tho). However, I interacted briefly with a few of the cast members! Here are some highlights:

Ben Crawford (Mr. Salt): I gave him the drawing, and he said he would hang it on his dressing room wall, which was so nice of him. We took a picture and hugged!

F. Michael Haynie (Augustus Gloop): He asked me about my Over the Garden Wall shirt. Then we had a brief conversation about how out-of-place he feels when he goes to a convention and doesn’t recognize any of the characters being cosplayed. And he mentioned how many video games he plays. What an adorable nerd.

Emma Pfaeffle (Veruca Salt): I told her that she was my favorite of the kids (which was true), and she called me sweet. A picture was taken.

Mike Wartella (Mike Teavee): He complimented the blue stripe in my hair, and we took a picture (I didn’t hog him, because he’s my sister’s favorite, and she made something to give to him).

Trista Dollison (Violet Beauregarde): My dad struck up a conversation with her, because I guess he works with one of her old classmates? I gave her the drawing, and she was like, “This is fab!” and she gave me a hug! Then we took a picture, and she said to my sister and I, “We’re pretty much cousins!” (because of what my dad had told her). She was funny and sweet.

come with me,

and you’ll be

in a world

of pure imagination...