It’s time to cue the music — with Mike Teevee, Veruca Salt, and the Sad Oompa Loompa.
It has only been about a month since the premiere date was announced, but already, Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody has a complete cast in place. Richard Kraft of Kraft-Engel Productions and Director Andy Fickman (Heathers: The Musical) revealed a talented and cameo-filled cast for the highly anticipated Edinburgh Fringe Festival staged reading of Willy’s Candy Spectacular, with two actors from the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory film set to narrate the play for about a week each.
Per a statement from the producers, Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), was “lured out of retirement” to narrate from August 9th to 18th, and Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), will step in from August 19th to 26th. Joining them is Kirsty Paterson, the original Glasgow Chocolate Experience disaster cast member the internet named Sad Oompa Loompa.
The ensemble is rounded out by Shelley Regner (Pitch Perfect series), Eric Petersen (School of Rock The Musical, Shrek: The Musical), Nicole Greenwood (In Plain Sight), Wilkie Ferguson (Broadway’s Motown: The Musical), Cassandra Parker (Cabaret), Monica Evans (Singer/Songwriter), and Chris Villain (Freakshow). Kraft is also teasing that there might even be a few unannounced, surprise guests in store. Mark your calendars for performances from August 9th to 26th at the Edinburgh Pleasance Dome.
The book for the musical will be written by Richard Kraft and Andy Fickman. Kraft and Fickman share a mutual love of musicals, obscure show biz references and Gene Wilder. This is their first collaboration.
“If you announce it, they will come,” joked Kraft. “It was only in March that I came up with the notion for a stage musical. I had a press release before I had a show. Then a great team of top songwriters wrote our score of sixteen tunes. Next, the perfect director, Andy Fickman, signed on. And now our dream cast has assembled to premiere this crazy idea at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest. Even in my purest imagination, I couldn’t have seen this all coming together so beautifully and so fast. It is simply scrumdiddlyumptious.”
Andy Fickman adds, “I feel like Willy Wonka himself standing at the gates to the factory with this remarkable cast all arriving with their Golden Tickets ready to perform. Working with this glorious cast in this dreamy musical is already a joy, but to add the original Veruca Salt and Mike Teevee to the mix—my head is having an explosion of sweet treats!”
Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody features the songwriting genius of Riki Lindhome, Daniel Mertzlufft, Doug Rockwell & Tova Litvin, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, Megan Cavallari, Kate Miccuci, Jennifer Lucy Cook & Richard Kraft! For more information on Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody, visit willyscandyspectacular.com.
After more than 50 years, two actors are diving back into the world of Willy Wonka (sort of). Julie Dawn Cole and Paris Themmen, two of the child stars of 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, will participate in a live stage reading of Willy’s Candy Spectacular, an upcoming musical parody inspired by a disastrous Wonka event that made international headlines earlier this year.
Cole played the insatiable Veruca Salt in the classic movie starring Gene Wilder as chocolatier Willy Wonka, while Themmen played the cowboy hat wearing Mike Teavee. Both will participate in a live reading at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, serving as narrators. Cole will lead the cast from Aug. 9 to 18, with Themmen stepping in from Aug. 19-26.
Willy’s Candy Spectacular was inspired by a real-life Wonka event in Scotland, which organizers advertised as “immersive experience” that would transport Willy Wonka fans to a “magical realm.” They advertised the event using lush, AI-generated images. Unfortunately, this “magical realm” turned out to be a nightmare housed in a drab warehouse, with the experience so depressing it earned comparisons to a meth lab and instantly went viral.
Kirsty Paterson, who was dubbed the Sad Oompa Loompa in the real-life Glasgow disaster, is also among the cast for the live reading of the musical. Other actors include Shelley Regner (Pitch Perfect series), Eric Petersen (School of Rock The Musical, Shrek: The Musical), Nicole Greenwood (In Plain Sight), Wilkie Ferguson (Broadway’s Motown: The Musical), Cassandra Parker (Cabaret), singer-songwriter Monica Evans and Chris Villain (Freakshow).
The musical is produced by The Little Mermaid Live producer Richard Kraft, and his Kraft-Engel Productions. Kraft and Andy Fickman are writing the book for the musical, which has been releasing songs in recent weeks in anticipation of it eventually hitting the stage. Riki Lindhome, Daniel Mertzlufft, Doug Rockwell & Tova Litvin, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, Megan Cavallari, Kate Miccuci, Jennifer Lucy Cook & Kraft are the songwriters behind the musical.
Source: Kraft-Engel Productions, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
