The spring musical this year was truly phenomenal, a testament to the hard work and dedication put in by the cast, crew, and directors. This year Morris Hills put on a production of Willy Wonka. It is a well-known story full of memorable characters and catchy songs. The production was directed by Mrs. Sanchez, with Mr. Fahrer as the assistant director and Ms. Jacobson helping with costumes and choreography.
Despite the name, the true protagonist of the story is Charlie Bucket. While in the original book, Charlie is a boy, they were portrayed as a girl this time around by the talented Grace Panzitta. Charlie and his family have been struggling recently, as her father has lost job and his grandparents are bedridden. Wonka then announces that he is holding a contest where he will be giving five lucky winners a chance inside of his factory. The catch is that the only way to win is to get one of five golden tickets scattered across millions of chocolate bars.
Kids all around the world are finding their golden tickets, and Charlie begins to lose hope once there is only one ticket remaining. Against all odds, Charlie manages to find the last golden ticket and her inside Wonka’s factory. The factory proves to be dangerous, as all of the golden ticket winners are put into peril after giving into temptation. Wonka reveals that this whole contest is a way for him to find a successor, as he plans to retire. Charlie is selected and is now in charge of the factory, finally finding a way to provide for her family.
The show also boasts an impressive set, which was thanks to the hard work of the construction crew. The show features many great moving set pieces, such as a massive bunk bed for the Bucket family, a big pink candy boat inside the factory, as well as a smaller elevator used towards the end. There are many more sets and props used throughout the show that help capture the magic and whimsy of Wonka’s chocolate factory.
For three months, the cast and crew work tirelessly after school at rehearsal to try and bring the show to life. It is a great commitment for those involved. It gets even worse when you bring all the work they get from their classes into the mix. The cast needs to memorize lines, cues, music, blocking, and choreography for their dance numbers. It was a grueling process, but it gave the school a truly memorable experience. If you missed this show, try and see this year’s student production, Witches?! In Salem!? later in the year.
Check out these amazing photos from this year’s spring musical!