Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Nov. 27–29, 2026 / Fri at 2 & 7 pm, Sat & Sun at 2 pm
Book by David Greig
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman, Marc Shaiman
Based on the novel by ROALD DAHL
Songs from the Motion Picture by
LESLIE BRICUSSE and ANTHONY NEWLEY
Directed by Brenton Kniess
Music Direction by Perry Scott
Set Design by Brenton Kniess
Choreography by Liesl Sigourney
Costume Design by TBD
RUNTIME: 160 minutes including a brief intermission
AGE RECOMMENDATION: Suggested for those ages 6+
LOCATION: Veninga Theater, Center for Civic Engagement in Wausau, WI
Based on the famous novel by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features an original score composed by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray) and a book by David Greig. The score also pays homage to the Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley score from the 1971 film with songs from the motion picture including "The Candy Man," "I've Got a Golden Ticket," "Oompa Loompa Song," and "Pure Imagination."
The world-famous Willy Wonka is opening the gates to his mysterious factory…but only to a lucky few. Young Charlie Bucket and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a life-changing journey through Wonka’s world of pure imagination including chocolate waterfalls, nutty squirrels and the great glass elevator, all to be revealed by Wonka's army of curious Oompa-Loompas.
