REVIEW: ‘Willy Wonka’ play is a hit with children in Columbiana County

Willy Wonka is at the tip of a lot of tongues lately with both the critical and box office successes of Timothy Chalomet’s rendition of the popular Roald Dahl character on the big screen. Squeaky Wheel Theater Co. is capitalizing on the ecsentric chocolatier’s return to the pop culture zeitgeist by putting out a stage production called “Willy Wonka,” based on Dahl’s 1964 ”Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Watching this play with my three boys brought me back to watching the 1971 version starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The four-year-old eyes were wide as he took in the chocolate river and waterfall. My middle child smiled from ear to ear as Wonka took the children through his mystical factory, whispering, “I want one of those,” when Willy unveiled the everlasting gobstopper.

The music in this production will take you back to Wilder’s version of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

The cast did a wonderful job capturing the magic in the songs we love like “Candyman” and “Pure Imagination.”

Tyler Alexander stole the show as Grandpa Joe, bringing the character to life on stage. His enthusiasm while performing each scene was infectious to the rest of the cast, they seemed to feed off his energy.

I highly recommend taking the time to see Willy Wonka if you are in the Columbiana area and have a couple of hours to spare.

“Willy Wonka” will run live at the Vagabond Theater at the Columbiana Cultural Collective at 5 N. Main St, Columbiana, on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24 at 7 pm and Feb. 25 at 2 p.m.