IN 18 PHOTOS: Reek Elementary School presents "Willy Wonka, Jr." - April 21-22, 2023
British author Roald Dahl’s sweet kid lit world of pure imagination sprang to larger-than-life artistic spectacle at the Big Foot High School Auditorium in Walworth on April 21-22 as Reek Elementary School staged the youth edition musical “Willy Wonka Jr.”
British author Roald Dahl’s sweet kid lit world of pure imagination — and a bit of relished nonsense — sprang to larger-than-life artistic spectacle at the Big Foot High School Auditorium in Walworth on April 21-22 as Reek Elementary School staged the youth edition musical “Willy Wonka Jr.”
Life at the Bucket Family homestead
Despite their humble home life of cracked plaster walls and nightly dinners of thin, watery cabbage soup, the down-and-out Bucket Family nevertheless keeps an optimistic chin-up attitude that better days are just ahead. Pictured, from left, are Grandma Georgina (seventh-grader Emsley Yunker), Grandma Josephina (seventh-grader Mia Alvarez), Grandpa George (seventh-grader Grayson Dybowski), Grandpa Joe (eighth-grader Oliver Lennon), Charlie Bucket (eighth-grader Ellory Syverson), Mr. Bucket (third-grader Tevin Mecum) and Mrs. Bucket (fifth-grader Tenley Mecum).
Who can? The Candy Man can!
“Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it in dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two? The Candy Man. The Candy Man can. The Candy Man can ‘cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good!” Local candy shop proprietor Pete the Candy Man (seventh-grader Johnny Urlakis) spreads joy in the neighborhood with the broad assortment of sweet confections, including plenty of Wonka Bars.
TV news reporter Phineous Trout on the trail of discovered Wonka Bar golden tickets
TV reporter Phineous Trout (sixth-grader Danielle Carlson) travels the globe following the story of famed candy manufacturer Willy Wonka’s coveted factory tour golden tickets as they are discovered one by one around the world.
Charlie Bucket: "I've got a golden ticket!"
“I never thought my life could be, anything but catastrophe, but suddenly I begin to see a bit of good luck for me, ‘cause I’ve got a golden ticket, I’ve got a golden twinkle in my eye...” Young Charlie Bucket (eighth-grader Ellory Syverson) is all smiles as he discovers the fifth and final of candyman Willy Wonka’s coveted factory tour golden tickets in a Wonka Bar.
Charlie Bucket is next in line to signed the contractual bottom line to tour Willy Wonka's chocolate factory
Golden Ticket holder Charlie Bucket (left, eighth-grader Ellory Syverson) is next in line to sign the contractual dotted line that will allow entry into the candy and chocolate factory owned by eccentric confectioner Willy Wonka (right, eighth-grader Emma Ocker).
Touring confectioner Willy Wonka's famed candy and chocolates factory
Enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka (holding candy cane, eighth-grader Emma Ocker), at once both mischievous and also charismatic, leads a tour of his famed candy and chocolates factory in the April 21-22 Reek Elementary School production of “Willy Wonka Jr.” in the Big Foot High School Auditorium in Walworth. Touring with Wonka, from left, are Mrs. Gloop (seventh-grader Elyse Hartwig), Grandpa Joe (eighth-grader Oliver Lennon), Mike Teavee (Ethan Romanowski) and Mr. Salt (seventh-grader Hunter Babcock).
Sneak peak into candymaker Willy Wonka's world of pure imagination
Peering through one of the windows in renowned confectioner Willy Wonka's candy and chocolates factory, Mrs. Beauregard (standing left, sixth-grader Grace Pearce) and golden ticket holder daughter Violet Beauregard (standing right, eighth-grader Carolina Cipria) get a tanatalizing glimpse into Wonka's sweet world of "Pure Imagination" in Reek Elementary School's April 21-22 production of the youth edition musical "Willy Wonka Jr." in the Big Foot High School Auditorium in Walworth. At bottom holding a window is fifth-grader Audrey Huhn, one of Wonka's Oompa-Loompa factory workers.
Boat ride on the chocolate river in Willy Wonka's candy factory
As confectioner Willy Wonka (left, eight-grader Emma Ocker) pilots his candy boat down a molten chocolate river in his magical candy factory, golden ticket holders and their adult companions — from left, young Charlie Bucket (eight-grader Ellory Syverson), Mrs. Teavee (sixth-grader Amaya Kundert). Mr. Salt (seventh-grader Hunter Babcock) and Mrs. Beauregard (sixth-grader Grace Pearce) — get more than they bargained for with the mysterious and scary ride.
Augustus Gloop gets swallowed up by Willy Wonka's molten chocolate river
Why have a chocolate fountain when you can have a chocolate river? Gluttonous German youngster Augustus Gloop (eighth-grader Eli Jeninga) tempts fate as he tries to get another handful of chocolate from the molten chocolate river that runs through famed confectioner Willy Wonka’s candy and chocolate factory during his tour of the facility. Eventually, Gloop falls victim to his insatiable vice as he falls into the chocolate river and floats away.
Oompa-Loompa chorus line in the Reek Elementary School production of "Willy Wonka Jr."
“Oompa loompa doompety doo, I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you. Oompa loompa doompety dee, if you are wise you’ll listen to me...” Brought in from Loompaland to staff his legendary chocolate factory, candymaker Willy Wonka’s diminutive Oompa-Loompa workers sing and dance cautionary tales as young golden ticket holders Augustus Gloop, Veronica Sale, Violet Beauregard and Mike Teavee fall one by one to their vices as they tour the factory. Pictured from row, from left, are fourth-grader Aimee Carlson, third-graders Sophia Navarro, Brylee Cates and Carly Vanpelt, and fourth-graders Steelie Snopek and Gia Popick.. Seen back row, from left, are third-grader Anya Stoltenberg and fourth-graders Emma Bailey, Finley Clow and Gideon Stoltenberg.
Violet Beauregard lives up to her name as she transforms into a purplish-blue blueberry
After eating one of confectioner Willy Wonka’s not-quite-ready-for-primetime Everlasting Gobstoppers despite his warnings, self-centered golden ticket holder Violet Beauregard lives up to her colorful name as she wells up into a giant purplish-blue blueberry. She is sent off to be juiced by Wonka’s Oooma-Loompa factory workders — from left, sixth-grader Ava Nor, and fifth-graders Audrey Huhn and Elaina Books.
Oompa-Loompas sing and dance with Wonka Bars
“Oompa loompa doompety doo, I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you. Oompa loompa doompety dee, if you are wise you’ll listen to me...” Brought in from faraway Loompaland to staff his legendary chocolate factory, candymaker Willy Wonka’s diminutive Oompa-Loompa workers (from left, sixth-graders Ava Nor and Amali Mejia) sing and dance cautionary tales as young golden ticket holders Augustus Gloop, Veronica Salt, Violet Beauregard and Mike Teavee fall one by one to their vices as they tour the factory.
Charlie Bucket and Grandpa Joe flying in the Wonka factory after drinking Fizzy Lifting Drinks
“I’m flying! I’m flying! There’s no sensation that’s quite as sensat’nal as flying! Thrilling, fulfilling, and high’r educat’nal as flying!” Young Charlie Bucket (left, eighth-grader Ellory Syverson) and Grandpa Joe (right, eighth-grader Oliver Lennon) take to the air after secretly drinking confectioner Willy Wonka’s bubbly experimental Fizzy Lifting Drinks during their tour of Wonka’s candy and chocolate factory.
Touring the nut room in Willy Wonka's candy and chocolates factory
Specially-trained squirrels (foreground right, fourth-grader Emma Bailey) sort good nuts from bad nuts in the nut room in confectioner Willy Wonka's famed candy and nut factory in Reek Elementary School's April 21-22 youth edition production of "Willy Wonka Jr." Pictured in background from left are an Oompa-Loompa (sixth-grader Audrey Huhn), Wonka (eighth-grader Emma Ocker), Veruca Salt (eighth-grader Grace Huhn) and Mrs. Teavee (sixth-grader Amaya Kundert). Bratty, greedy Salt will soon be judged a "bad nut" by the squirrels and dispatched down the Bad Nut refuse shoot.
"I Want It NOW!" - Veruca Salt has a temper tantrum after not getting her way in the nut-shelling room
“...And if I don’t get the things I am after, I’m going to scream...” Spoiled, bratty, precocious, demanding, greedy and domineering, Veruca Salt (eighth-grader Grace Huhn) screams during a temper tantrum after not getting her way during the tour of confectioner Willy Wonka’s candy and chocolate factory. Wonka’s giant nut-sorting squirrels judge her a “Bad Nut” and dispatch her down a chute to the incinerator room.
Confectioner Willy Wonka demonstrates his teleportation Wonka Vision device
From left, eccentric, inventive confectioner Willy Wonka (eighth-grader Emma Ocker) shows the screen-addicted Mike Teavee (eighth-grader Ethan Romanowkski) his teleportation Wonka Vision device as one of his Oompa-Loompa factory workers (fifth-grader Elaina Books) demonstrates its use, taking a ginormous Wonka Bar and teleporting it across the studio into a normal-sized Wonka Bar. Young Teavee soon falls victim to his screen addition vice and shrinks himself with the Wonka Vision unit.
Last kid standing - Charlie Bucket inherits Willy Wonka's candy factory
The last kid standing after the day-long tour of the candy and chocolate factory, childless confectioner Willy Wonka (center, eighth-grader Emma Ocker) deems kind-hearted, selfless, honest and generous golden ticket holder Charlie Bucket (left, eighth-grader Ellory Syverson) as the suitable heir to carry his Wonka candy business into the future. Charlie’s Grandpa Joe (eighth-grader Oliver Lennon) looks on at right.
The top hat is passed to heir apparent Charlie Bucket in the finale scene of "Willy Wonka Jr."
A celebration breaks out in the finale scene of the April 21-22 Reek Elementary School production of "Willy Wonka Jr." as legendary confectioner Willy Wonka (right foreground, eighth-grader Emma Ocker) passes his signature top hat to young heir apparent Charlie Bucket (left foreground, eighth-grader Ellory Syverson).
Eric Johnson
Reporter
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