Willy Wonka is perhaps the most well-known fictional candy man in popular culture. And, he'll soon hit the stage in Nikiski.
More than two dozen mostly middle school-aged actors have been rehearsing for “Willy Wonka Jr.” since August. The musical is almost entirely directed by six upperclassmen students.
“This has been a wonderful experience to watch kids discover their own potential, and realize their own capacity for greatness on stage,” said Kyler Allen, a senior and vocal director for the show.
It’s Allen's first time directing a play. He says the show is a first for many of the actors, too.
“They’re getting all the fundamentals down now that I had to learn as a freshman, I can’t wait to see what they do in three to four years," Allen said. "I’m so thankful that we have such a young cast.”
The students were inspired to put on a musical production of the iconic story after seeing the 2023 film “Wonka,” starring Timothée Chalamet. But many of the actors, like eighth grader McKinley Frary, draw from characters in the Gene Wilder version of the film.
“It’s really fun," said Frary, who plays Willy Wonka. It’s her first time acting in a lead role.
"You get to sing a lot of songs and say a lot of lines, it’s really fun," Frary said. "Costumes are amazing, too."
“There’s a lot of people who can sing really well in this school,” said Cannon Snow, an eighth grader who plays the father of Veruca Salt, a spoiled child who is invited to Wonka’s chocolate factory.
“When I first met and talked to most of these people, I thought ‘I don’t think this is going to sound that good,'" Snow added. "But after hearing everybody and knowing what they sound like when they sing, it’s going to be pretty good."
Vocal director Allen says he's seen growth in the students’ singing and acting.
“In high school, you’re so focused on where you’re going that you kind of forget and lose track of where you’ve been," Allen said. "To be able to turn around, and look at the middle schoolers and go “Oh yeah, I remember what it was like, I remember how this was,’ has been my favorite part of this.”
Nikiski Middle/High School’s production of “Willy Wonka Jr.” will take the stage this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. You can purchase tickets at the door or through the program’s Facebook page.