The long-anticipated Kenai Performers' production of Willy Wonka opens tonight (Thurs.) at the Renee C. Henderson Auditorium. The production promises several twists on the original story, and what sounds like an unusually large amount of high technology.
Co-directors Terri Burdick and Donna Shirnberg were on yesterday's Kenai Conversation and kind of explain the technology.
"It is hard when you're thinking about how is Augustus going to fall in a river of chocolate? You know, when you're looking at a script and you're thinking, ooh, how are we going to do this? You know, do we have any ideas? What? How can we get this, you know, point across, you know?" said Burdick.
"ow are we going to do a Wonka-Vator to crash the ceiling. How are we going to get Grandpa Joe and Charlie flying?"
Anyone familiar with the book, or either of the movies or either of the Broadway productions, know the tale is filled with some interesting characters -- so just how did Burdick and Shirnberg cast the show? Here, they answer together again.
" So when they come in, you know, everybody in a group is usually taught maybe the one song that everybody is going to be singing. And so then we're listening to the voices and that kind of stuff. And then we'll do a little bit of a dance routine to see if people know if they have two left feet or two right feet or come follow direction. And then sometimes there's even a portion where we'll do cold reads maybe a little scene between you know, Charlie and Grandpa Joe so we can see if, you know, they can pick up character in the reading, you know, in that case stuff so, all different things that give us clues as to how they're going to come in," Burdick said.
"Yeah, and during those cold reads. Sometimes you can already see a chemistry between the actors, and so that makes a good pairing. I'll tell you when Verruca and Mr. Salt who were in and Charlie Bird when they read it was a no brainer because they already had a chemistry and we knew that they would be perfect on stage together," added Shirnberg.
The directors also gave praise to others who have taken on major roles in the production behind the scenes.
" We have Kent Peterson and the fabulous orchestra in the pit. We have Audra Ferris, who's our vocal director and also a new Villanova and we have Terry's Zoft-Schussler who's our choreographer. So she's done a fabulous, fabulous job court choreographing Oompa Loompas and some of the other little things that happen on stage and she's Mrs. Gloop, so she's Augustus Gloop's mom. So everybody has multiple roles," said Burdick.
Doors open at 6:30 tonight for the premier of "Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka" by the Kenai Performers. Tickets are available online, at numerous retail locations, and at the door.
