Junior Actors of Ridgedale Present “Willy Wonka Jr.” March 1-10 in Troy
(Cherie Rolfe, Feb. 25, 2024)
Troy, MI – A world of pure imagination” comes to life on stage as the Junior Actors of Ridgedale Players Community Theatre present “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr.” The production opens Friday, March 1 and runs for two weekends through Sunday, March 10. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinee performances at 3 p.m. All seats are $12 and are available online at ridgedaleplayers.com/tickets, or at the door.
It has been 60 years since Roald Dahl’s novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” started the Wonka phenomenon that continued through the decades, from the 1971 classic musical film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” right up to 2023’s “Wonka.”
The story begins with the mysterious candy maker, Willy Wonka, and a contest to find five golden tickets hidden in his candy bars. The children who find them win a tour of Wonka’s factory, a lifetime supply of candy, and learn some life lessons along the way. It features classic songs from the ’71 film, along with some new ones.
Interest in the Ridgedale production was strong; over 90 young actors turned out at the Troy theater to audition for roles, which resulted in an additional week of performances and a double cast. (The “Oompa” cast performs March 1-3, and the “Loompa” cast performs March 8-10.)
“(I was) extremely surprised!” director Scott Steiger said about the auditions. “We had thought that maybe with the popularity of the new movie, ‘Wonka,’ we would have a few more. We normally get about 25-30 kids to show up. To have 90 plus kids signed up was amazing.
“The biggest challenge (with the double cast) was how to get as much rehearsal time as possible,” he continued. “We broke the rehearsals down into scenes and invited both casts. We would then teach one cast while the other watched and took notes implementing what they had learned.”
The Junior Actors of Ridgedale (JAR) is a program open to young people from ages 8-18. Its history goes back to the 1950s. “It has since evolved into a learning program for the entire community where we put on great shows while teaching children acting, stage direction, lights, sound, how to manage backstage, and many other theater skills,” Steiger said.
Cecilia Lang, 16, of Rochester Hills, has worked in community theater for five years. She has participated in “19-20 productions,” including “Into the Woods” at Ridgedale. For this production, she works backstage for the first time as a student director. She helps block scenes, build sets, takes notes to help the young actors improve their performances, and was even involved in the casting process.
“Ridgedale has a very warm atmosphere, very welcoming. It’s small, but it’s home,” Cecilia said. Becoming a director is now her dream career.
Jessie Brault, 15, a sophomore at Avondale High School, is the student stage manager for the production. Jessie has been acting since 4th grade, and is “nervous, but excited” to be working behind the scenes for the first time. The stage manager job takes “maturity” and is a “crucial and important part of the show,” Jessie said. “I’ve always loved Willy Wonka, and this was a chance to do something different with this show.”
The stage manager is backstage following the script for important sound and light cues, and wears a microphone to follow the action on stage. Jessie says it’s important to bond with the kids in the cast, to recognize their voices, and “match the voice with the face and the character.” A double cast added to the challenge, but Jessie says, “We could not have cast any better, they are both strong and amazing with good presence. One (cast) is not better than the other.”
Jessie worked previously with director Scott Steiger on JAR production of “101 Dalmatians” and “A Christmas Story: The Musical,” and says, “Good experiences carry over (from one production to the next.)”
Another “101 Dalmatians” alumna, Tessa Bishop, 15, of Warren, has been involved with community theater for six years. She was a student director for the JAR production of “101 Dalmatians.” For “Willy Wonka Jr.,” she is the student tech lead, and makes sure pieces and props are on stage when they are supposed to be, so the show runs smoothly. “Paying attention” is important, Tessa said. She’s also interested in hair and makeup and says the show’s characters have distinctive looks. “The Oompa Loompas are super cute with green wigs,” she said.
Ridgedale Players Community Theatre is located at 205 W. Long Lake Road in Troy (since 1983.) The theater always welcomes volunteers, new members, donations and corporate sponsorships.
