Plainfield Boy To Be Titular Character In Paramount's 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory'

PLAINFIELD, IL — A Plainfield seventh grader was selected to alternate playing the titular character in Paramount Theatre's upcoming "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" production.

Charles Long, who attends Ira Jones Middle School, found his own "golden ticket" when he beat out hundreds of other thespians his age to alternate playing Charlie Bucket in the lead role along with Meena Sood, a sixth grader at Oak Park's Ovation Academy.

Besides Long and Sood, the only two youths in the production, the rest of the cast features Chicago-based professional actors. Stephen Schellhardt, who has previously appeared in Paramount's "Into the Woods," "The Sound of Music" and "Fun Home," will play Willy Wonka.

According to Plainfield School District 202 officials, Long is "overjoyed" to be back at Paramount Theatre. He last participated in the theater's productions of "School of Rock" and "The Sound of Music."

"Playing Charlie is extra special because it was one of my first roles in children's theater, so now to be able to perform it on the Paramount stage is so magical," the student said, per a District 202 news release.

Of the Roald Dahl 1964 children's novel on which the play is based, Long said he loves the story "because it explores goodness, wonder and imagination."

Trent Stork, Paramount's artistic producer and casting director who is also directing the show, said Long has "a hero's spirit."

"When he walks on stage you are instantly rooting for him," Stork said in a statement. "He's a kid you want to see win and that's why he makes a great Charlie Bucket."

Long began preparing for the role over the summer. His rehearsals consisted of practicing the music, studying the script, reading Dahl's novel and watching both movie adaptations, Mel Stewart's made in 1971 and Tim Burton's iteration from 2005.

Offstage, Long takes singing lessons and is a member of both the band and choir at Ira Jones.

"We are so grateful for the wonderful educators who have encouraged and taught Charlie," Holli Long, the boy's mother, said in a statement.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is slated to run at the Aurora theater, 23 E. Galena Blvd., from Nov. 8 to Jan. 14, 2024. Tickets start at $28 for the musical with a runtime of about 2 hours and 30 minutes.