'Charlie And Chocolate Factory' Begins For Truman Drama

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA —With Easter arriving in a month, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" will celebrate everything about candy with performances starting Thursday night and ending Saturday night.

Ticket sales for the Truman Drama production are on sale online only for the performances at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

There will be no door sales or contacting Truman to hold/reserve tickets.

Tickets are $12. Click here to purchase tickets.

Based on the famous novel by Roald Dahl, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” features an original score composed by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray” and “Some Like It Hot”) and a book by David Greig.

The score also pays homage to the Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley score from the 1971 film with songs from the motion picture, including "Candy Man," "I've Got a Golden Ticket," "Oompa Loompa Song" and "Pure Imagination.

Truman Drama is presenting one of the first high school productions of the musical in the United States, Bristol Township school officials said.

Truman High School welcomed more than 500 students from Brookwood, Keystone, and Mill Creek Elementary Schools for a sneak peek of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!" this week.

The students had a chance to win their very own Wonka Chocolate Bar during the show. Afterward, the high school cast came out for a question-and-answer session with the fifth-graders.

Over the summer, the Lou Volpe Auditorium underwent a complete overhaul as the Harry S. Truman High School auditorium prepared for a new school year for the award-winning Truman Drama Department and esteemed music department.

Renovations included brand-new seats, a new stage, new windows, and new lighting and sound equipment, Bristol Township school officials said.

Truman Drama is often the first high school to pilot musicals, including “Kinky Boots,” “Rocky,” “Rent,” and “Les Miserables.”

Meet the Cast and Crew

CAST

• Wonka - Giovanni Nigro
• Charlie - Jaiden VanDerveer
• Grandpa Joe - Jackson Montgomery
• Veruca - Grace Rugarber
• Mr. Salt - Sean Taggart - yes, our Truman math department
• Violet - Rylie Cerulli
• Mr. Beauregarde - Soph Brenner
• Mike - Jayden Gaines
• Mrs. Teavee - Serenity Crowder
• Augustus - Aiden Weiszgerber
• Mrs. Gloop - Leah Bethel
• Mrs. Bucket - Gracie Fink-Peralta
• Grandma Josephine - Taylor Pahulick
• Grandpa George - Adam Dunbar
• Grandma Georgina - Gloria Saint Eustache
• Mrs. Green - Holly Kindermann
• Jerry - Caitlin Affleck
• Cherry - Audrey McGeachy
• Oompa Loompa 1 - Holly Kindermann
• Oompa Loompa 2 - Taylor Pahulick
• Oompa Loompa 3 - Payge Engle

DANCERS

• Katelyn Byer
• Alexis Dingley
• Emma Jensen
• Grace Goldey
• Pyper Goldey

CREW

• Emir Ozturk
• Ash Dorceus
• Cristian Saint-Eustache
• Asher Matulewicz
• Abd Elrahman Safwat
• Noah Fender
• Alisha Knight
• Christy Luciano
• Skylar Smithkors
• Annabelle Tootell
• Betsy Jean
• Madison Howley

(Bristol Township School District)