Creekside Middle School eighth-grader Hannah Sevening gets to stretch her acting skills in this musical.
Sevening plays the title role in “Willy Wonka Jr.” in Creekside’s production Nov. 18 to 20. The performances are 7 p.m. Nov. 18-19 and 2 p.m. Nov. 20.
“I do dress as a man, but I don’t change my voice,” Sevening said. “We’re trying to keep the same storyline and not change much. I’m playing a quirky character, which is different from my own personality. It’s fun to step outside of my comfort zone. The musical is like a big family where no one judges each other. It’s cool to get engulfed in a new world.
“The biggest challenge is taking all the character details into consideration while memorizing all the lines.”
Eighth-grader Marcus Grethen plays Grandpa Joe.
“This is my first year doing a musical and it’s all new to me,” Grethen said. “I think I’m settling into a groove.”
Grethen said he enjoyed the 1971 “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” movie more than the darker 2005 “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” movie.
“I like the flying scene with Charlie Bucket,” Grethen said. “We have fun making it look like we’re flying.”
Eighth-grader Kameron Johnson is cast as Charlie.
“I really enjoy his innocence compared to the rest of the main kid characters,” Johnson said. “They really are shown to be snotty kids that don’t really appreciate much. I feel I can connect more with Charlie than the others.”
Johnson’s favorite song is “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket.”
“I get to do fun dances with Grandpa Joe, who is stumbling because he is learning how to walk (after being bedridden),” Johnson said. “It’s a really happy, upbeat song.”
Nicole and Greg Johnson are the directors.
“Our stage version is a combination of the movie and the book (by Roald Dahl),” said Nicole Johnson, the choir director. “It does have some darker moments. It’s much more family friendly than the book.”
Tickets are $5 and are on sale at creeksidetheater.ludus.com.
