
|
Wackadoo! Following a highly successful global tour, Bluey, Bingo, Mum and Dad are bringing Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show back to Broadway In Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) for five performances only. Individual tickets will go on sale this Friday, March 13. Ticket prices will range from $30.00 to $91.00 with a select number of VIP Meet and Greet tickets available for each performance. Tickets may be purchased at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Group sales of 10 or more are available by calling (312) 977-1710 or e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. See below for more ticket information and the performance schedule. “Bluey’s Big Play may be her first theatrical experiment, but I doubt it will be the last” – The Australian Review When Dad feels like a little bit of afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag. With an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. This is Bluey, For Real Life. |
|
|
|
TICKET INFORMATION (as of 3/10/26, based on availability and subject to change) |
Beloved children’s author Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the quirky and mysterious candy-maker looking for his heir apparent comes to life in an energetic and magical performance in the Theatre for Young Audiences’ musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory now on stage at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.
The 70-minute-long performance is a wonderful mix of old and new. Older members of the audience appreciated the familiar tunes from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, such as the iconic “The Candy Man,” “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” and “Pure Imagination” while the younger audience was captivated with the “Queen of Pop” (and next “It Girl”), Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teavee’s all-things techno obsession, and the very spoiled and demanding antics of Veruca Salt.
Upon entering the theatre, with the centerstage bathed in cool purple lighting and musical tributes featuring candy playing in the background, the audience is immediately transported to another place and time, where “pure imagination” reigns. The magic continues as the show opens with a flash news report from “Cherry Sunday” (Megan Long) about the famed candy-maker’s search for a suitable replacement to take over his workshop.
A delightful chorus of Oompa-Loompas, bedecked in colorful multi-patterned coats, jaunty bowler hats, and oversized sunglasses, appear in every aisle, allowing the young audience to feel part of the show, as they introduce us to the main man himself. Willy Wonka, wonderfully played by George Keating, brings just the right amount of quirkiness, charm, and empathy to his character.
The story continues as Mr. Wonka announces a worldwide contest, hiding five golden tickets in his chocolate bars. The lucky “finders” will be invited to visit his famed factory and be eligible for the grand prize. We meet young Charlie Bucket, played by the very talented Kai Edgar, who lives for Willy Wonka chocolate bars and dreams about winning a ticket. But his family is so poor that they can only afford to buy Charlie one candy bar on his birthday.
Charlie shares his dreams for helping his family and writes a letter to Mr. Wonka, telling him about the many wonderful candy confections he would invent for each family member, then sends it sailing out into the world, knowing there is little chance that he would ever win.
And, as the four golden tickets are quickly won by an assortment of spoiled, ill-mannered kids from around the world – the sausage-consuming Augustus Gloop (Elias Totleben), the foot-stomping demanding Veruca Salt (Elin Joy Seiler), the gum-chewing social-media queen Violet Beauregarde (Avelyn Lena Choi), and the techno-obsessed Mike Teavee (Gordon Henry Heisler) -- Charlie’s hopes dim. And when he, at last, does receive a Wonka bar, alas, no golden ticket. Charlie is distraught.
Yet, the kindly candy-story shopkeeper, who is unbeknownst to Charlie is Mr. Wonka himself, drops a dollar bill, and with it, Charlie buys the very last Wonka bar in the world. To his amazement, Charlie wins the last golden ticket. The audience broke into delighted applause as Charlie and his grandfather cavort around the stage in celebration.
Under the skillful direction of Amber Mak, who also choreographed the show, the magical world of Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory comes to life through a combination of artful staging, colorful costumes, and confectionary props that looks almost good enough to eat. Throw in some bubbles and the clever use of large lighting panels that surround the stage and enhance the action on stage, and voilà – your imagination takes you right into the very heart of Wonka’s enchanted workshop.
The audience squealed in part dismay, part approval, as one by one the obnoxious cadre of children, brilliantly played by Totleben, Seiler, Choi, and Heisler, were eliminated from the competition because they crossed the line and broke the rules. And yes, thanks to an ingenious costume design, the gum-chomping Violet Beauregarde, does turn into a blueberry to the wonder of the crowd.
Finally, Charlie and his grandfather are the only ones left, and Mr. Wonka invites them into his sacred workshop where all the delicious designs are born. Leaving his book of creations behind, with a warning not to look inside it, Mr. Wonka and the grandfather go off to sign some papers for awarding the grand prize. As Charlie walks toward the forbidden book, the audience yelled at him to stop, but of course, he cannot help himself and opens the book.
When he discovered there were empty pages in the notebook, Charlie begins to sing again of his own dreams and visions for confectionary creations. When Mr. Wonka returns, rather than banishing Charlie from the factory as he did the other children for disobeying his rules, he tells Charlie that he indeed has won the grand prize because of his good heart and his pure imagination. Charlie is now the next “Candy Man” and inherits the factory.
As the young crowd applauded its approval and left the theatre thoroughly satisfied and entertained, the words to “The Candy Man” came back to me, “Who can take tomorrow and dip it in a dream?” The Candy Man can, and for one magical hour, the accomplished cast of the Marriott’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory did as well.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Theatre for Young Audiences is running through March 28 at the Marriott Theatre, located at 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire. Performances take place on most Wednesdays through Sundays at 10 am with select 12:30 pm performances. Visit www.marriotttheatre.com or call 847.634.0200 for the exact schedule, as show times and dates may vary.
This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.
For the first time in company history, Oak Park Festival Theatre presents two productions in repertory: William Shakespeare's HAMLET and Oscar Wilde's THE…
Immerse yourself in the enchanting wonder, vibrant magic and joyous celebration that is Mexican folkloric dance when Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl…
When Terry Guest left Atlanta and arrived in Chicago ten years or so ago, a bracing reality check caused the…
When Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001, it flipped the traditional rom-com…
Some stories refuse to fade with time, and Brokeback Mountain is one of them. What began as a modest short…
There’s something magical about stories. Stories have the power to transcend time, reaching across the centuries to share their thoughts,…
Produced in partnership with JunkHeart, The Metal Shop Performance Lab is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Anatomy of a Suicide, August…
Black Ensemble Theater Founder and Executive Director Jackie Taylor proudly announces Black Ensemble's Juneteenth Prelude: Celebrating Freedom and Black Expression, as part of…
Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, this month’s…
Award-winning Redtwist Theatre presents Deserted, playing June 14 through August 2, a world premiere by Melanie Coffey and directed by Laura Sturm*, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn…
Black Ensemble Theater continues its 50th Anniversary Season with the return of the celebrated musical revue Men of Soul, written and directed by Artistic…
Now fully activated, Collaboraction Theatre Company’s new House of Belonging in the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave in…
Definition Theatre's Amplify New Play Program exists to elevate emerging voices, and Netta Walker's keerah certainly arrives with ambition. Loosely…
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce the cast…
No Dogs in the Kitchen Theatre is thrilled to continue its third season with The Importance of Being Earnest, written by…
Following is critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, Kokandy Productions once again celebrates the great Stephen…
Some theatrical experiences ask you to sit back and watch. "The Last Word" invites you to pull up a chair,…
Paramount Theatre’s smash hit, immersive musical Million Dollar Quartet wrapped its spring run at downtown Aurora’s Stolp Island Theatre this…
Paramount Theatre is proud to host the world’s most influential name in comedy, The Second City, back for for a…
Studebaker Theater (Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey), P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin) and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista…
About Face Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop and the Midwest Premiere of i…
Broadway In Chicago will bring its free annual SUMMER CONCERT to Millennium Park on Monday, August 10, 2026. Sponsored by…
The South Florida based YI Love Jewish and Chicago-based Arts Judaica proudly join forces to present a limited engagement of the Chicago…
JK Entertainment is proud to announce the final production of their inaugural season: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the cult-classic created…
Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre announces today that the recent stars of Porchlight in Concert’s production of Follies, Tony Award-nominee Felicia P. Fields and Broadway’s…
Hot off their record-breaking, award-winning runs of Jekyll & Hyde and Amélie, Kokandy Productions is pleased to launch its 2026 Season with the revolutionary "love-rock"…
Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by JD Caudill and fight choreography by Carly…
PrideArts announced today that Craig Ramsay and Catherine Wreford will bring the magic of Broadway to the Hoover-Leppen Theatre at…
Music Theater Works is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the second production of its 2026 season, West Side…
David Koechner stormed into The Den Theatre’s Mainstage this weekend with the kind of unruly, big‑hearted presence that instantly reminded…
Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl returns to Paramount Theatre to perform folk dances from Mexico’s different regions, Thursday, July 30th
Oak Park Festival Theatre's 51st Season Opens with HAMLET and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Guest’s New Andy Warhol Play A Study in Primo Theater
Intimate and Unflinching: The Last Five Years at Oil Lamp Theater
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.