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Hinsdale students bring Willy Wonka to life
Emma Schramko, 13, rehearses her role of Charlie Bucket before (left to right) Dianne Wojnicki, one of the parents chairing the production, and Anthony Avino and Don Smith of Stage Door Fine Arts. | Kimberly Fornek—Sun-Times Media
Willy Wonka
What: St. Isaac Jogues students perform the musical
When: At 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22; at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24
Where: The Nazareth Academy theater, at 1209 W. Ogden Ave., LaGrange Park
Tickets: Cost $15. To order, visit www.sij.net, click on “school” on the left side, and then under “News,” select “Buy your Willy Wonka tickets,” or visit www.stagedoorfinearts.com.
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Updated: April 22, 2013 2:41AM
HINSDALE — Nearly 60 St. Isaac Jogues students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, will perform the musical “Willy Wonka.”
The story of the candymaker who hides golden tickets for a tour of his well-guarded chocolate factory in five random Wonka candy bars is the school’s 12th musical. It’s the second under the direction of Stage Door Fine Arts, which teaches the performing arts and stages productions with children and young adults.
Don Smith, co-founder of Stage Door, said children often think, “acting is memorizing lines, and not how the lines fit into the scene.”
Smith tells young performers “It’s about having a character and expression and pushing the character out” of the lines in the script. Eventually, they get it, Smith said.
“I really enjoy getting into the character,” said eighth-grader Bryn Latimer, who plays Mrs. Teevee in the show. Bryn said the character is “really outgoing and full of herself.”
The role also is a step up from the characters Bryn played in the two previous St. Isaac Jogues musicals.
“All the eighth-graders get the main roles,” Bryn said.
Last year, she was a jungle creature in “Seussical” and the year before a napkin dancer in “Beauty and the Beast.”
Caleigh Andrews, 13, of Hinsdale, plays Mike Teevee, a character “obsessed with video games. He is really arrogant.” Speaking as Teavee, Caleigh said, “I think everyone else is ridiculous and I’m amazing.”
Anna Keefe said her role of Grandpa Joe is “kind of fun.”
“I get to lay in bed (on stage) the whole first act,” Anna said.
Two different casts will split the four performances of the musical from Feb. 22-24. Jordan Wojnicki and Nora Moran both play Willy Wonka. Rory Vrdolyak and Emma Schramko share the role of Charlie Bucket, another lead character. ~.
