Indiana News

I would love to have your child involved in Wonka JR.! Speaking parts will be given to 3rd – 5th grade students, with 1st and 2nd grade students being invited to be a part of the ensemble.

The delicious adventures of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl’s fantastical tale. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film, in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone’s sweet tooth. Now in the updated Binder format! 

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka’s rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences. 

Performing in a musical is an experience that young people will remember for the rest of their lives, and it is truly our pleasure to work with your child on this exciting project. We want everyone involved to understand both the benefits and responsibilities that go along with being in a musical, so we have detailed some of the basics here. There are a number of great benefits to being in a musical, including:

Active Participation in the Arts: Participating in the arts provides young people with a chance to explore their creativity and imagination in a structured and safe environment. Musical theatre is specifically remarkable because it is the only art form that combines all areas of the fine arts: acting, singing, dancing, music, and visual arts.

Improving Literacy Skills: From reading scripts to memorizing lines to learning to tell a story, young people continually improve their literacy skills while rehearsing and performing in a musical.

Becoming a Confident Public Speaker: It takes a lot of guts to stand up and sing or dance in front of your family, peers, and what may seem like the entire community. Experience with public speaking at a young age gives students confidence that will be important to them for the rest of their lives.

Gaining Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving Skills: Putting on a musical is a group effort, and every member of the team must work together to make it happen. Throughout the rehearsal process, the students will learn to solve challenges as they arise. Students will learn to trust and depend on themselves and their castmates.

Please understand that being in a play involves not only attending all rehearsals, but also working at home to memorize lines and choreography. For this reason, I ask that students who are in the play not* be involved in any other winter sport. This is for their sake as well as the sake of the show!

If your student is interested in Wonka JR., please click here for the sign up form that details everything you will need to know. Please specifically note the Parent Information Meeting to be held November 29, and the Auditions on December 6 and 7. The sign up form will be due by auditions.

Lastly, parents should expect to volunteer in some fashion in order to have this show be a success. Please click here for options to volunteer for, and then follow the live document link here to sign yourself up.

Questions? Contact Ms. Hammond at lhammond@caschools.us.

Don’t miss the CAI Middle School production of “A Seussified Christmas Carol” by Peter Bloedel, November 18-20. Performances begin at 7 p.m. each night. Advance ticket sales begin November 1, and general sales November 8. Order online at cai.booktix.com. The cost is $8 for adults in advance, $6 for students in advance and $2 more at the door.