San Benito Stage Company will bring “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to the stage for two weekends beginning July 10 and continuing through July 25 at the Hollister High School Auditorium.
The production features a cast of 55 ranging in age from 10-60, according to director Zac Isom. Evening performances are scheduled for 7pm, with matinees at 1pm on July 11 and July 25. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $17.50 for students and seniors.
Isom said the company chose the musical, based on Roald Dahl’s novel, in large part because of its wide name recognition.
“The reason that we chose ‘Charlie,’ and why we’ve chosen our last few summer shows, like ‘Footloose’ and ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Matilda,’ is that they’re easily recognizable,” Isom said. “People know what it is about and are excited to come and see it, and for a small community like this, that’s important. If we try to do something a little more obscure, audiences tend to be smaller.”
Isom said audiences familiar with earlier film adaptations of the story should still expect some surprises. The stage production leans more heavily on projected visual effects than past San Benito Stage Company shows have, layered alongside traditional physical set pieces.
Cast members pointed to the story’s emphasis on imagination as the throughline connecting its characters. Aaron Hernandez, 34, who plays Willy Wonka, said the character’s factory reflects his own creativity taken to an extreme.
“His whole thing is he makes candies nobody’s thought of, treats most people can’t imagine,” Hernandez said. “Once you get into the factory, it’s his own world that revolves around candy, and it all comes from his imagination.”
Hernandez said the number “Pure Imagination” is one of his favorites in the show for the way it reveals Wonka’s motivations, while the choreography-driven “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” stands out as one of the more purely fun moments for the cast.
Niko Veltri, 28, who plays Grandpa Joe, described his character as an eccentric war veteran who spends most of the first act confined to bed before rallying to help push Charlie toward the golden ticket.
“His imagination is off the charts,” Veltri said. “He’s been around. He’s a veteran, he’s been in the war. He’s a little bit crazy, but that’s just because he’s been around town.”
Fontaine, one of the two actors sharing the role of Charlie Bucket, described the character as a kid with big dreams and a difficult home life who is continually encouraged by outside sources, including Grandpa Joe and a disguised Wonka posing as a candy shop owner early in the show.
Isom, who has been involved with San Benito Stage Company productions for decades in various roles, said this production marks his first time directing an all-ages family show for the company. He said the rehearsal process has been smooth for a large cast working together over an extended run.
“This cast has been very cooperative, helping each other out a lot,” Isom said. “Everyone’s having a good time, and we’re creating something meaningful.”
The troupe chooses the high school auditorium for its summer musicals, rather than their traditional venue at the downtown Granada Theater it has used for other productions, in part because of the school theater’s greater size.
“It’s a bigger space, it has a bigger stage, and since they renovated it has newer technology,” Isom said. “Newer lighting and sound and things like that, which is fantastic for us to use.”
Isom said he hopes audiences leave with a message about perseverance rather than simple obedience.
“It’s about not giving up on your dream,” Isom said. “Be yourself, and don’t give up on your dreams. It may not look exactly like you planned, but keep going.”
Performances run July 10, 11, 17, 24 and 25 at 7pm, with 1pm matinees July 11 and July 25, at the Hollister High School Auditorium. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $17.50 for students and seniors. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit sanbenitostage.org.
