Chocolate has never tasted this sweet!
I was fortunate enough to score a ticket to watch the Japanese adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in Osaka, Japan. Sometimes the stars do align in my favor. It was almost a chance I missed due to the various challenges I had in getting the trip together. But God is good so I made it!Watching it just once definitely was not enough. If I could, I would have wanted to see it again.
Here's my impression on some of the scenes that I could remember amidst the giddiness at the sight of KD.
Scene 1: Love the costume here! The Candyman looked smart, sharp, and charming! The songs had that entertaining beat with beautiful singing to match. Candyman is a favorite song and KD's rendition did not disappoint. I also thought the dancing had some Broadway feel to it.
Scene2: Was it here that Candyman got spun around by Charlie?
Scene 3: I thought the Bucket household was a happy one despite being poor. I was reminded that happiness is not dependent on material things or how much money one has.
Scene 5: The way Charlie found out about the news on Wonka's Golden Ticket was pure excitement. Mrs. Bucket didn't want to get her son's hopes up on winning. Charlie was looking forward to receive a chocolate bar on his birthday which may just have the Golden Ticket. His Mom said that this year may be difficult due to challenges in finances.The personalities of the first 4 winners were interesting. Augustus loves to eat! His curiosity on anything edible is unbelievable. Violet, the queen of gum, wears the colors I love and sings in pop style that is catchy. Veruca is classy with snobbish attitude. Such a spoiled kid that is absolutely annoying. Mike is this gamer who makes me think of hoodlums somehow. All these time when the winners were being introduced, Candyman and Charlie were on the side of the stage. Candyman went downstage so the audience on the side could see him up close (lucky!). I like the interaction between Candyman and Charlie; very candid and loving. Charlie receive a chocolate bar for his birthday but to his dismay, there was no Golden Ticket inside.
Scene 6: The song and dance of Mrs. Bucket was really beautiful. It was reminiscent and wishing that Mr. Bucket was still alive so the family can be complete (Not certain if I understood it correctly). The stage had a beautiful transformation to match the emotions of Mrs. Bucket.
Scene 7: Candyman encourage Charlie not to give up hope. Charlie found money in the garbage stash and bought the last chocolate bar from the peddler who used to sell vegetables. And lo and behold!
Scene 8: OMG! Willy Wonka is absolutely sexy! (That's just my impression.) Creepy and mean but definitely sexy! The costume gave color to his character and at the same time shows how he is different in some ways. The singing definitely showed how KD has come a long way as an artist. The first appearance of Wonka had some mystery vibe to it.
Scene 10: The first four winners and their parents were all trying to get Wonka's attention but the latter is not impressed. The song Pure Imagination is another personal favorite. KD's version was just amazing! I have always thought this song is difficult to sing but KD's vocal dynamics made it a wonderful version. The stage had all wonderful colors. It made me really happy; like a kid left in Candyland. Augustus and his disobedience brought trouble to himself. Wonka summoning the Oompa Loompa was grand! They were adorable! How to move around in that costume let alone dance!
Scene 11: All aboard the SS ウオンカ号! How Wonka made the echo sound was just hilarious.
Scene 12: A very persistent Violet got in trouble after chewing on an incomplete gum despite Wonka's cautioning and she turned into a blueberry and popped!
Scene 14: Super spoiled Veruca wants one of the nut inspectors which were cute squirrels.
Scene 16: This scene was in the White Room where Wonka invents his sweets. Charlie's Grandpa was asking about the price for the winner and Wonka hands a small lollipop. This disappointed the Grandpa but Charlie was happy and contented. While Wonka and Grandpa were away, Charlie got hold of Wonka's invention notebook and got himself excited thinking about what sweets he can invent. Wonka suddenly appeared and was pleasantly surprised that Charlie had the same imagination as he does.
Scene 17: This scene was breathtaking! As KD is known for his flying stunts in SHOCK, this was a different flying. The song sung was beautiful too and fitting for the scene. I wish I understood the lyrics. It was so beautiful I had goosebumps while watching the scene.
Scene 18: Such a happy ending. Charlie, the good boy that he is, deserves to inherit the factory.
Ahhhh! I hope there will be a second run for this next time. I would love to watch it again! All the colors and the sweet smell in the theater just made the whole experience memorable. If I do not get lucky again next time, at least, I have this wonderful memory to treasure for life.