Zoe Veruca
Originally uploaded by Our PDX photos

I attended my second live play today. The first was Bat Boy, several years back. That was based on the Weekly World News headline and photo, and translated well.

I had not seen the stage version or either of the cinematic versions of today’s choice. My sole knowledge of Charlie/Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Marilyn Manson’s Portrait of an American Family. While others hummed the Oompa Loompa song, my earworm was Cake and Sodomy, which hardly seemed appropriate considering the crowd and audience.

The only vocal critic was the three-month old baby sitting next to me. She squawked a little, and eventually fell asleep. The rest of the crowd was boisterous and supportive, and applauded wildly at the end. After the troupe took its bow, they descended into the audience with hats extended. Singing for their supper? Not quite. Singing for the chance to come back next year and do it again.

How was the show? In a word, great. I could pile on the superlatives, but I don’t want the future Tony winners to get too confident. Ninety minutes of grade school-age singing can be pure torture in the wrong hands; these guys and gals did a wonderful job, and by the end I was humming the Oompa Loompa Song instead of that other dirty ditty.

Finally, there was Veruca Salt. I must confess, I’m a bit partial to this young actress. We’ve been friends for a few years, and it would be unfair for me to single her out from amongst the others without full disclosure. I thought her performance was brilliant, and when I asked her mother if she’d been method-acting, her reply was “Yeah, for about ten years now!”

Bravo! Bravo!