Willy Wonka has teamed up with a fellow confectionery pioneer to bring sweet treats to the Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The new musical, which begins performances March 28 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, has recruited Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar as its official curator of all promotional items and merchandise “digestible, edible, and wonderfully tasty.”
The show is based on the best-selling children’s novel by Roald Dahl and features original songs from Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman as well as tunes heard in the 1971 movie musical. Two-time Tony winner Christian Borle will take on the role of the zany candy impresario Willy Wonka.
Lauren launched Dylan’s Candy Bar in 2001, and it has since grown into one of the largest sweets emporiums and candy lifestyle brands. Home to over 7,000 varieties of candy from around the world, the company boasts two locations in New York City, as well as stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and East Hampton. Lauren is also the author of Dylan’s Candy Bar: Unwrap Your Sweet Life.“To be working alongside Willy Wonka and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a dream come true,” Lauren said in a statement. “At its core, Willy Wonka stands for ‘pure imagination’—it was this creativity and inspiration since childhood, which directly contributed to starting Dylan’s Candy Bar. Now, we’ve come full circle!”
Opening night for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Jack O’Brien, is set for April 23.
