Willy Wonka Glasgow Parody Musical Debuts First Track With John Stamos (EXCLUSIVE)
“Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Parody Musical,” which will spoof this year’s viral Willy Wonka Glasgow Experience, is finally taking fans to a world of pure imagination as they reveal a first look at the production’s sound.
In a new demo for opening number “Willy’s Candy Spectacular,” John Stamos traces the downfall of civilization back to the disastrous event in Glasgow.
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“After playing Willy Wonka in concert at the Hollywood Bowl, I was happy to join in when that event’s director, Richard Kraft, asked me to record a demo of the opening number to his upcoming stage show, ‘Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Parody Musical,’ spoofing the Wonka rip-off fiasco in Glasgow,” Stamos said. “Any opportunity to sing a batshit crazy song about The End of Days and to be pelted by candy is something to savor.”
The track is the brainchild of Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, known for their work on Broadway’s “First Date” and ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.” “We love musicals with epic opening numbers,” they said of the song. “And we thought — what could be more epic than John Stamos singing about the end of humanity and linking our species’ demise to an underwhelming immersive experience in Scotland?”
Other tracks debuted today include “Where Dreams Go to Fly,” written by Emmy winners Tova Litvin and Doug Rockwell, and “Dreamed to Dare,” which is penned by viral “Ratatouille the Musical” creator Daniel Mertzlufft. The Sharpe Family and the actual Oompa Loompa performer from the Glasgow Experience, Kirsty Paterson, perform the song. Additional tracks will debut every Sunday.
Riki Lindhome will also serve as a songwriter for “Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody” (previously known as “Willy Fest: A Musical Parody”), steered by Richard Kraft of Kraft-Engel Productions.
Kraft’s other credits include “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl” and ABC’s “The Little Mermaid.” Kraft previously directed John Stamos in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl,” which also starred Finn Wolfhard as Charlie and “Weird Al” Yankovic as the Oompa Loompas.
“The process of creating a brand-new musical, which usually spans years, is being condensed into just a couple of months, with the team sharing their progress through social media,” Kraft said.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see the show live: a world premiere staged reading of the musical will debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest at the Pleasance King Dome from Aug. 9-26.
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