As the title character of “Willy Wonka,” Steve Tipton takes center stage bathed in the spotlight. Garbed in a sweeping purple cape, he grabs the imagination of every child in the audience as he urges, “Come along with me.”
Wide-eyed, perched on the edge of their seats, they follow Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beaureguarde and Mike Teevee through Wonka’s chocolate factory. They chortle at the merriment on stage as each obnoxious candidate fails the tests for character and honesty, but the moment their hero, Charlie Bucket, emerges triumphant, they dissolve into boisterous glee.
“We just finished two shows this morning for six thousand children bused in from forty different schools,” Tipton says. He is speaking from Stockton, Calif., where the Kennedy Center commission paused on its second national tour of 75 cities in 29 states.
“The kids screamed their heads off when Charlie found the golden ticket. This is a great story and a wonderful introduction to the theater for youngsters like these who probably are seeing a live performance for the first time. Graham Whitehead, the director, is very creative. He’s added puppets to appeal to the children. They’re a great addition to the show.
“When I was appearing in ‘Sing Down the Moon’ and ‘Perseus Bayou’ in Washington, a bird on a stick became my specialty. The writers of those shows, Mary Hall Surface and David Maddox, always added puppetry elements to capture children’s imagination.
“The music in ‘Willy Wonka’ is wonderful, not only the songs like ‘The Candy Man’ and ‘Pure Imagination’ that everyone knows from the original movie, but also the songs that Leslie Bricusse wrote for this new production two years ago. They’re at a perfect level for my voice and they suit the story so well. This is not just a great show for children; it’s perfect for adults, as well.”
Tipton, a graduate of George Mason University’s Theater program, has many credits from Washington-area theaters, including a Helen Hayes Award nomination for his performance as the Pirate King in “The Pirates of Penzance” at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre. He has also appeared as Toad in the Round House Theatre production of “A Year with Frog and Toad,” the Steward in “Anything Goes” at the Olney Theatre, and the Proprietor in Stephen Sondheim’s “The Assassins” at Signature Theatre.
‘Willy Wonka’
The Kennedy Center’s touring production of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka” begins Saturday and runs through Jan. 7.
Venue: Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Washington
Performances: 1:30, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, 27 and 28, and January 4, 5 and 7; ad 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. December 29 and 30 and Jan. 6
Tickets: $15 Tuesday through Thursday, $18 Friday through Sunday
More info: 202-467-4600
