A musical parody based on a viral Glasgow event known as the Willy Wonka experience is currently in the works. The February event gained notoriety after families who paid up to £35 to attend demanded their money back, which led to the event being cancelled. Richard Kraft, the show’s lead producer, hopes people watching the show “won’t be left in tears”. Kraft assembled a team of writers and producers for the project titled Willy Fest: A Musical Parody, which includes Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Riki Lindhome and Broadway songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. The goal is to launch the musical later this year.
The Glasgow event was originally advertised as a journey filled with wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every turn. It was abruptly cancelled by organisers House of Illuminati following complaints from parents as attendees said they saw children crying with disappointment. In a post on Facebook, a spokesperson for the event stated they were “fully apologising” and would be giving “full refunds to each and every person that purchased tickets”. Police Scotland officers were also called to the event, where advice was given.
Kraft, who directed a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory concert at the famed Hollywood Bowl, said the Glasgow event’s legacy continues to live on since a recent eBay auction of some of the props used has raised around £2,000 for the UK charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. Three backdrops from the Glasgow show that were found in a bin were bought for £2,250 by musician Ben Howard, passed to Monorail record store after being found outside the warehouse where the event was staged.
Kraft said people who love musicals and comedies are part of the writing team, and he hopes the end result will be “ridiculously tuneful and just plain ridiculous.” The Glasgow event might be ripe for the musical theatre treatment as it is about “desperate dreamers who actually have fragments of a great idea, just executed beyond their budget and abilities,” he added
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