{"id":160364,"date":"2026-02-18T21:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T21:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/160364\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T21:41:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T21:41:07","slug":"previews-willy-wonka-kids-at-patel-conservatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/160364\/","title":{"rendered":"Previews: WILLY WONKA KIDS at Patel Conservatory"},"content":{"rendered":"

\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n

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\"Previews:Patel Conservatory\u2019s young performers step into a world of pure imagination in Roald Dahl\u2019s Willy Wonka KIDS at the Straz Center\u2019s TECO Theater Feb. 19\u201322, directed by Jamie Lynn Gilliam. Students ages seven to eleven have been rehearsing Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, building a candy-coated universe of chocolate rivers, mischievous moments, and big-hearted lessons. As the conservatory describes it, the show features \u201cthe delicious adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory,\u201d along with songs from the beloved 1971 Gene Wilder film and several new musical surprises.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n

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For Abby Cappiello, stepping into Willy Wonka\u2019s purple coat was a moment of awe. \u201cAt first I didn’t realize how big a deal it was because I had been in school plays before – but that night I realized this was the Straz!! It hit me later that Wonka was a main character! Wow!\u201d she said. She leans into Wonka\u2019s uncanny intuition and whimsical unpredictability. \u201cWonka is someone who has foresight – like he almost already knows what\u2019s going to happen. He already knows the kids character before they actually show it and is able to tempt them a little bit with his pure imagination. slay\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Cappiello is especially excited for audiences to catch one of the show\u2019s funniest moments. \u201cWhen Mike TV is talking to the imaginary Oompa Loompa saying I \u2018Freeze, put your hands in the air punk,\u2019 and Augustus is trying to sneak to the chocolate pipes and freezes and puts his hands in the air. I think that\u2019s a really funny part of the show.\u201d She\u2019s discovered something new about herself in the process. \u201cI have loved the opportunity to be expressive in my acting and speech. At first I wondered how I was going to be able to add Wonka’s touch – and I hope that I have captured it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opposite her, Aiden Martin brings wide-eyed sincerity to Charlie Bucket. \u201cIt means a lot to me. I really like going to rehearsals and interacting with the other kids. It is a really great cast,\u201d he said. For him, the magic clicked during tech week. \u201cWhen we use the microphones and props, it feels professional. With costumes, the characters of the cast really come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s favorite moment is one of the story\u2019s most iconic. \u201cI really like \u2018I Got a Golden Ticket\u2019. It is a phenomenal scene for Charlie. It is the best part of his life. He is one out of 5 kids in the entire world that get to tour the factory.\u201d He hopes young audiences walk away with the message at the heart of Dahl\u2019s story. \u201cI hope they understand that even though your life may be really bad, things can change, even when you least expect it.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a cast this enthusiastic and a story built on wonder and possibility, Patel Conservatory\u2019s production promises a spirited escape for families \u2014 and a golden ticket into the imaginations of Tampa Bay\u2019s youngest performers.<\/p>\n

Gilliam said, \u201cIt is so wonderful to be part of show that reminds us that though the window we see through today maybe dusty, dark and shaded, there is sun on the other side peeking through. With kindness, found joy, and imagination those windows clear up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more and buy tickets at https:\/\/www.strazcenter.org\/events\/2526-season\/patel-conservatory\/willy-wonka-kids\/<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter Get all the top news & discounts for Tampa & beyond. Patel Conservatory\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":160365,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-160364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}