Willy Wonka Jr.

Iver had such an amazing time at the Wizard of Oz theater production he and I went to last year that he's been interested in going to plays ever since. He tells me "Please look out for shows of Frozen and Cinderella, okay, mommy?" On a letter board near Safeway, I saw that the McKinleyville school district was putting on a kids' production of Willy Wonka ("Willy Wonka Jr.") at the high school last week and Iver and I decided to go (and he told me all week how much he was looking forward to our date!).

When we were sitting in the theater waiting for the show to start, this was our conversation:
Iver: Mama, the guy who plays Willy Wonka is going to be short, right?
Me: Why do you ask that, honey?
Iver: Well, it's Willy Wonka Jr., so he'll be really little!

It was great to be there with other community members, and the show was fun! It featured local kids of elementary age up to early high school (I'd guess. Iver saw a middle-school girl he knew, the daughter of a co-worker, and said she looked like "an adult" because of the costume!).  The kids sang songs from the original movie, and others that were adapted to the theater. We loved watching the Oompa Loompas, and the scene when Violet Beauregarde blew up into a blueberry was done exceptionally well with a real inflatable outfit.  The kids did a great job!

Here's Iver the next morning, dressed as Charlie Bucket with his "Golden Ticket"!

On our way home from the show (a special late-bedtime night), Iver told me, "Mama, for the next one of these shows, you should really let Papa take me. You've taken me to so many fun things [Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, etc.], it's just not fair for him." We'll see, son (I love going to these things and someone's gotta watch Niall).