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Christian Borle to Play Willy Wonka on Broadway


From an off-the-wall vengeful Pirate Captain (Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher), to his current role as a glam pop-star Bard (Something Rotten!), Christian Borle’s recent career choices have netted him both Broadway VIP status and a couple of Tony Awards. And while fans of TV’s Smash know him as theatrical composer Tom Levitt, Borle clearly has a fondness for mixing it up onstage, playing characters that read "camp with a decided edge"which explains why he’s signed on to play candy hotshot Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set to launch at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre next March.

Christian Borle Joan Marcus

Christian Borle as Shakespeare in Something Rotten. Photo: Joan Marcus 

"Christian was the firstand in truth, perhaps the only person I could imagine to create the role of Willy," said three-time Tony-winner Jack O'Brien, who’s set direct the much-anticipated musical based on Roald Dahl's children novel. "His combination of child-like fantasy, edge, mystery, and sheer star power seemed destined for this role. I confess I prayed a lot! But this one, at least, was answered!"

As for the joys of parallel universes, it should be pointed out that Borle’s Black Stache shares the same loopy DNA with Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean moviesand Depp, of course, played Wonka in the 2005 film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It will be interesting to see how kindred their Wonkas will be.

About the Author

City Guide Theatre Editor Griffin Miller moved to New York to pursue an acting/writing career in the 1980s after graduating magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Since then, she has written for The New York Times, For the Bride, Hotels, and a number of other publications, mostly in the areas of travel and performance arts. An active member of The New York Travel Writers Association, she is also a playwright and award-winning collage artist. In addition, she sits on the board of The Lewis Carroll Society of North America. Griffin is married to Richard Sandomir, a reporter for The New York Times.

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