AURORA, Illinois-“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which is based on the popular children’s novel by Roald Dahl, got bland reviews when it first played on Broadway in 2017. Director Sam Mendes had reinvented the show, trying to separate it from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder and the 2005 film with Johnny Depp.
The musical wasn’t as well received because Mr. Mendes had transformed Dahl’s uplifting 1964 children’s book into a more somber version that replaced the story’s hope, inspiration, and fun with a depressing and dismal point of view.
