Koichi Domoto as Willy Wonka. Photo provided by Johnny & Associates
On March 26, Johnny & Associates announced that KinKi Kids Koichi Domoto is Willy Wonka for Japan-run CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, a musical based on the 1964 classic children’s novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with a book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Coming to the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo this October with additional shows will follow the Tokyo opening, including Fukuoka and Osaka in Jan/Feb 2024.
A message from Koichi Domoto:
“I haven’t acted in a musical since 2018’s “Knights’ Tale” so when it was decided that I would play Willy Wonka in the Japanese version of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” I knew there would be a lot of aspects that would be new to me and I was nervous. Wonka is such an iconic character, and I knew I had to create something incredibly unique for this role if I was going to stand out. Luckily, we have an amazingly talented crew, and everyone has worked tirelessly to create an atmosphere of pure imagination. It’s a great honor for me to put on that purple hat.”
OK Asia 