Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Broadway Musical Comes to Manila in July 2026

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Manila has become increasingly fluent in spectacle, but it has also learned how to listen for intention. In recent years, the city’s theatre audiences have grown more attentive to how international productions translate craft, scale, and meaning across cultures. When Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opens at The Theatre at Solaire in July 2026, it does so not as a novelty, but as part of Manila’s established role in the global musical theatre circuit.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Broadway musical based on the novel by Roald Dahl, will have its Manila premiere from July 8 to July 26, 2026 at The Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City, Philippines. This marks the first time the musical has been staged in Manila as part of its ongoing international tour.

Quick Facts

  • Show title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

  • Format: Broadway musical

  • Based on: The novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

  • Venue: The Theatre at Solaire

  • Location: Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines

  • Performance dates: July 8 to July 26, 2026

  • Production type: International global tour

  • Manila presenter: GMG Productions

  • Producers: Broadway International Group and Broadway Asia

  • Book: David Greig

  • Music and lyrics: Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

  • Original Broadway director: Jack O’Brien

  • Tour director: Matt Lenz

  • Illusion design: Tim Clothier

  • Official ticket platform: TicketWorld Philippines

What the musical is about

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory follows Charlie Bucket, a kind and financially struggling boy who wins a golden ticket granting him access to the secretive chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka. Inside the factory, Charlie and the other ticket holders encounter fantastical environments that test character, restraint, and moral judgment.

While often remembered as a children’s story, Roald Dahl’s original work has always balanced whimsy with discomfort. The musical adaptation preserves this tension, presenting imagination as something that can both delight and discipline.

About the Manila production

The Manila engagement is part of a large-scale global tour that previously played a sold-out run at Shanghai Culture Square in November 2025. The tour spans Asia, the Middle East, and India, with scheduled stops in major cities including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai.

Manila’s inclusion reflects its growing reputation as a destination for major international musical theatre productions, particularly those staged at The Theatre at Solaire.

Music and creative team

The musical’s score combines well-known songs from the 1971 film adaptation, including “Pure Imagination,” “The Candy Man,” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” with original songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the award-winning songwriting duo behind Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can, and Some Like It Hot.

The original Broadway production was directed by Jack O’Brien, a four-time Tony Award winner. The international tour is directed by Matt Lenz, with choreography by Alison Solomon. Musical supervision is led by Nate Patten and Greg Jarrett.

Stage design and theatrical technology

This production emphasizes immersive stagecraft. Illusion-based theatrical effects and hologauze 3D technology are used to transform Willy Wonka’s factory into a visually responsive environment that actively supports the storytelling.

Illusion design is led by Tim Clothier, whose work blends traditional stage magic with contemporary theatrical engineering. The factory is treated not as a static backdrop, but as a living space that shifts with the narrative.

Ticket sales and access

  • UnionBank cardholder presale: January 12 to January 15, 2026

  • GMG Productions early access waitlist: Open until January 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM Philippine Time

  • General public ticket sales: Begin January 17, 2026

  • Ticket platform: TicketWorld Philippines

Due to the limited engagement dates and venue capacity, strong demand is expected, particularly for weekend performances.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory showing in Manila?
The musical will run from July 8 to July 26, 2026.

Where will the show be staged?
The production will be staged at The Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City, Metro Manila.

Is this the first time the musical is in Manila?
Yes. This is the first Manila staging of the Broadway musical as part of its international tour.

Is the show based on the Roald Dahl book?
Yes. The musical is based on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Does the musical include songs from the movie?
Yes. The production includes songs from the 1971 film such as “Pure Imagination,” “The Candy Man,” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket.”

Where can tickets be purchased?
Tickets will be available through TicketWorld Philippines.

Final note

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has always been a story about thresholds. About doors opening. About rules bending. About imagination revealing who people really are when tested.

Its Manila premiere in July 2026 feels less like a spectacle arriving and more like an invitation being extended.

Not just to watch, but to step inside.

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