Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, Jr. Cast

Emma, an 8th grader, is thrilled to be playing the role of Willy Wonka! This is her fourth McCarthy musical. She started as a member of the Ocean Ensemble in Moana Jr. and went on to be cast in other roles like Amanda Thripp (Matilda Jr.), and Young Simba (Lion King Jr.). She has also been fortunate enough to do theater outside of school and land the roles of Elsa (Frozen Jr.) and Janis (Mean Girls Jr.). When not on stage she can be found singing acapella with McMelody, playing basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, and hanging out with her friends and family! Emma would like to thank her family and friends for all the support they've given her throughout her musical journey, to Mrs. R for believing in her all these years, and her voice teacher Laura, for helping her grow!

Kalmin is in 7th grade and is thrilled to be performing as Charlie Bucket in his second show at McCarthy. He has been in many performances before, some of which are Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey Two), Annie (Rooster), and Matilda (once as Mr. Wormwood and once as Nigel). Outside of theater, he plays soccer, runs, is a boy scout, sings, and hangs out with friends and his pets. He would like to thank Mrs. Richardson, Laura Altenor, his fellow cast members, and everyone else who has helped him get to where he is now.

Henry is in 8th grade and is thrilled to be appearing as Grandpa Joe for his final time on the McCarthy stage. He has performed at McCarthy since 5th grade in Moana Jr. (Village Ensemble), Matilda Jr. (Eric), and Lion King Jr. (Mufasa). Outside of school, Henry likes to play baseball and swim. He would like to thank Mrs. Richardson, his parents, brother, family, and friends for always supporting him.

Mackenzie is an 8th grader who is excited to be playing her first named role. This is her 3rd and final show at McCarthy. When she is not in school, she likes playing softball, hanging out with friends, and playing with her dog, Truffles. She wants to thank her family, friends, and Mrs. Richardson.

This is Mira Guirguis’s first musical ever. She is in 8th grade, and she was convinced to try out for musical theater by her soccer team, and thank God for them, because she landed a lead role! Outside of school she does travel soccer which she enjoys very much. Even though she hasn’t been in a musical before, she has acted as Elsa in a play called Frozen. Outside of school and soccer, she loves baking, cooking, and hanging out with friends. She would like to thank her wonderful friends for encouraging her and her family for supporting her. Shoutout to Aditi and Rithvika for helping me write this bio!!

Jack is a 7th grader having performed in 2 musicals. The musicals he has performed in are High school musical (Jock ensemble) and Willy Wonka (Grandpa George). When he isn't on stage, he is swimming on the swim team or practicing his violin. This year he is very grateful to be preforming with all the other amazing cast members and is very grateful for the support of the crew working behind the scenes.

Colton is excited to make his stunning debut into the world of musical theatre. Outside of school you will likely find him reading a book or hanging out with friends. He would like to thank his family and friends for inspiring and supporting his participation in the drama program as well as Mrs. Richardson and all the highschoolers for helping him learn his role.

Anjali is in 8th grade and is very excited to be a part of Willy Wonka Jr. She has also been a part of High School Musical Jr. (Thespian) and The Lion King Jr. (Grass Ensemble / Giraffe). She enjoys singing, swimming, drawing, and playing piano. She would love to give a shout out to Shaela Billings and Eleanor Wilkinson for achieving so much in their first year of drama club!!

Ellie is a 7th grader who is thirteen years old, and she is so excited to be playing the role of Mrs. Gloop! This is Ellie's first musical at McCarthy Middle School, but it is not her first musical on the McCarthy Stage. She has previously performed as Annie in Annie Kids at Parker Middle School, as well as in High School Musical Jr. at Parker Middle School. When Ellie isn't performing in musicals, she enjoys cheerleading and singing lessons! She would like to thank her family for always supporting her throughout her singing journey!

Lars is in the 8th grade and is excited to be playing Mike Teavee in McCarthy's Willy Wonka Jr. Last year Lars played Adult Simba in 'The Lion King Jr.' at McCarthy, and is excited to be back on stage having fun. Lars is an avid brass musician, qualifying for the MMEA Northeastern District Festival last year, and participating in the Chelmford ATWE (All Town Wind Ensemble). As well as being musically talented, Lars is a competitive swimmer & a baseball player. Lars would like to thank Mrs. Richardson for her encouragement, and the high school & adult volunteers that stepped up to help stage the show. Lars would especially like to thank his older sister, Uli, for always looking out for him and doing a great job designing all the costumes again this year.

Grace (Connolly) is in 8th grade. She is very excited to be in McCarthy's production of Willy Wonka Jr. She has performed in the recent musicals, High School Musical Jr. and The Lion King Jr. Outside of theater, Grace does dance and has been a dancer for twelve years. Something she enjoys is spending time with her friends, her sister, and her dog, Sully. Grace would like to thank Ms. Richardson for making this production happen, and her family and friends for support and encouragement.

Zoe is in 8th grade and is thrilled to be cast this year in the role of Dance Captain and Veruca Salt, the role she had originally auditioned for. Willy Wonka will be her fifth production as cast. She has been in McDrama's Lion King Jr as a Lioness, and McCarthy's showing of A+ as Stacy Lawson. She also performs at a local theater camp for Middlesex Community College. When she is not at theater, she loves to spend her time dancing at Studio A Dance and Cheer Company. This is Zoe's 8th year dancing and she is thrilled to be the production’s Dance Captain. She also enjoys drawing, Softball, and performing with McCarthy's Acapella group, McMelody. She would like to thank her Mom and Dad for supporting her throughout her journey and always putting up with her schedule.

William is a 7th grader excited to be returning to the stage as Mr. Salt. He performed last year as Burt Healy in Annie and in 5th grade as Rudolpho in Matilda. He also enjoys soccer, playing drums, & spending time with his family, friends, & 2 dogs. He would like to thank Mrs. Richardson and the entire cast & crew for their support. He’d also like to thank his family, especially sister, for always encouraging theater.

Becca is in 8th grade. She is very excited and honored to be playing Violet Beauregarde in McCarthy's production of Willy Wonka Jr. Becca has been in all McCarthy's productions since 5th grade including, Moana Jr, Matilda Jr, The Lion King Jr, and currently, Willy Wonka Jr. Outside of drama club, Becca enjoys singing, softball, and seeing family and friends. Becca would like to thank her family, friends, the cast and crew, and Mrs. Richardson.

Shaela is an 8th grader and has enjoyed preparing for her first musical, Willy Wonka! She first performed in the student written play A+ last year as part of the ensemble. She loves all things music, from Festival Orchestra, where she plays the viola, to Select Chorus. She would like to thank her teachers, friends, and family for supporting her and hopes you enjoy the show!

Liora is thrilled to be playing Phoebe Trout. Favorite past roles include: Grace (Annie Kids), Pilar (Legally Blonde Jr), Amaryllis (Music Man), Amanda Thripp (Matilda Jr), among others. Liora also performs with Voices of Hope, an organization that raises funds for cancer research through performance.

Connor is in the 8th grade and he is very excited to be in the show this year as the Candy Man and the Bad Nut Voice, as well being a part of the Oompa Loompa ensemble. He joined drama last year, during The Lion King, and had a ton of fun in the Grass Ensemble. Connor is also in the McCarthy Band and the McCarthy Chorus, and it's always exciting for him to have a musical performance. He wants to thank his family for supporting him, and his voice teacher Tyler at Music Elements - he couldn't do this without you.

Lucille (Lucy) is an 8th grader, and she is very excited to perform in Willy Wonka Jr! This is her 3rd musical. She played Big Kid Ensemble in Matilda Jr., and Grass Ensemble in The Lion King Jr. She loves to do theatre, play with her dog Daisy, spend time with her family and friends, play video games, and travel around the US. Lucy is kind, caring, joyful, empathetic, helpful, and loves to show affection to others. Lucy would like to thank her family and friends for helping her be the person she is now. She would also like to thank her mother, who is so proud of her, and watching over her admiring her talent.

Chris is proud to say that she gets to play James in McCarthy’s rendition of Willy Wonka Jr. She is in 7th grade and out of school she plays the cello and acoustic guitar! She has been in multiple Parker productions, one out-of-school production, and is debuting at McCarthy! She would like to thank her parents, siblings, and the tech crew at McCarthy.

Kate is in 7th grade and is so happy to be performing in her third middle school show, previously being in "Matilda, Jr." and "Annie, Kids" (Tessie). Kate has also played the role of Cady Heron in "Mean Girls, Jr." at Theatre With A Twist in Acton, MA. She has been taking voice lessons for around two years and loves to sing! Aside from theatre, she likes to play lacrosse and basketball. Kate would like to thank her family for their support and her amazing voice teacher Laura Altenor!

Bethany is very excited to perform in her second and last show at McCarthy Middle School as an 8th grader. Bethany was in the Lioness ensemble in The Lion King. When Bethany is not on stage, she likes to read, and sing. She also enjoys collecting music on cds and records and listens to them in her free time. Bethany likes to put a lot of work into the dances. She hopes you enjoy the show and love it as much as she loves this production. Bethany would like to give a shoutout to her Mom and Dad, for picking her up and bringing her to school every day and supporting her throughout. Bethany would also like to give a shout-out to Mrs. R for believing in her and for putting this beautiful show together.

Quinn is super excited about having a lead role for the first time. She loves coming to drama to sing and dance and see her friends. She likes playing sports like field hockey and lacrosse. She has also done dance for seven years and loves adding drama to her schedule. This year she plays the role of lead OOMPA LOOMPA 3, and in previous shows has played an orphan in the production Annie and was a brainiac in High School Musical. She wants to thank her mom, dad, and stepmom, for always making sure she is where she needs to be, WHENEVER, she needs to be there. She also wants to thank her sisters for putting up with all my singing and dancing practices in front of them.

Katie is in the 7th grade and this will be in her first McCarthy Middle School show. She has been in 2 of the past productions at Parker, High School Musical Jr. and Annie Kids. She loves to sing, act, and spend time with/play with her 2 dogs, Holly and Teddy. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support throughout this production.

Eva is thrilled to be playing Oompa Loompa 5. She is a 7th grader, and this is her third middle school musical. As part of the middle school theatre program, she has performed in Annie ("Kate”) and Matilda (The Mechanic/Little Kid). During Summer theater camps she was in Addams Family (ancestor/ moon dancer) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ("Veruca Salt"). At TWT she was in Legally Blonde (“Kate/Brooke Wyndham”), Little Shop of Horrors ("Chiffon") and Mean Girls ("Mrs. Heron/Grace"). In her free time, she likes singing Karaoke, painting, swimming, baking and traveling. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her.

Krishna is in 8th grade and is so excited to be performing in the Willy Wonka Musical! She has been doing drama for the past few years. She loves to read and dance in her free time, and she loves to spend time with friends and family. She wants to give a shout-out to her parents for always supporting her, and a special thanks to Mrs. Richardson and Mrs. Skoog and everyone else who is a part of the show!

Punita is eager to make her acting debut in McCarthy's Musical, Willy Wonka Jr. Punita loves to be in 7th grade. When she is not in school, Punita likes to do swimming and hanging out with her friends. She was in Matilda Jr. (Little Kids). She was also in Annie Jr. (Warbucks Staff). She also does chorus (voice). She wants to thank her mom and dad for supporting her and picking her up. She also wants to thank Mrs. Richardson and the choreographers for helping and teaching her new skills.

Rylee is in 7th grade and is excited to be a part of this fantastic Wonka production. Before starting as an Oompa Loompa, she has acted in Parker Middle School’s production of High School Musical and Annie. She also starred as Glynda and Auntie Em in the Wizard of Oz at a local music school. She has also attended multiple theatre camps in the summers since 2021. Rylee enjoys shopping, reading and hanging out with her friends but she loves singing most of all. When she isn’t on the stage, you’ll find her on the field hockey field or traveling with her family. Shout out to the entire Wonka cast for this amazing production and to her Mom, Dad, little brother Finn, and her whole extended family for all their amazing support.

Maarii can’t wait to join the stage again with her classmates. As a 7th grade student, she is looking forward to giving it her best in the Oompa Loompa Ensemble for the Willy Wonka production. She had her debut on the stage in last year's Annie show at Parker Middle School and has been dancing Irish Step ever since she was young. Some things she enjoys are spending time with her family and dogs, as well as diving, playing games, and skiing. She thanks her family, friends, teachers, and staff for all their support! She wants to give a big shout-out to her mom for encouraging her and supporting her!

Sofia is in 7th grade and is so excited to be in Wonka Jr.! She’s loved being in Annie Jr. and Matilda Jr. as much as she does now and hopes you do too. Sofia likes building with legos and drawing, as well as singing too!

Grace is excited to be a part of McCarthy's Willy Wonka Jr! She is in 7th grade, and this is her first McCarthy show! Grace has previously performed in Annie Kids (Bundles) and High School Musical Jr. (Brainiac). When not on stage, Grace can be found drawing, dancing at DNE School of Dance, and snuggling with her pets. Grace would like to thank her parents for always driving her back and forth from her after school activities! She would like to thank her family, friends, her voice teacher Ms. Laura Altenor, Mrs. Richardson, and the entire cast and crew for their dedication to the show! Break a leg everyone!

Michalee is in 7th grade and very excited for Willy Wonka Jr. She has been participating in the musicals since 5th grade. She really enjoys singing and playing softball. Every fall, Michalee plays for the Chelmsford softball league. She wants to thank her parents for always believing in her and supporting her.

Kaleigh is in the 7th grade. This will be her second show, as she was in Annie Jr. (Duffy) and now she is in Willy Wonka Jr. (Oompa Loompa ensemble). In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, skiing, scuba diving, lacrosse, field hockey, and hanging out with friends. Her biggest supporter was her mom who encouraged through all this.

Delaney is in 8th grade, and is so very excited to be cast as an Oompa Loompa in this musical. Last year, was in the winter musical, and she also was an orphan in Annie. When not doing drama, she loves to play softball and soccer, drawing, and playing on her trampoline. She would like to thank Mrs. Richardson for helping her with singing and acting. She is so excited for future shows and bonding with the people in drama. She really hopes everyone enjoys the show!

Madison loves musical theater and was in the fifth and sixth grade performances of Annie Jr (Sixth grade Pr. Roosevelt), now in 7th grade she is a part of the Candy Kid ensemble. When she is not in school she loves to listen to SIX the Musical and play D&D, Magic the Gathering, or just hang out with her friends. She would like to thank her mom and friends for her confidence, and her chorus teachers Mrs. Richardson and Mrs. Robertson for her love of theater and singing.

Ella is a 7th grader. She loves to sing and act, and she was in Matilda Jr. (ensemble), and Annie Jr. (July). In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and diving. She is so excited to be in the play this year and would like to thank her family (especially her mom), and Laura Altenor (singing teacher), for support. She would like to wish everyone "break a leg" in this wonderful production!

Bella is a 7th grader and has been in three plays in middle school. Matilda Jr., (Big Kid), Annie Jr. (Star to be), and now Willy Wonka as a Candy Kid! Bella enjoys singing, dancing and sewing/designing clothes. Bella is a very determined girl who got over her stage fright and improved her confidence and singing by performing in plays. Bella would like to thank her family and friends for having faith in her and supporting her in everything she does. She would also like to thank two high schoolers, Olivia and Lauren, for encouraging her and teaching her how to belt and become a better singer which helped her get in the play today!

Kelsey has been in theater since 5th grade. She is very excited to perform this year! She loves dancing, acting, and singing. She also learns K-pop dances to dance along to her favorite songs. Kelsey loves theater because it gives her the opportunity to become someone else. She has done chorus since 4th grade and has had a love of dance since she was 10. She would like to thank her friends, parents, and most of all Mrs. Richardson!

Ryan is in 8th grade and is very excited to be a part of the cast of Willy Wonka Jr. as his second play. Ryan has previously been in The Lion King Jr. Ryan likes to spend his free time reading, spending time with friends, and spending time with his family. Ryan would like to thank Ms. Richardson and everyone who helped with the play. Enjoy some candy as you watch this wonderful play.

Aarvi is very excited to be in Willy Wonka Jr. as a Candy Kid ensemble. She's in 8th grade, which is her last year in Middle school. Ever since she was in 5th grade, she's been in every play until now. When she has free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends. I would like to give a shout out to my mom and dad and thank them for helping me throughout this journey.

Saisha is very excited to perform in the show Willy Wonka this year. She is a 7th grader and it is her second school show in middle school. Last year she played the role of Ms. Hannigan in the show Annie Jr. Outside of school she enjoys dancing, singing, soccer and spending time outdoors. She has participated in All State, Select Chorus and this year is very excited to be in McMelody. She would like to thank Mrs. Richardson, all the cast and crew, family and friends for their time and support.

Hannah is a 7th grader and they are so excited to be in Wonka Jr. this year! They have performed in Matilda Jr. and Annie Kids in the past. When not in school or rehearsal, Hannah enjoys watching Invader Zim, playing with their guinea pig, Moose, and hanging out with their friends. They would like to thank their parents and extended family, Ms. Richardson, and their friends for being so supportive!

Soriya is an 8th grader who is excited to perform in the Candy Kids Ensemble. This is her second time performing with the McCarthy Drama Club and she is glad to be back! Soriya loves art, singing, and hanging out with friends. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her along the way!