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Wheaton Drama announces 2018-19 season

Two starkly different musicals, two comedies and a provocative drama will take center stage during Wheaton Drama's 2018-19 season beginning next fall.

Here's the lineup as announced this week:

• "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," a family-friendly musical based on the Roald Dahl book, will run Sept. 14 through Oct. 7.

"Wonka" tells the story of a boy named Charlie who, along with four other children, gets to tour the inner workings of an extraordinary candy manufacturing plant guided by the mysterious Willy Wonka.

• "Silent Laughter," an homage to silent comedy films written by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, teems with slapstick and sight gags and features lovable lovers, greedy villains and an array of stock characters. The show will run Nov. 16 to Dec. 9.

• "W; t," - yes, that's the proper spelling of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Margaret Edson - will be presented Jan. 18 through Feb. 10, 2019.

The show focuses on a brilliant professor whose perspectives on life evolve after she is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Despite the poignancy of the storyline, the play brims with gentle humor and offers insights into the human condition and the importance of recognizing and appreciating those around us.

• "Murdered to Death" affectionately spoofs murder mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie and will be presented March 22 through April 14, 2019. Intrigue abounds as homicide and humor intertwine as guests gather at an English manor house.

• "Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street," is composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim's take on the classic Victorian tale of vengeance, justice and injustice, and pie fillings.

Rife with dark humor, unforgettable characters, desperate love, unbridled lust, and a gripping score, the show will have audiences alternately gasping and cheering when it runs from May 17 to June 9, 2019. Rights for the show are still pending.

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