When eccentric candy creator Willy Wonka opens his factory to five lucky children, the result is an unbelievable journey of sight and sound, taste and character. A dazzling new musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s iconic novel, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY plays at HCT December 6th through December 14th.
Returning to the Pamela Livingstone Stage, as competitive gum-chewer Violet Beauregarde, is Kay Award winner Bethany Spears.
Spears, a longtime Hickory area resident, holds an Associate in Arts degree from Catawba Valley Community College, and currently works as a Medical Assistant for FryeCare Generations Family. In her free time, Spears enjoys reading, collecting stickers, baking, and snuggling with her cats Mickey and Rosie.
Spears most recently appeared at HCT as The Nina in AIRNESS. Other HCT credits include RIDE THE CYCLONE, ROCK OF AGES, and THE COLOR PURPLE, for which she won a Kay Award for Outstanding Featured Female Performer. Spears was also Stage manager for the POTUS, which won the Pamela Livingstone Award for Best Ensemble. Other area performances include DISASTER! at Lincolnton Theatre Guild, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND and AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' at The Green Room Community Theatre, as well as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE WIZARD OF OZ at Creative Arts Show Time.
For Spears, playing the gum-obsessed Violet was a personal connection."Violet seems like a fun role to play. I love the sass. And it doesn't hurt that I love chewing gum."
Spears enjoys welcoming and working with new actors at Hickory Community Theatre. Especially those cast mates who keep a tissue handy, as Spears considers herself "the actor most likely to sneeze while her mic is on."
Performances of CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY are Fridays and Saturdays, December 6th through December 14th at 7:30PM; Sunday, December 8th at 2:30PM, and, Thursday, December 12th at 7:30PM. Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for youth and students.
Tickets are available online at hickorytheatre.org, or by phone at 828-328-2283. The theatre box office is open from 12-5 PM Wednesday through Friday, or one half-hour before a performance.
CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is rated PG. Some material may not be suitable for children. Parental guidance is suggested.
CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is produced in association with Catawba Valley Health System. The Hickory Community Theatre’s 76th season is sponsored by A Cleaner World, Bella Age, Covington Dental, LifeRootz, Protection Products, Inc., and Shurtape Technologies. HCT is a Funded Affiliate of Arts Culture Catawba and receives additional support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
(Photo by Eric Seale)
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