Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman Dish on Their ‘Unbelievable’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical

One of Roald Dahl’s most famous works, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory wil make its world premiere as a stage musical at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane beginning May 17, and fan expectations are high.

Starring Tony winner Douglas Hodge and directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes, the musical features a book by David Greig and music from Hairspray's Tony and Grammy-winning songwriting team Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Broadway.com caught up with the dynamic duo recently to get the inside scoop on their newest collaboration.

“It’s fabulous!,” Shaiman and Wittman said in unison. “The whole thing is unbelievable,” Shaiman continued. “We sort of just sit there and can’t believe what we’re seeing. Luckily, when we did the run-throughs in the rehearsal hall, the show itself worked without any of the bells and whistles.”

“And there are a lot of bells and whistles.” Wittman added. “The second act is like a theme park ride. It’s really unbelievable.”

When asked about how their Tony and Olivier Award-winning star fares in the iconic role of Willy Wonka, Wittman said, “He’s going to be great.”

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory officially opens on the West End on June 25. Produced by Warner Bros., Dahl’s cautionary tale centers around Charlie, a boy who wins a golden ticket to the weird and wonderful Wonka Chocolate Factory, and the factory’s strange proprietor, Willy Wonka.

Get a glimpse of the new West End spectacle in the commercial below.