Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical) and Shaiman. The production was directed by Sam Mendes, with choreography by Peter Darling, accompanied with the assistance Brandon Duncan, set design by Mark Thompson and lighting design by Paul Pyant. The show presents a more contemporary version of the original story. During previews, many changes took place, with the greatest change being the addition of the Great Glass Elevator. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was scheduled to begin previews on 17 May 2013, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, before holding its official opening night on 25 June 2013. The show was originally scheduled to open at the
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical) orchestrated by Doug Besterman. The Broadway production had a 17 piece orchestra + conductor, which was also orchestrated by Besterman and with additional orchestrations by Micheal Starobin. The West End production of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" received mixed to positive reviews from critics. While the physical production and quality of the performances were generally praised, the score and storytelling received criticism. The Broadway production received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Despite the enormous overhaul to both the book and score from the London production, critics noted that the storytelling was still choppy and relied too heavily on humor.