McDonald said, "Our challenge was to create a live theatrical musical event that satisfied your expectations of the book and the film – but hopefully gave you another experience also."

[1][2][3] Willy Wonka introduces himself to the audience and summons his Oompa-Loompa workers, announcing that he is retiring and he must choose a new successor when he does ("Pure Imagination" / "The Golden Age of Chocolate").

Wonka, acting as narrator, introduces the impoverished Bucket family: Mr. and Mrs. Bucket, their young son Charlie, and Charlie's four bedridden grandparents, Grandpa George, Grandma Georgina, Grandpa Joe, and Grandma Josephine.

Grandpa Joe assures Charlie that he is destined to work for Wonka making candy, just like he did when he was younger.

However, Wonka fired all his workers years ago after one of his candy recipes had been stolen and sold to his competitors and locked the gates of his factory forever.

The second ticket is found in São Paulo, Brazil, by an extremely spoiled girl named Veruca Salt.

Her wealthy father, a macadamia nut magnate, had purchased hundreds of thousands of the candy bars and put his entire factory workforce to work searching for the ticket.

The third ticket is found in Snellville, Georgia, by Violet Beauregarde, an abrasive girl who is constantly chewing gum.

Charlie is helping the candy shop owner pack his wares when he finds a silver dollar on the ground.

The five winners and their chaperones are gathered at the factory gates where Wonka makes a spectacular entrance ("Pure Imagination" (reprise)).

Wonka, with little apparent concern, directs the Oompa-Loompas to take Mrs. Gloop to the Strawberry-Dipping Room and retrieve Augustus.

The boat ride then turns into a psychedelic nightmare as Wonka navigates them through what appears to be a tour of the darker aspects of human imagination, complete with frightening projected images ("There's No Knowing").

Heedless of Wonka's half-hearted warnings that the gum is not yet perfected, Violet is unable to resist it ("Chew It") and blows up into a blueberry and is taken to the Juicing Room to be squeezed before she explodes.

Wonka and the remaining guests proceed to the Fizzy Lifting Drink Room, which is filled with bubbles.

Wonka and the dwindling group proceed to the Choco-Vision Room where he is currently developing an experimental process for transmitting chocolate via television.

Before going, Charlie confesses that he and Grandpa Joe tasted the Fizzy-Lifting Drinks, and states that he therefore does not deserve the lifetime supply of chocolate he was promised.

It was made with a different set of assumptions about the cast and resources directors would have at their disposal compared to the young audience version.