BRISTOL — For about 45 years, the story of a poor boy whose honesty earns him the best of all childhood rewards — cash and candy, has been a favorite of young readers around the world.

It was inevitable that Roald Dahl’s award-winning book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” would make its way to the big screen. It did. Not once but twice, with the original 1971 Gene Wilder film “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” redone in 2005 using the original name and starring Johnny Depp in a Buster Brown hairdo and frightening circular dark glasses.

Today, candy czar Willie Wonka and the quintet of young people who win a trip through his factory are on stage, specifically in “Willie Wonka, Jr.” an adaptation for young performers which sticks mainly to the book/’71 film and uses the tuneful score by Anthony Newley. (Note: “Oldsters” will recognize a Sammy Davis Jr. hit among the upbeat melodies.)

Choreographer Lesli Gibson works with bewigged Oompa Loompas on a dance sequence for "Willie Wonka Jr."

For the past few months, ECTeam, the youth theater arm of Elkhart Civic Theatre, has been working diligently on its production of the junior version, with ECT artistic/technical director John Jay Shoup leading the way (and the large number of volunteers) via set design, lighting design and direction. The results will be on stage at the Bristol Opera House Friday through Sunday.

I stopped in at an early dress rehearsal Monday and was properly impressed.

Taking a break from building some of the magical props required for the chocolate factory tour, Shoup admitted that, although he has directed many adult shows with large casts, working with 80 youngsters (ages five to 18, chosen from the 130 who auditioned) on the less-than-massive Opera House stage had been, to say the least, “a challenge!”

The solution? To divide the primary group into two categories: The Teen Dance Ensemble is featured in Act 1, Willie’s workers, the lime-green-bewigged Oompa Loompas, take the stage in Act 2 and, “If they all line up correctly, they all fit for the finale.”

The cast features first-time performers plus those who, considering their ages, have an amazing amount of experience. Not surprisingly, leading roles are in the hands of those with more on-stage time to their credit. Paxton Manley, 15, who doubled as the Preacher and the Town Drunk in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” dons a top hat as the inscrutable Willie Wonka, with Carson Collins, 12, as Charlie Bucket. The St. Thomas School sixth grader played the leading role of Jojo in ECT’s Elco summer production of “Seussical.”

It's a tight squeeze for Willie Wonka (Paxton Manly, in top hat) with Golden Ticket winners and parents (from left, Mallory Jones, Joel Lininger, Leigh VanRyn, Carson Collins and Erin Weber) in "Willie Wonka Jr."

Both the talented young people display a maturity well beyond their years.

“I feel at home on the stage,” said Paxton, a Memorial High School freshman. “I really get my rush from performing.” Citing singing as his first love, the tall teen noted “I take every opportunity to perform. The more experience you have, the better you get.”

“Willie Wonka Jr.” is the sixth show for Carson who has “always liked acting” and admits wanting to be on the stage since he was three years old. “I like being on the stage and working with the people,” he said. “I like seeing how everything works — sets, props, lights. . . everything. Everyone is positive here. I love it!”

That’s what Shoup and fellow adult volunteers like to hear.

“We want to make sure this is as good and as educational an experience as possible,” he said, comparing participation in an ECTeam production to being a member of a club in which everyone has the same goal, to present the best show possible and, along the way, to find and make friends who also love to “put on a show”.

“The more kids who can get involved in theater, the better,” Shoup said, aware that with young performers come parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts and friends who not only to buy tickets but become participants themselves.

Elijah Lee, 6, came with sister Cadie, 8, and is one of the more energetic Oompa Loompas. “I wanted to see how fun it is,” he said, trying valiantly to keep the slippery strands of the lime green wig out of his eyes.

He already was connected to the ECTeam via grandmother Karen Johnson who is assistant director and helped Elijah learn his lines.

“I will come back and do more,” Elijah said emphatically, noting — after serious consideration — “The most fun is the finale.”

"Willie Wonka Jr." director John Shoup checks stage right while the youngest Oompa Loompa, Elijah Lee, 6, waits off stage left to lead his line into the action.

In addition to June classes (which have been affected by the disappearance of Genesis grants), ECTeam does two shows a year. A musical like “Willie Wonka Jr.” (next year’s is “Alice in Wonderland”) and a fall play based on classic literature. For 2009, two one-acts based on the lives of the Brothers Grimm and one of their stories have been chosen.

Shoup is hoping some of the older players will be a part of the ECT 2009 summer musical, “Footloose,” to be presented July 31-Aug. 2 in the Memorial High School auditoriums.

Check out the young “stars of tomorrow” this weekend. A Saturday matinee has been added due to the ticket demand. Call 848-4116 from 1 to 5:30 p.m. weekdays.

I guarantee you’ll find the experience “fascinating and delicious!”