Joel Mendez likes being Willy Wonka.

He likes that when he plays the role of the fictional confectioner he’s allowed to act a little sour. He also likes singing, and chocolate, for that matter. But, that’s not why he signed up to perform in Krieger Elementary’s production of “Willy Wonka Jr.”

“I’m facing my fears of being in front of a lot of people,” the fifth grader said proudly Monday, after one of the production’s last rehearsals before the curtain goes up.

Thursday, Jan. 23, 49 Krieger students will perform “Willy Wonka Jr.” for families, friends and community members. The two-act, one-hour show begins at 6 p.m. and the doors to the school open at 5:45 p.m.

That show follows a pair of in-school performances scheduled for Jan. 22 and 23.

The performance of the play, under the direction of first-grade teacher Nicole Schmitt, adapted from the various versions of the original story “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” marks the fourth consecutive year in which Krieger has put on a play.

The Poughkeepsie City School District has placed an emphasis on arts education in recent years by establishing a Comprehensive Arts Education Plan, hiring additional faculty to ensure there are full-time art and music teachers for all schools, and launching such programs as the Smart Scholars Early College Performing Arts Program.

“Not everyone plays a sport,” Schmitt, who has led each production at Krieger, said. “To give these kids something else, another option in theater and arts – I love the arts, I’m passionate about theater – to give this to them just makes me feel good they can be a part of something. And, they love being part of it. I love to watch them make new friends because it’s across grade levels.”

This year’s production was open to fourth- and fifth-grade students. As the program has grown – after 28 signed up to take part in “Annie” in 2022, 52 signed up for “The Wizard of Oz” the following year – Schmitt has had to establish a minimum grade year. In addition to 41 cast members, eight students this year are crew members. They’ve been rehearsing Monday through Thursday since the end of September.

In “Willy Wonka Jr.,” Schmitt found a play that has a variety of meaty roles. In addition to the leads of Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka, played by Carter Pabst-Winslow and Mendez, respectively, there’s Charlie’s guardian Grandpa Joe and the other children who sing songs while touring Wonka’s factory, as well as the famous Oompa Loompa factory workers who show up on stage to sing a song punctuating the lessons learned by each child.

“It’s fun to see how much talent we have in Poughkeepsie,” Schmitt said.

The production also promises a few crowd-pleasing surprises with its practical effects.

Elana Rosado, who is playing Grandpa Joe, also had roles in “The Wizard of Oz” and last year’s “Beauty and the Beast.” She said the audience will enjoy the music, noting she sings “Flying” on her own, in addition to “The Burping Song” with Pabst-Winslow.

“I think it’s going to be a really fun, colorful production,” the fifth grader said.

Pabst-Winslow transferred to Krieger midway through last school year and is enjoying his first play at the school.

“I love the enthusiasm of it,” the fourth grader said. “I love how (Schmitt) directs it and how cool all the props look.” He also loves chocolate. White chocolate and Tootsie Rolls are his favorite candy; Mendez prefers classic Hershey chocolate.

The production is made possible each year with the help of Kate Blossom, a frequent donor to district projects through the Blossom Fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. Blossom, Schmitt said, each year donates $1,400 for props, costumes and other materials for set pieces and, in the past, has donated to purchase microphones.

Though the final curtain will fall on Wonka next week, Schmitt’s time in the director’s chair is far from over. She will soon begin production on a play at Poughkeepsie Middle School. While it will be a new experience for the school – it hasn’t hosted a play in more than 15 years, Schmitt said – it represents an extension of the work that began with Krieger and is a part of the larger district’s system wide investments in arts education.

“I’m so excited because I know I’ll have a lot of my Krieger kids coming back to perform again,” she said.