Willy Wonka, the Candy Man himself, opens the show. Though he's been out of the public eye for quite a while, he has returned to find a replacement to run his chocolate factory ("The Candy Man"). Wonka has set up a candy shop, and Charlie Bucket is among the first customers. While everyone else tears through the candy, leaving their trash on the floor, Charlie marvels that the Wonka Franchise is back in his part of town. Charlie can't believe his eyes when he spots a Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudge Mallow Delight and shares that his Grandpa Joe believes that Wonka is the best chocolatier who ever lived. Not knowing that he is speaking to the man himself, Charlie recounts the story of Wonka being betrayed by his workers and shuttering his factory ("Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka!").

Charlie can't afford to buy any chocolate - in fact, he can barely afford "vintage" cabbage from Mrs. Green's vegetable cart. When Charlie arrives home, he shows Grandpa Joe a Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudge Mallow Delight wrapper and tells him about the new shop. Charlie talks Grandpa Joe into playing 'Willy Wonka' ("Charlie, You & I").

The game ends abruptly when Mrs. Bucket arrives home. Charlie wakes Josephine, Georgina, and George, his other grandparents, for dinner. Mrs. Bucket has found a notebook for Charlie to use for homework, but he uses it to write a letter to Willy Wonka instead ("A Letter From Charlie Bucket"). He folds the letter into a paper plane and launches it out his window.

The next morning, Mrs. Bucket brings home a newspaper she's found announcing that Wonka's factory will be reopening for five lucky Golden Ticket Winners, plus one of the winners will receive a lifetime supply of Wonka Confectionaries ("Headline Scene")! Every year, Charlie gets one bar of chocolate for his birthday, and he hopes to find a ticket.

As Charlie passes the candy shop on his way to school, Wonka offers to sell him a chocolate bar. Charlie can't afford one yet but sees on Wonka's television that a ticket has been found! Jerry Jubilee and Cherry Sundae introduce Mrs. Gloop and her son, Augustus Gloop - a three-time regional bratwurst-eating champion.

The next winner is Veruca Salt, the daughter of the Russian peanut billionaire Mr. Salt, and Mr. Beauregarde introduces the next winner: his daughter Violet Beauregarde, local gum-chewing champion. Mike Teavee finds the next golden ticket, although he admits to hacking Wonka's computer system, which his mother, Mrs. Teavee, finds charming.

Wonka switches off the TV in the candy shop, and Charlie is alone when he spots a dollar amongst the wrappers on the floor. With Wonka nowhere to be found, Charlie purchases a Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudge Mallow Delight candy bar from Mrs. Green. When he unwraps the bar, he finds a golden ticket! Charlie rushes back home to tell his family, and it's decided that Grandpa Joe will go with him to the factory ("I've Got A Golden Ticket").

At the factory, a Crowd with Reporters has gathered as the Golden Ticket Winners arrive (Red Carpet"). Wonka, disguised at first as an old man, surprises everyone and welcomes the winners to the factory ("It Must Be Believed To Be Seen").

The Golden Ticket Winners and their parents land in a heap inside the seemingly empty factory, and Wonka explains that making chocolate takes imagination as he reveals the factory ("Pure Imagination"). Wonka warns the Golden Ticket Winners not to drink from the chocolate river, but Augustus doesn't listen. He falls into the river and becomes trapped in the pipe. The Oompa Loompas arrive to repair the fudge machine ("Auf Wiedersehen Augustus"). The tour moves on to the mixing room without Augustus and Mrs. Gloop.

In the mixing room, Wonka instructs the Golden Ticket Winners not to touch, meddle with, or taste anything without his express permission. Wonka shows everyone the Gastro-molecular Uni-cellulose Mouth Mulch, or G.U.M. for short, warning them that there is a problem with the blueberry pie at the end, but Violet grabs the G.U.M. from Wonka. She accidentally swallows it, then swells up like a blueberry. The Loompas escort her offstage, where she explodes ("You Got Whacha Want").

The tour continues as Wonka mimes crossing many factory obstacles, explaining the route as he goes, then invites Mike to try. One by one, the remaining Golden Ticket Winners cross through on the intricate path, joining Wonka on the other side of the stage.

Next up is the Nut Room, which is filled with Squirrels that sort the nuts. Veruca wants a Squirrel for herself, even after Wonka explains that they aren't pets, but Veruca doesn't listen. She rushes into the sorting room and is determined to be a bad nut ("Veruca's Nutcracker: Sweet!")

The group continues to the TV Room, where Mike Teavee is so impressed with Wonka's Chocolate Television that he tries to put himself on the channel. Unfortunately, he is shrunken down to a size small enough to fit into Mrs. Teavee's pocketbook ("Vidiots").

Wonka, Charlie, and Grandpa Joe continue to the Imagining Room, which is completely empty save for a notebook where Wonka draws his ideas. Charlie asks to see the notebook, but Wonka slams the book shut and ends the tour. Grandpa Joe insists that Charlie is entitled to a lifetime supply of chocolate, and he and Wonka leave Charlie to discuss details. In the Imagining Room, Charlie draws an idea in Wonka's notebook, and Wonka reveals that Charlie has won the whole factory ("The View From Here"). Charlie's family is waiting for him inside as he and Wonka get to work ("Finale")!