I have to admit that I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I got tickets for my family to see Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical on Broadway. I'm usually pretty familiar with a musical before I go to see it, but this time I really didn't know much about the show other than the 60-second promotional video that I watched with my sons before buying the tickets. I think I read the book when I was younger, and maybe I saw the movie too, but I really don't remember much of either.
I had done my research on the show, so I knew it would be a decent show for the whole family, including my 4- and 7-year-old boys. I expected some fun songs. I expected maybe a few cute and talented kids. I expected a neat effect or two. What I didn't expect was to see one of the best productions I've ever seen. Quite possibly the best production. And I've seen a lot of productions.
The story follows a smart little girl, Matilda, who doesn't have the kindest of parents. Mrs. Wormwood is too focused on her appearance and her dancing career to be bothered with a daughter. Mr. Wormwood is busy scamming people. And both parents much prefer their son, Michael, who mindlessly stares at a TV all day, to their intellectual and (mostly) well-behaved daughter. I'm far from the perfect parent, but these parents make me look like mom of the year!
When Matilda starts school, she befriends her kind teacher, Miss Honey. Miss Honey recognizes that Matilda is special and is determined to help her succeed. But the brute of a headmaster, Miss Trunchbull, has different plans for Matilda (and all the other children for that matter).
At the performance I saw, the title role of Matilda was played by Eliza Holland Madore. Little Eliza puts most actors - even adult ones - to shame with her extraordinary talent. I have never seen someone so relaxed and natural on stage. She didn't miss a beat. Her diction was impeccable. She even spoke Russian in one scene! From her loveable yet powerful voice to her appropriately childish movement and mannerisms, I can't imagine anyone playing this role better (though there are three other girls who also play this role at different performances). At only 8 years old, Madore has a very bright future ahead of her!
The rest of the cast is nothing short of magnificent as well. Both adults and children alike are perfect fits for their roles. From the sweet voice of Alison Luff (Miss Honey), to the obnoxiousness of Lesli Margherita (Mrs. Wormwood) and Matt Harrington (Mr. Wormwood), to the mischievous innocence of the children, the cast is a gold mine of talent. Even the glazed-over looks and one-word grunts of "Telly!" and "Backwards!" from Alex Brightman (Michael) are perfectly and hilariously executed. Also impressive was Sean Montgomery, the understudy for Miss Trunchbull. At one point I was amused to see my 7-year-old frantically looking through his program after Montgomery came on stage. I knew exactly what he was looking for, and at intermission I made a point to answer his unspoken question that Miss Trunchbull was in fact played by a man.
Tim Minchin's music provides a perfect blend of power rock songs like "Revolting Children," sweet melodies like "This Little Girl," and upbeat childish tunes like "Naughty." The choreography by Peter Darling also stands out, especially in the energetic numbers with the children performing all over the stage (and even throughout the theatre). Other notable movement scenes include a scene done on swings a scene with children doing gymnastic-type bouncing and tumbling.
And oh the set! The amazing set! The second I walked into the theatre I was immediately impressed. The theatre is filled with letters. Letters to the left, letters to the right, letters everywhere! The letters are similar to scrabble letters, only they almost give the feel of another world. It really transported me into the show before the show even started. Once the show begins, the set changes countless times to become a birthday party, a hospital room, a home, a school, and more. Desks come up from the stage. Swings come down from the ceiling. A chalkboard comes from the back of the stage. Everywhere you look something new is coming out of somewhere. It was truly amazing. (And as a side note, I'm still clueless as to how the chalk wrote on the board by itself!)
This is one of the rare shows where I enjoyed the second half more than the first. It's kind of like enjoying a sequel better than the original. It doesn't happen very often. But this show just keeps getting better and better every second. Just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better, it did. The show is full of energy and also contains a good bit of humor scattered in for both adults and children.
And speaking of children, my kids really enjoyed the show as well. Both of my boys sat mesmerized through the entire production. Usually close to the end of a show they start to get a little wiggly and I start getting questions about how much longer or when can they have a snack. Not this time. Don't tell Disney, but my 7-year-old even said he liked Matilda more than The Lion King on Broadway...and I agree with him!
If you want to see a musical that has everything, a musical that has that special "something," go see Matilda! Everything about this unforgettable production is spot on. The story. The casting. The acting. The singing. The set. The lighting. The choreography. The special effects. I feel like I could talk all day about how incredible this production is and it still wouldn't accurately portray how magical Matilda is. It's just something you have to experience for yourself to fully understand and appreciate.
For the first time in Row L Seat 1 history, I'm giving a production 10 out of 10 standing ovations!
This review is based on the January 25, 2015 performance of Matilda the Musical. Matilda is currently playing at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. For show details, photos, videos, and ticket information, please visit us.matildathemusical.com. (Photos were obtained from the show website at us.matildathemusical.com/gallery/photos.)
