‘Matilda the Musical’ – Book by Dennis Kelly. Music & Lyrics by Tim Minchin. Emily Ranii, Director. David Freeman Coleman, Music Director. Larry Sousa, Choreographer. Shelley Barish, Scenic Designer. Franklin Meissner, Jr., Lighting Designer. Christina Beam, Costume Designer. Steven Doucette, Props Designer. Jon King, Sound Designer. At Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University (October 21 – November 20, 2022).
by Linda Chin
We are living in revolting times, and with vicious taunts and violent attacks as everyday occurrences – and adults in positions of authority behaving like school yard bullies – one can feel helpless and alone. But children of all ages who have ever experienced bullying, unite! Daddle (“Run very fast” in Gobblefunk, Roald Dahl’s made-up language) to Wheelock Family Theatre to see the marvelous Matilda the Musical. Based on Dahl’s children’s book Matilda, the inspiring story of how one person – no matter how small – can make a difference – also puts the spotlight on the village of heroes and unsung heroes it takes to make a musical theatre production.
When entering Wheelock’s spacious hall, a simple and whimsical set (cleverly imagined and artfully lighted by designers Shelley Barish and Franklin Meissner, Jr.) beckons the audience into the different worlds of Matilda’s story. Chalkboard green walls adorned with chalk drawings of shelves filled with books, a display of trophies and medals and wooden desk surround platforms painted to look like giant, stacked books with brightly colored spines) demarcate a library and the principal’s office. On stage right is a classroom, several rows of pint-sized chairs face a real chalkboard, and a super-sized protractor, ruler, and tape dispenser (created by Steven Doucette, props designer) are jauntily hung on the walls of a lower school classroom.
Even before the five orchestra musicians (perched on a high platform onstage including pianist/conductor and music director David Freeman Coleman) play a single note, before the 20 actors utter a single word or dance a single step (directed by Emily Ranii, choreographed by Larry Sousa), before the audience takes their seats, the theater is abuzz with anticipation.
Matilda Wormwood, a very bright and brave young girl with a vivid imagination and some special powers, is Matilda’s precocious young protagonist. She reads voraciously to escape her horrible homelife. Her parents, the scheming, self-important Mr. Wormwood and salsa- and self-obsessed Mrs. Wormwood, spend more time with dance partner Rudolpho, their son Michael, and their giant Telly than their own daughter (who Mr. Wormwood repeatedly refers to as “a boy”). Mrs. Wormwood. thinks “the less you have to say, the louder you say it,” and looks down on people who “choose books over looks.” At the village library and her new school, Matilda does find trusted adults – librarian Mrs. Phelps and teacher Miss Honey who value her remarkable talents. Matilda also becomes friends with her classmates and encourages them to stand up for what is right – the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion, now headmistress of Crunchem Hall, doles out excessive discipline, thinks children are maggots, and dreams of the day she can “crunch ‘em ‘all.”
In addition to having Kelly’s and Minchin’s great material to work with, Coleman, Ranii and Sousa have assembled a great group of storytellers. The diverse multigenerational cast includes six of Boston’s most exceptional acting powerhouses, Big Kids (musical theater students trained at Boston Conservatory), and kids age 9-16 (many making their debuts on a professional stage). Aimee Doherty (Mrs. Wormwood), Anthony Pires (Mr. Wormwood), Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda (Miss Trunchbull), Kira Troilo (Miss Honey), Krystal Hernandez (Mrs. Phelps), and Zachary McConnell (Rudolpho) portray their characters as written, but make them their own.
Last seen at Wheelock as Abuela Claudia (In the Heights), Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda has mostly played loving moms in Boston productions (Beatriz in Miss You Like Hell, Inez in View Upstairs), but her terrorizing portrayal of Matilda’s principal antagonist, the hammer-throwing headmistress, hits the nail on the head. Her Trunchbull is a tenacious bulldog (which likely helped in her athletic career, but as a teacher not so much). She is persnickety and believes in order, which may explain her dislike of children, who are messy and unpredictable. The role of Trunchbull was originated in the West End/Broadway productions by male actors in the pantomime dame tradition, but Carlisle-Zepeda has infused her Trunchbull with a backstory and character traits taken from her own life experience. Naysayers of Miss Trumbull being played by a dame (e.g. Emma Thompson in the upcoming film version) take note.
Kira Troilo is perfectly cast as Matilda’s first-grade teacher. Her Miss Honey oozes warmth, respect, and understanding. Her sung lines “Knock on the door Jenny, there’s nothing to fear, you’re being pathetic” and “What sort of teacher would I be if I let this little girl fall through the cracks? I can see this little girl needs somebody strong to fight by her side” when she is in front of the principal’s office, also longing for adult support, and “This is my house. It isn’t much but it is enough for me” when she and Matilda share stories of their childhoods, are some of the show’s most tender and lovely moments. After seeing Troilo (also the show’s dance captain) in supporting roles at Wheelock in Little Women and In the Heights, it is thrilling to see her take on a leading role as Matilda’s deuteragonist. She sends the important messages that it’s never too late to face your fears and that Kindness is a Superpower.
Recently seen as the Lion and Wizard in Wizard of Oz, Krystal Hernandez and Zachary McConnell show that they can handle multiple roles with aplomb. Hernandez has great delivery and comedic timing as a doctor (who breaks the news to the Wormwoods that their new child is a girl) and in the final scene as Sergei, the Russian Mafia leader of an adorable and hilarious group of mini mobsters. McConnell is a gifted dancer as well as actor: his slithery, undulation walks as Rudolpho, spirited and sharp hip-hop moves as a Big Kid, and his drop to the floor into a full split at the end of ‘Loud’ are some of the show’s most delightful moments.
Anthony Pires, Jr. plays the greedy and off-putting Mr. Wormwood to perfection, his physical acting and strong comic timing on full display in a high-wattage performance that’s brighter than his orange plaid suit, but I did miss seeing the emotional depth that was so central in his powerful portrayal of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in WFT’s Ragtime. My patience was rewarded when he plays the Escapologist in Matilda’s ‘Acrobat Story,’ and in the heart-tugging final scene when he and Matilda share a warm father-daughter hug for the first and maybe last time.
Aimee Doherty’s Mrs. Wormwood is louder-than-life, and with her bleached blonde wig and high-wedged shoes, flamboyant from head to toe (All the costumes in this production are fabulous, to Christina Beam’s credit). Doherty is accustomed to working with large youth ensembles. At Wheelock she has played a Ladybug (in James and the Giant Peach, also directed by Ranii), dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson in Billy Elliot (directed by co-founder Susan Kosoff in 2017) and Grace Farrell in Annie (directed by co-founder Jane Staab in 2010). In Matilda, Doherty (who also plays the Acrobat) shows us, once again, that she can be anyone and is the actor everyone wants to be.
While the professional adult actors definitely raise the bar, the show succeeds because the cast members – of all ages and levels of experience – inspire each other to do their best. They also support each other with the inevitable missed cues, dropped lines, technical difficulties, or when castmates who are ill, all part of live theatre. Shoutouts to all the backstage magicians (including sound designer Jon King) and crew, and understudies Erin Grimm and Charlie Lara McCannon, who played the roles of Matilda and Nigel on press night (without a put-in rehearsal) and were nothing short of miraculous.
The Big Kids and Competition Dancers are played by Emma Resek, Deirdre Roberts, Luke Sabracos, Jake Siffert, Leo Ruckenstein (also Michael Wormwood), and Zachary McConnell (also Rudolpho). Their love of musical theatre, strong training and dance talents are especially evident in the energetic and brilliantly choreographed number ‘School Song,’ (when those super-sized props become letters of the alphabet (e.g. the rotated protractor and ruler become the letter D and I, combined to form the letter P).
The youngest thespians in the company are a talented, energetic and nice bunch. When they are performing big production numbers with their stage parents (‘Miracle’), Miss Trunchbull (‘The Hammer’), Miss Honey (‘When I Grow Up’), Honey and Trunchbull (‘The Smell of Rebellion’) their strong work ethic and collaborative spirit shows. When they are carrying complex production numbers (‘Chokey Chant’ ‘Bruce’ and ‘Revolting Children’) on their own, without grown-ups in tow, their confidence grows. When they are getting their own moments in the spotlight, the students in Miss Honey’s first-form class, Alice (Peyton Murray), Amanda Thripp (Stella Centore), Bruce Bogtrotter (Sullivan McStravick), Erica (Penelope Rhoads), Hortensia (Nadia Ruberg), Lavender (Lola Rhoads), Matilda (Erin Brimm, understudy for Sky Vaux Fuller), Nigel (Charlie Lara McCannon, understudy for Luca Tagliani), Tommy (Felix Grigsby) are in top form, and their pride in doing their personal best is apparent. With talent in spades and energy to spare, and kindness as their superpower, it’s hard to imagine how much more amazing these human beans will be when they grow up. This show is the very definition of teamwork. See it! For tickets and information, go to: https://www.wheelockfamilytheatre.org
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