Matilda at HCT

Two years ago I had the opportunity to see the Broadway touring production of Matilda and, unfortunately, I didn't like it very much. I found it to be really dark and sinister and, frankly, I wondered why it was marketed as a show for children. When HCT announced their 2019 season, I was not especially thrilled that this show was part of the lineup but I went to see it last night. HCT's production turned me into a fan because I absolutely loved what they did with it! Matilda Wormwood (Lucy White) is a precocious five year old with a penchant for reading and telling stories and, sometimes, being just a little bit naughty. She is ignored by her mother (Amelia Rose Moore), an amateur Latin ballroom dancer, and father (Ryan Simmons), an unscrupulous used car salesman, and is terrorized by Miss Agatha Trunchbull (Aaron Ford), the tyrannical headmistress of her school and the former Olympic champion in hammer throwing. With the help of a sympathetic teacher named Miss Honey (Bre Welch) and a little bit of magic, Matilda triumphs over the neglectful adults in her life! What I loved about this production is that the tone is much more lighthearted than the Broadway original and the adults are portrayed more like over-the-top caricatures rather than villains, especially Miss Trunchbull. Even the sets and costumes have a lighter color palette and I especially loved all of the colorful balloons used throughout. One of the things I really enjoyed about the Broadway production was the use of typography and the HCT version incorporates this through very clever projections. The library and the school yard sets, which come down from the ceiling, are fantastic. The big song and dance numbers, particularly "School Song" performed in a chain-link cage in the school yard, "Loud" performed by Matilda's mother and her Latin ballroom dance partner Rudolpho (Jeremy Egan), "Smell of Rebellion" performed by the children during a physical education class, and "Revolting Children" performed by the children in the classroom, are a lot of fun and feature innovative choreography. My favorite number was "When I Grow Up" which featured the children on swings that seemed to be held aloft by bouquets of balloons. This song is so poignant and it brought a tear to my eye. White is absolutely enchanting in the lead role and all of the children are incredible performers but, in my opinion, Bridget Maxwell steals the show as Lavender! Welch has a beautiful voice but I sometimes think that she is miscast. However, she is perfect in the role of Miss Honey and gives one of the best performances I have seen from her. The scenes with White (who is her niece) are so tender. I was very pleasantly surprised by my reaction to this show and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets and information).  It runs on HCT's main stage through June 15.

Note:  Don't forget about the lovely production of Steel Magnolias which is currently being performed in HCT's Jewel Box Theatre through June 1.