There’s a new kid in town and, from the looks of it, she’s going to smash some box office records while she is here. Milwaukee’s First Stage has taken a giant leap in producing a full-length musical, Matilda, the Musical, with the help of original Broadway creators Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly. Previously, First Stage has limited its productions to about 70 minutes – a nod to children’s limited attention spans. That’s a tradition going back to 1987, the year First Stage was born. Since that time, the organization has grown exponentially, serving thousands of school children each year, as well as creating a Theater Academy and launching a Young Company. That’s an impressive resume for any theater company.
But now comes Matilda, a five-year-old who uses her book-reading skills and her wits to run circles around the adults who stand in her way. Unfortunately, this gifted girl was born to a pair of horrid, self-absorbed parents (Molly Rhode and Jackson Evans). There is a great deal of humor in this show, and much of it is supplied by the sleazy, car salesman father and the dim-witted, ballroom dance loving mother. In an early scene, the mother is even in tears when she learns that her time to give birth to Matilda coincides with one of the mother’s dance competitions. The father, disappointed at the baby’s gender, insists on referring to Matilda as a “boy.”
Three young girls play Matilda in this production, although this reviewer can only vouch for Reese Bell, a pint-sized seventh grader. She is a triple threat who can sing, dance and act her way into audience’s hearts. Much of the show’s success rides on Matilda’s diminutive shoulders, and in this case, there’s no reason to worry. Bell can belt out a song with the best of them, and is especially impressive in delivering her early tune, “Naughty.” In the song, she passive aggressively fights back against her parents and, in later scenes, an evil headmistress named Miss Trunchbull. (In a departure from the Broadway version, this character is played by a female, the hefty Kelly Doherty). Doherty is clearly in her element as the sadistic and undermining Trunchbull, a former Olympic hammer-throwing champion. The more despicable she is, the funnier she becomes. Even the sight of Doherty wearing her Olympic medals and mimicking her hammer-throwing “skills” is enough to throw the audience into peals of laughter. One of First Stage’s traditions is to double-cast the children in the cast; on opening night, the diligent cast performed. Stand-outs in this crew include Lucia Santana as an extrovert who claims to be Matilda’s best friend; and Max Larson as a large-size Tommy, who must eat an enormous chocolate cake as one of Trunchbull’s punishments. All the children (and adults) in the cast performed flawlessly. Kudos to choreographers Jayne and Michael Pink for bringing the songs to life. Another departure from the norm is the small, live band. It makes a tremendous difference to hear live music instead of pre-recorded music. One hopes that budgets for future shows will not preclude the addition of live musicians.
Getting back to Matilda: Not every adult in her life is such a bad influence. Her homeroom teach is the sweet and sunny Miss Honey (Elizabeth Telford). She reveals to Matilda that she herself was abandoned and treated badly as a child. So amazed is she by Matilda’s brains that she makes a special effort to enrich Matilda’s classroom experience, against Trunchbull’s wishes.
The trials and triumphs of Matilda are played out on a smartly done set by Brandon Kirkham. Giant blocks of alphabet letters are used in intriguing ways, such as classroom desks and chairs, etc. The blocks also allude to letters as the components of words, sentences and ideas – all the things that lead Matilda to overcome obstacles in her way. The lighting is brilliantly done by the ever-reliable Jason Fassl.
No less stimulating are the uproarious costumes by Arnold Bueso. The kids, of course, are dressed alike in standard school uniforms. But the adult characters – such as the loudly patterned green suit worn by the father and the floozy-inspired outfit worn by the mother – not to mention the military-influenced, olive-colored suit worn by the hated and feared Trunchbull – are themselves worthy of mention.
Finally, Matilda’s schoolroom setting has a lot to teach its audience about leadership, friendship, kindness and overcoming odds to achieve your goals. It is the finest show that First Stage has ever done, as well as its most ambitious venture.
