New Title Performers Announced for Broadway's Matilda

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Paige Brady, Gabriella Pizzolo, Ripley Sobo, and Ava Ulloa Will Be MATILDA's New Leading Ladies!

The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers today announced that Paige Brady, Gabriella Pizzolo, Ripley Sobo, and Ava Ulloa have joined the Broadway company of Matilda the Musical and will begin performances in the title role over the course of the next few weeks.

Paige Brady, age ten, from the Philadelphia area, is elated to be making her Broadway debut in Matilda the Musical. Regional: The Music Man (Walnut Street Theatre). Paige also amuses her creative mind through art, writing, and reading.

Gabriella Pizzolo, age ten, is a lifelong Roald Dahl enthusiast from the capital district of New York. She makes her Broadway debut in Matilda the Musical. Regional: Young Cosette, Susan Walker, Dagmar Hanson, Marta von Trapp.

Ripley Sobo, age ten, made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award winning Once. She makes her big-screen debut as 'Abby' in Warner Brothers' Winter's Tale(February 2014). She is also featured in the poster image for John Tiffany and Steven Hoggett's Let The Right One In (National Theatre of Scotland).

Ava Ulloa, age nine, is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut. A New York native, Ava cultivated her love of the arts by studying piano and dance at an early age. In 2nd grade, she took the stage in Seussical and never looked back.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Paige-Brady-Gabriella-Pizzolo-Ripley-Sobo-and-Ava-Ulloa-Will-Be-MATILDAs-New-Leading-Ladies-20131211

Welcome, girls! :) And I wish them luck.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

By the way: This is Ripley, singing. She'll be fantastic as Matilda!






Ripley Sobo NYCLU 2012

[VotePeron]

Cant wait to see this new generation! I really wish they would list start dates, but whatcanyado. I guess when people on twitter, here, etc, start going to the show and see someone new they'll post and we'll know!

[KathyNYC2]

Here is a picture of Ava..cutest thing ever.

https://www.facebook.com/YoungBroadwayActorNews/posts/332276560243614

I believe at least one of the New-tilda's is starting next week. No idea who or when.

[bwayphreak234]

So exciting!

[disneybroadwayfan22]

And congrats to Ava for being the first non-Caucasian/first Asian (I THINK) Matilda

[willep]

So cool to see Ripley joining the cast! She was adorable in Once.

[Matt1]

Sophia is leaving at the end of next week (12/22) so I assume one will take over immediately after.

[KathyNYC2]

I believe that a "Newtilda" may start next week - so maybe someone is not doing their regular two shows...(or I'm wrong - it's been known to happen..LOL).

Sophia's last day is the 22nd or just the week of the 22nd (or is that too specific a question?).

[Matt1]

If someone is starting next week, I wonder if someone is leaving this weekend?

[RevoltingChild23]

I've heard that Oona is leaving this week, I believe someone said on Friday? Not sure how reliable this is, but Sophia is next to leave and I heard it's the 21st?

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Oona's final show was last night.


Source

[Matt1]

Not sure about the source but Sophia was on last night and I am 100% positive Oona is leaving the show today (Sunday)and is on as Matilda this afternoon.

[kaylalydia]

Any update on Milly Shapiro leaving?

[Matt1]

Milly-January. Not sure more than that.

[KathyNYC2]

Good Bye Oona..I wish you much luck in your future endeavors. Sophia I believe is next to leave...

All eight girls are now listed as "Matilda" at the official website. I guess that will change soon.

[Matt1]

Well said Kathy. Sophia is leaving at the end of this week. I hate seeing them leave.

[E.Davis]

Did the Loto in a spur of the moment, how was I to know that I would be watching a little girls Broadway Debut tonight. Tonight was Paige Brady's first show at the Shubert. She is a tiny little thing with a big voice. Her acting was pretty wooden but she will grow into the role.

Chris Hoch and Jill Paice are the show though, they are both giving wonderful performances right now. "My House" was I think the best number of the show tonight. What grates me is when there is a wonderful powerful song such as that and there is no button. It was missing the applause that it deserved.

[MyLife]

Also did lotto on a whim. What a special night. I agree with everything you said, E.Davis. Paige has a wonderful voice and fits the role beautifully. After polishing her accent and getting more comfortable I think her acting will become less wooden and she will shine even more. I can't wait to hear about some choices she decides to make now that she has one complete and successful performance under her belt.

[MillieDillmount]

I heard from a cast member that the new Matilda's don't have accents, which is odd. But Paige didn't have an accent tonight, or was it just a weak one? Maybe the cast member just meant they won't have accents right off. I don't know why they wouldn't teach the new Matilda's the accent ...

[E.Davis]

She had a very thick accent, but it went in an out. It will all come together I have faith.

I will say this though, I was disappointed by the Director coming out in the beginning and sort of pandering to the audience. If he had just let it at the brief "This is her first show, give her all the love and support" I would have been fine. He just went on to long and basically told us things would go wrong and they might have to stop the show. It was funny because all the errors that happened tonight (there were quite a bit) were all older cast related.

[NotTheComfyChair]

I'm interested to hear the reports as I had heard from someone on the show - but didn't believe at the time - that the producers had decided initially that the new girls would have full-on American dialects and then halfway through rehearsals (!) decided that they should should sound mostly British but with some American sounds! My contact couldn't say/didn't know why the producers made the decision but did say that the company and crew thought the dialect person - the same one who worked with the original girls - had done a great job in "negotiating an impossible task" with the new girls.

It does sound like this is what it will be in terms of dialect. The question I have is why the change? I thought it worked great with the original girls being "British." It's a British story. Roald Dahl was and Dennis Kelly is British and Tim Minchin - an Australian - lives over there, at least for now. Will they send a tour out with completely American dialects and this is a try out?

Another question. E.Davies. Where were you sitting? I've heard that some on the sides of the orchestra and the balcony have problems with the sound balance/levels. I ask because that's often where lottery seats often are...

[KathyNYC2]

I won the lottery twice already = sat in the side of the orchestra and the sound was much better than when i sat in the balcony the first time I went. That said, the sound is not Matilda's finest achievement.

Weird about the accents - sort of like changing the term escapologist to escape artist - in case American's were not smart enough to figure it out.

[TheaterLover7]

I've heard they are changing the accent slightly because the American audiences were having a lot of difficulty understanding the British accent during 2013.

From what I know, the dialect was actually changed to be more of an "American friendly" British accent so audiences can better understand the show - not because the New-tildas were unable pick up the accent.

[VotePeron]

Does anyone know if she went on tonight (Friday)? Hoping she goes on tomorrow evening...

EDIT: She was not on tonight. So she's either on Sat mat, Sat eve, or Sun mat. Hmmm....

[RevoltingChild23]

Bailey was on tonight. I've heard that tomorrow night [er, I guess tonight!] is Sophia's last show. How did Paige compare to the current-tilda's?