Matilda National Tour Cast

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 7:58pm

Playbil has posted the cast list for the Matilda tour. I'm excited for this because I truly have no idea what to think about Bryce Ryness as Trunchbull. I'm happy for Ryness, but I can't lie: I was hoping Chris Hoch would go out as Miss Trunchbull instead of going back to Broadway with Amazing Grace.

The cast has a lot newcomers with a few familiar faces

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 9:43pm

Nice that Cassie Silva is going out..she was great here.

I was thinking that Mia was going to be a Matilda replacement in NY as opposed to going on the tour but I am not at all surprised she was cast. The timing was right when she left Les Miz.

Congrats to all..

 

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 10:28pm

Here's who is playing who (as far as I know right now)

Evan Gray - Bruce

Kaci Walfall - Lavender

Cal Alexander - Nigel

Aristotle Rock - Eric

Luke Kolbe Mannikus - Boy swing  (covering Bruce/Tommy/Nigel and understudy Eric)

Meliki Hurd - Tommy

Serena Quadrato - Girl swing (covering Lavender/Amanda/Alice/Eric)

Cassidy Hagel - Alice

Kayla Hamistead - Amanda

Megan McGuff - Hortensia

Jaquez André Sims - Rudolpho 

Justin Packard (Broadway Escape Artist Geoff Packard's twin) - Escape Artist

Wesley Faucher - Acrobat

Brittany Conigatti - Swing

Michael Jablonsky - Swing + Dance Captain

Not sure of anyone else yet, but I think Camden Gonzales is going to be in a similar role as Heather Tepe.  

Updated On: 4/25/15 at 10:28 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 10:54pm

Is there a separate Canadian cast? Or is it the same?

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 10:55pm

"Is there a separate Canadian cast? Or is it the same?"

 I believe the Toronto cast is separate. 

[starcatchers]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:17pm

I loved Cassie Silva as Mrs. Wormwood! I'm with you, though, about Bryce Ryness as Trunchbull. I have no idea what to think about that. He could be really good. 

Updated On: 4/21/15 at 11:17 PM

[acekatherineplumber2]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:34pm

Really excited to see that Michael Fatica will be joining this tour. He was tremendous in Newsies. A real ensemble standout--I still remember his performance a year and a half later.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 7:30am

Does anyone know the real ages of the Matilda girls on tour?

I am wondering how long their contract is for - since none of the B'way Matildas have stayed with the show for more than 8-9 months before they are replaced. The tour I believe is already scheduled for a year with "more cities to be announced".

[LarryD2]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 7:47am

Bryce Ryness is incredibly talented and this could really be a breakout opportunity for him (not to mention a nice paycheck for a while). He's got a voice for days--not that Miss Trunchbill is a role that requires beautiful singing, of course.

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 2:40pm

"Does anyone know the real ages of the Matilda girls on tour?
I am wondering how long their contract is for - since none of the B'way Matildas have stayed with the show for more than 8-9 months before they are replaced. The tour I believe is already scheduled for a year with "more cities to be announced"."

 Mia and Gabby are 9.  I think Mabel is 11, but I'm not 100% sure.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 8:38pm

Thanks!

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 9:03pm

Oh I didn't realize that they only cast 3 girls for the main role. Interesting. Could this be the new norm from here on out with this show?

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 9:58pm

"Oh I didn't realize that they only cast 3 girls for the main role. Interesting. Could this be the new norm from here on out with this show?"

 Probably not.  It's probably just because they want to take a smaller cast with them.  They also only have 9 ensemble kids (two swings instead of four, and the person playing Hortensia is an adult I believe) instead of 12.  

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 10:02pm

Also, once a show opens on Broadway, you can't reduce the number of cast members. You can, though, consolidate (of sorts) when casting a tour.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 10:04pm

"Oh I didn't realize that they only cast 3 girls for the main role. Interesting. Could this be the new norm from here on out with this show?"

I don't believe they are doing 8 shows a week on tour for the most part - so there is enough rotation with 3 girls.

But in London, NY and now Australia, there are still 4 girls.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/24/15 at 12:29am

They are definitely doing eight shows a week in both Cleveland and St. Louis (just two quick checks of cities that I knew off the top of my head they were going to), and I can't really imagine a presenter being willing to accept a seven show performance week when you still have three girls sharing the title role (yes, I know it's a big role, but it's not so difficult that the girls will have trouble doing three performances a week some weeks). 

Interestingly enough, they are also doing one week in each of those cities with a Thursday matinee, which I assume they will be pushing heavily for school groups.  I wonder if that one Thursday matinee will be a standard part of their schedule in every city?

[asmith0307]

Posted: 4/24/15 at 12:38am

I don't see that they have a performance schedule up for Chicago yet (they aren't coming until late spring), but the schedule for Houston is up already. 

 

8 shows - Doubles on Saturday and Sunday, no other matinee. This is the schedule Houston typically follows. The only exception I can think of is when we had the Rockettes in this past holiday season.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/24/15 at 12:55am

The schedule for the Rockettes is always insane (I'm assuming it was the Christmas Spectacular).  I remember when year, many years ago, I was working on A Christmas Carol in Cleveland and they were in the State Theatre right next door and were doing four shows on Saturdays.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/24/15 at 8:42am

Oh I didn't realize that. I was misinformed...Thanks for the correction. 

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 4/24/15 at 7:24pm

I did two season of Christmas Across America (the touring version and out-of-town sit down verdin of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular) as Clara in the Nutcracker section when I was in middle school. We did between 10-16 shows a week, depending on what part of the season it was. New York does up to 32 shows a week with two casts.

A show with 3 rotating as the leads can do 8 shows a week without issue, especially if there is a mid week matinee. You can get a substantial break between weekend doubles and midweek shows with 3. On top of that, because they're traveling with one fewer Matilda, I wouldn't be shocked if the female child swing is a Matilda cover for just an extra sense of security.