BWW Reviews: Ahmanson Welcomes Miraculous MATILDA

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical/book by Dennis Kelly/music & lyrics by Tim Minchin/directed by Matthew Warchus/choreographed by Peter Darling/Ahmanson Theatre/through July 12

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical has finally arrived at the Ahmanson Theatre, and it is a sumptuous treat for the eyes, ears and mind. Imagination runs amok in choreography, staging and in reproducing a feast of visual pleasures via ultra riveting set pieces - with scrabble-like letters and words jutting out on all sides - and vibrant costumes. And to get a bevy of child actors to essay these little "maggots" in such a dynamically professional manner for two and a half hours is no minor feat. It's like the song claims: it's a "miracle!"

For those unfamiliar with Roald Dahl's satirical story, which is the basis for Dennis Kelly's book, it centers on the intense emotional and physical abuse of small children by both parents and educators. The Wormwoods (Cassie Silva and Quinn Mattfeld) hate children; she would rather enter dance contests with a handsome Rudolpho (Jaquez Andre Sims) and he, watch the telly when he isn't milking customers buying trashy used cars. He refers to Maltilda (Mia Sinclair Jenness) as "boy", since he never wanted a girl. Escaping from her oppressive parents, Matilda devours literature and develops great imaginative powers. At school, the headmistress Miss Trunchbull (Bryce Ryness) is a dictator who gets off on rules and extreme discipline, inflicting corporal punishment on a daily basis. The only saving grace on the faculty is Miss Honey (Jennifer Blood), a sweet caring teacher who sees Matilda's precociousness/genius as a plus and tries to put her into advanced placement, to no avail; she gets zero cooperation from either Trunchbull or the Wormwoods.

Matilda acts "naughty" as a form of rebellion, playing pranks on her father. When his hair turns green, she is the culprit. But her imagination hardly stops there. She concocts a sad but colorful story about an acrobat and an escapologist which she tells to the librarian, Mrs. Phelps (Ora Jones). In the story the couple fall in love and try desperately to have a child, but are forced to work, performing under a horrific contract drawn up by the acrobat's sister, who later abuses their young daughter. Matilda thinks she is inventing the story but later learns that it is actually Miss Honey's real life past. Matilda is both clairvoyant as well as possessing the power of telekenesis (moving objects), which she uses to her and her friends' advantage against the absurdly cruel Trunchbull.

Matthew Warchus' staging is nothing short of brilliant as is Peter Darling's choreography. Every move is slickly orchestrated. The children move about with a skill and panache, usually reserved for dancers of increased age and experience.Tim Minchin's music has a sharp rock sound which works perfectly with the over.the.top cartoonish execution of the story. Set and costume design by Rob Howell and lighting design by Hugh Vanstone are uber loud and in your face, again a perfect match for this cartoon.

The ensemble playing is big, bold and electric with Ryness making the most of Miss Trunchbull's sadistic behavior. Portraying the female character as a male in drag is genius on the creators' part. Trunchbull is a Hitlerish role and comes off more bizarre and twisted as played by a man. Ryness is a triple threat, singing, strutting and projecting his way straight to hell. Silva and Mattfeld are both comic.strip funny in their portrayals of the despiccable Wormwoods. Danny Tieger is delightful as the idiotic older son Michael. Miss Honey is the only good soul in the play; she is pretty but introspective. Blood plays her supportive and loving throughout. The only problem I had was with Mia Sinclair Jenness as Matilda (sharing the role with Mabel Tyler and Gabby Gutierrez). It is difficult for a young child to convey emotions and speak consistently with a cockney-like accent. Jenness is on target with these but has a major problem with diction, which disabled my clear understanding of many of the story elements, particularly the scenes of the acrobat and escapologist, which Matilda narrates. If you lose facts here, the outcome, the connection to Miss Honey, becomes muddled. Hopefully, this is not a problem with the other girls and that Miss Jenness will make decided improvement as she moves forward in performances. The rest of the ensemble including Evan Gray as the fun-loving Bruce, who gets punished for liking chocolate cake, are all terrific.

Overall, Matilda the Musical is a magical ride that is totally empowering. Matilda finds her way out of darkness and catches the light, so.to.speak and creates a better world for herself and for others. Like Oliver and Annie before it, the story is heartwarming and thoroughly joyful. And yes, beaming brightly through the satire, is a powerful advisory for children: READ voraciously!

www.centertheatregroup.org

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