Roald Dahl's MATILDA THE MUSICAL Gets Resident Premiere At Olney Theatre Center

Olney Theatre Center offers its fourth musical production of the 2018-19 Season on the Mainstage, with the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical (June 21 - July 21, 2019), directed by Peter Flynn, fresh off the rave reviews for his acclaimed revival of Into the Woods at Ford's Theatre. Invited Press Night is Thursday, June 27 at 8:00pm.

Says Olney Theatre Center's Artistic Director, Jason Loewith, "I'm so proud to be producing the Resident Premiere of Roald Dahl's seriously hilarious, hilariously serious Matilda. And I'm honored to finally partner with director Peter Flynn, whose work in the DC-area has truly raised the bar for musical theater in town."

Based on the classic Roald Dahl book, our hero is born to parents who prize their own ignorance and disdain books, learning, and any information they can't get from television, Still, Matilda somehow manages to emerge...a genius. Maybe even a magical one. However, she and the rest of the school are under the tyrannical rule of a deliciously devious villain, principal Agatha Trunchbull. Matilda embraces the fearful and terrifying moments of childhood with humor, hard-earned optimism, and astoundingly witty musical numbers. Songs like "Miracle," "Naughty," and "Revolting Children" will ring true to adults and belong in the survival kit of any child making their way through pre-adolescence and beyond.

Emiko Dunn, currently a fourth grader from Brewster, NY was chosen for the title role, following a lengthy audition period that considered more than 300 young actors in a process facilitated by McCorkle Casting in New York. For Emiko, the role is one she was born to play. Her mother, Takami Dunn reports, "She never had a chance to see Matilda on Broadway, but it has been a part of her life since she was little. She sang "When I Grow Up" for her first vocal performance in first grade at school and performed it again in second grade in a talent contest up here in Brewster."

Ms. Dunn joins a top-flight list of DC-based, Helen Hayes Award-winning talent in the cast of Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical including Felicia Curry as the kindly Ms. Honey, Rayanne Gonzales (last seen in at Olney in her Helen Hayes Award-winning turn as Abuela in In The Heights) as Mrs. Phelps, Michael Mainwaring as sibling-from-hell Michael Wormwood, Tracy Lynn Olivera as the awful Mrs. Wormwood, Christopher Michael Richardson as equally negligent and ignorant Mr. Wormwood and Tom Story as the villainous Mrs. Trunchbull. Other members of the ensemble include Michelle E. Carter, Jay Frisby, Andre Hinds, Ashleigh King, Quynh-My Luu, Calvin Malone, Connor James Reilly and Camryn Shegogue. Tiziano D'Affuso serves as a swing.

Two ensembles of children join the "grown-ups": Elizabeth Coffey and Nina Brothers as Amanda and understudies for Matilda, Sawyer Makl and Sebastian Gervase as Eric, Kai Mansell and Hudson Prymak as Nigel, Ella Coulson and Eliza Prymak as Hortensia, Ainsley Deegan and Camiel Warren-Taylor as Lavender, Patrick Ford and Jack St. Pierre as Bruce.

Christopher Youstra, fresh off his star turn in Once, returns to the pit to Music Direct and conduct the 8-piece orchestra. Byron Easley, currently Head of Dance at NYU's Tisch School pairs as choreographer. Milagros Ponce De León and Clint Allen, design sets and projections, respectively, for the production following their acclaimed work for Mr. Flynn's Into the Woods. Pei Lee returns to Olney Theatre for the first time since My Fair Lady to design costumes as do Olney veterans Nancy Schertler to design lights and Roc Lee to design sound. Ali Pohanka, whose work most recently appeared in the currently running Mary Stuart is the production's wig designer. John Keith Hall is the Stage Manager, assisted by Rebecca Silva.

Regular performances are Wednesday-Saturday at 8:00 pm; matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm; and Wednesday matinees at 2:00 pm on June 26, July 10, and 17. No Saturday matinee on June 22.

Special Sensory Friendly performance for those on the Autism spectrum and their families, will be on Tuesday, July 9 at 11:00 am. Tickets for this performance may only be purchased directly from the Box Office, either in-person or on the phone.

There will be an Audio-described performance for the blind and visually impaired on Wednesday, July 10 at 8:00 pm and a sign-interpreted performance on Thursday, July 18 at 8:00 pm. Audience members who wish to use these services should contact Julie Via, Patron Services Manager (jvia@olneytheatre.org) to confirm.

Tickets begin at $42. Discounts available for groups, seniors, military, and students.

Special Events:

• Behind-the-Scenes: Making Matilda

Sunday, June 23; 11:30am-12:30pm

$10/Free for Olney Theatre Center Members

Join director Peter Flynn and members of his team to discuss how they brought the magical world of Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical to life. We'll talk about the inspirations behind the designs, the stagecraft of Matilda's powers, and how to cast the right actors to populate a Dahlian world.

• Meet the Matilda Cast at the Olney Library

3500 Olney Laytonsville Rd, Olney, MD 20832

Saturday, July 13 at 11:00am

Free

No reservations required

Join us at the Olney Library for a special storytime and performance with members of the cast of Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical. Bring your own copy of Matilda and follow along as we read an excerpt from the novel. Then sit back and enjoy a special performance straight from our stage.

• Afterwords discussions with the cast and crew take place following most Saturday matinee performances.