The Miracle of MATILDA: Learn What Shows the Creators Are Bringing to Broadway Next!

By: Nov. 09, 2016
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Come January 2017, the miracle that has been MATILDA on Broadway will play its final performance at the Shubert Theatre, after a whopping 37 previews and 1,555 regular performances. Opening on April 11, 2013, Matilda quickly swept Broadway off its feet with a story of heart, courage and loving who you are.

Matilda tells the story of an extraordinary girl, Matilda, with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind whose talents are constantly belittled by her cruel parents and headmistress. Dreaming of a better life for herself, she dares to take a stand against these oppressive forces and takes her destiny into her own hands. The hit musical first made its appearance in London's West End. The original London production won a record-breaking 7 Olivier Awards including Best Musical. On Broadway, Matilda was nominated for 13 Tony Awards in 2013. It went onto earn Tony Awards for Best Lighting Design, Best Book and Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Gabriel Ebert.

A perfect storm of creators came together to create the show, and as BroadwayWorld prepares to say goodbye to this beautiful production, we're revisiting their work and recapping what they've been up to since 2013.

Dennis Kelly (Book)

Kelly is an internationally acclaimed writer, with plays performed in more than 30 countries. Stage plays include Debris (Theatre 503/Battersea Arts Centre, 2003), Osama the Hero(Hampstead Theatre, 2004), After the End (Paines Plough, Traverse Theatre, Bush Theatre, 2005), Love and Money (Young Vic/Manchester Royal Exchange, 2006), Taking Care of Baby (Hampstead Theatre/Birmingham Repertory, 2006), DNA (National Theatre, 2008), Orphans (Paines Plough, Traverse Theatre, Soho Theatre and Birmingham Rep, 2009), The Gods Weep (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2010) and The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas (Royal Court, 2013).

Since MATILDA: Dennis co-wrote and created the award-winning comedy series "Pulling" (Silver River/BBC 3) and wrote and created Utopia (Kudos) for Channel Four. For film he wrote the screenplay for Black Sea, directed by Kevin MacDonald.

Tim Minchin (Music & Lyrics)

Minchin is a musician, actor, comedian and writer. As a musical satirist, he has toured in the UK, the US and Australia and released 5 DVDs, including So F**king Rock, Ready For This?, and Tim Minchin Versus the Heritage Orchestra Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Acting highlights include Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Sydney Theatre Company), Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar (arena tour of UK and Australia) and, for television, Atticus Fetch in Californication (Showtime) and Smasher Sullivan in Secret River (ABC).

Since MATILDA: Minchin is currently directing and writing music and lyrics for a new Dreamworks Animation feature film. His latest musical, Groundhog Day just finished its run at the Old Vic and will open on Broadway in 2017.

Matthew Warchus (Director)

Warchus is a director of theatre, opera and film who has directed award-winning productions for many of the major British theatre companies. Matthew's theatre credits include The Caretaker, The Master Builder and Future Conditional (The Old Vic), Ghost: The Musical and La Bête (West End and Broadway), Deathtrap (West End), The Norman Conquests (West End and Broadway, Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play), God of Carnage (West End and Broadway, Tony Award for Best Play and Best Direction of a Play), Boeing-Boeing (West End, Broadway and UK tour, Tony Award for Best Revival of a play and Olivier nomination for Best Revival of a Play), Speed-the-Plow (The Old Vic), the theatrical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings (also co-writer, Toronto and West End), Buried Child (National Theatre), Endgame (West End), Our House (West End, Olivier Award for Best Musical), Follies (Broadway), Life x 3 (National Theatre, The Old Vic and Broadway), True West (Donmar Warehouse and Broadway), The Unexpected Man (RSC, West End and Broadway), Art (Broadway, West End and Los Angeles, Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Play), Hamlet and Henry V (RSC), Volpone (National Theatre, Evening Standard Award for Best Director), Much Ado About Nothing (West End) and Betrayal, Death of a Salesman, The Plough and the Stars, Fiddler on the Roof and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (West Yorkshire Playhouse). Opera credits include Falstaff and Così Fan Tutte (ENO) and The Rake's Progress (ROH and WNO). Matthew directed feature films Pride (2014, BIFA Best British Independent Film, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations) and Simpatico (1999).

Since MATILDA: In 2015, Warchus succeeded Kevin Spacey as Artistic Director of The Old Vic Theatre. His film Pride was selected to be screened as part of the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Queer Palm award. He is also collaborating with Minchin and Darling on Groundhog Day, coming to Broadway in spring 2017.

Peter Darling (Choreography)

Darling's work for theatre in the UK includes Billy Elliott (West End), Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar Warehouse), Candide and Oh! What a Lovely War (National Theatre), Sunset Boulevard (Really Useful Group), The Tempest (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Edward II, The Country Wife, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night, all for Michael Grandage. He choreographed Our House and The Lord of the Rings for Matthew Warchus. His film work includes Billy Elliott and The Phantom of the Opera.

Since MATILDA: Darling reunited with MInchin and Warchus for the Broadway-Bound musical, Groundhog Day. He also choreographed the West End production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 2013.



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