The other night, I was texting with my friend and fellow theatre-goer, Heather, when we came to a very important realization. We realized that our old and comfortable Broadway cast albums sometimes unintentionally deter us from discovering new Broadway show tunes! Frequently, we become “stuck” on a few select cast albums or songs, which we promptly play on repeat for days and weeks (maybe months?) at a time. Why? Because (for whatever reason) these endorphin-producing songs leave us with abounding feelings of happiness and inspiration. Who wouldn’t want to reproduce those feelings... over and over and over again? Who needs the new stuff? (just kidding)
Anyway, this led to a fabulous conversation about our top five (or maybe ten) cast albums or songs that cause us to get “stuck” in the “old stuff” (in a good way!). I thought some of my followers might enjoy reading our lists, which contain some random and unexpected choices (as well as some obvious choices). ENJOY and please share your own favorites below! :)
Name: Kris Occupation(s): nurse practitioner and Standing Ovations Blogger Favorite shows: The Sound of Music, Wicked, Evita, Cabaret, Memphis, Fiddler on the Roof, Next to Normal, A Little Night Music (in no particular order)
1.) Carrie the musical (Off-Broadway, 2011)
MY GUILTY PLEASURE. Yes, I admit it- I love this cast recording. My favorite “on repeat” song is “The Destruction.” It’s fierce.
2.) “Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad” from Bonnie and Clyde
Give me a break, I’m a nurse. I’m comfortable with death, and I absolutely believe in these lyrics. Dyin’ ain’t so bad/ not if you both go together/ only when one’s left behind does it get sad/ but a short and lovin’ life/ that ain’t so bad. And Laura Osnes is one of my favorites!
3.) “Fly, Fly, Away” from Catch Me If You Can
All I can say is that this song causes my brain to release massive numbers of endorphins. Maybe it’s Kerry Butler’s insane belting at the end. I also like to listen to this song on repeat when I fly in an airplane. It just feels appropriate.
4.) Evita (Broadway revival, 2012)
Andrew Lloyd Webber may be a jerk (according to Ms. Patti LuPone), but he is a genius. In my opinion, this is his best score (yes- better than Phantom of the Opera). I love almost every song on this cast recording, and because there is no dialogue in the show, the listener can hear the story from start to finish without any major gaps. And while Elena Roger may not be the strongest singer, I really like her accent and phrasing as Eva Peron.
5.) “Air” from Hair
This song is the most frequently played song in my iTunes library, probably because it’s only a minute and a half long. I’m not suggesting that pollution shouldn’t be taken seriously, but this song is just so much fun. I love clever, quirky lyrics. Vapor and fume at the stone of my tomb/ breathing like a sullen perfume/ eating at the stone of my tomb/ I’m looking rather attractive/ now that I’m radioactive. I'm not making this stuff up.
6.) “Defying Gravity” from Wicked
Wow, this is a really obscure choice. But allow me to clarify. I don’t like the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Wicked. I wore it out when I was in grad school and now I rarely listen to it. Kristin and Idina’s rendition of “Defying Gravity” is so firmly ingrained in my memory that I really don’t ever need to hear that version again.
Instead, I listen to bootlegs on YouTube. This is my go-to exercise song. I can’t explain it, but I burn more calories when I exercise to this song. My arteries thank you, Stephen Schwartz.
7.) Ghost
Another guilty pleasure. I actually think this cast album and the show in general were underrated. Or maybe I just like songs about death? I love cast albums that I can listen to from start to finish without skipping the less appealing tracks, and this is one of those albums for me. It's solid.
8.) “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” from My Fair Lady
I have never seen My Fair Lady, but I love Julie Andrews and I think this song is so much fun. 9.) Grease, specifically "Freddy, My Love" and "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" Grease is fun. It was the musical that got me interested in theatre when I was 14 years old. Is it terribly profound? Not at all. I wore out the 1995 Broadway cast recording when I was in middle school. (Megan Mullally was Marty and Billy Porter was the Teen Angel). In high school, I even wrote my own satirized version of "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" about my soccer coach, who was a miserable human being. I still remember some of the lyrics…. "Look at me, I'm Miss Leary, (FYI name has been changed) lousy with malignity. Won't beat O-R till I go to the bar, I can't, I'm Miss Leary. Watch it, hey- I'm Mia Hamm. Move or I'll give you a slam." (That's all I remember) And that's why I'm not a songwriter. I've also matured quite a bit since I was 14.
Name: Heather Occupation: nursing student Favorite shows: Hair, Rent, Next to Normal, In the Heights, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Book of Mormon, Wicked, Promises Promises, Rock of Ages, Memphis (in exactly that order)
1.) Ok, Rent is my quintessential show. It's the first show that I "branched out" on, meaning it was the first one I ventured away from the "classics" for. I listened to RENT exclusively for a year and a half when I first got the cast recording. Today, the songs are just as fresh as they were 16 years ago. The music has something for everyone, and it can pick me up from any mood. I have a song for every occasion, I can quote it at any time, and the slightest thing can trigger a memory or a song.
2.) Wicked...so many songs are applicable to my life now..."For Good" is how I feel about people I meet, or people I'm no longer friends with as every encounter is a learning experience. "Defying Gravity" makes me feel empowered and strong. "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" is how I feel when I do things for people that goes unappreciated. "I'm Not That Girl" seems to relate to every guy who sparks my interest. I feel Wicked is very "now," extremely applicable to not only me but everyone. I think almost everyone has felt these emotions. Wicked can be pulled out for any occasion. I get stuck on Wicked when I need a confidence booster, or when I'm sad, or feeling under-appreciated.
3.) Next to Normal I love. And what's NOT to love?? Such a heavy topic broached with rock music and explained in such a way that you can feel all the emotions a person going through a manic depressive episode could go through. "You Don't Know" helps me with frustration, "Light" let's you know it will all be okay, "Didn’t I See This Movie?" reveals how people react when something traumatic could be happening, "Everything Else" I use when I dream of escaping reality, "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" I play when I feel my brother has been the only one of us that matters to my mom, "I'm Alive" is a song I use when I need a jump start in the morning, it wakes me up and gets me going. "Why Stay/A Promise" reminds me of the kind of man I deserve, and "Maybe" reminds me that “I don't need a life that's normal... but something next to normal would be okay.” I can't get enough of this album.
4.) In The Heights...first, anything by the marvelous Lin Manuel Miranda is automatically deemed fantastic by me!! I love his rhymes, they are clever and flow well. His beats are catchy too! I listen to “Breathe” when I need to calm down when I'm overwhelmed, "96000" when I need to dream. "Paciencia y Fe-” what a powerful song of overcoming odds and dealing with situations while always maintaining patience and faith. I use this when I feel I need guidance. "Sunrise" is such a tender song, good for newly being in love. "Alabanza" and "Everything I Know" are interchangeable to me. When I'm extremely sad I play these. "Everything I Know" is special to me, as I rewrote the lyrics to fit my family in September of 2008 when my grandfather passed. I was lucky enough to be able to tell Mr. Miranda how his song touched my life, which was so important for me to do. This show and its songs touch your heart strings in so many ways.
5.) Shrek. Such an odd choice one may think. Yes, it has fun songs-I get stuck on "The Ballad of Farquaad" because I love love love the references to fairy tales- same with "I Know It's Today." "Make A Move" is one I love to play for a potential boyfriend interest to hopefully get something to sink in. Same with "When Words Fail," as I tend to communicate heavily through music more than anything. "Build A Wall" is essentially me. I love to keep myself "safe" by hiding behind emotions."Freak Flag" is the ultimate ‘accept everyone for who they are’ song. And "This Is Our Story" basically shows acceptance of yourself. Surprisingly great songs for a musical that is for kids, and fun!
6.) Billy Elliot. For those who know me, they may be surprised to see this on the list, as I refused to see it for the longest time. Then it closed and went on tour. Much to my dismay, I started seeing Billy Elliot tour ads on my TV. The music became catchy and I bought the cast album. I should have known that Sir Elton John wouldn't let me down! "The electricity sparks inside of me..." And that's what this show was. Electric. I finally got to see it live on tour, and I was blown away, but sad I hadn't seen it before. Anyway, I'm constantly listening to the whole album! "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher" just cracks me up every time I hear it. "Solidarity" is simply amazing. I love how they band together for their beliefs and cause. "Angry Dance" is great to feel emotion and great for when you don't quite know how to express yourself. Speaking of "Expressing Yourself," that song has to be my absolute favorite. Another empowering song, it tells you to be who you are, and not be afraid to show it. "Deep Into The Ground" is so soulful to me, like a wistful memory. It is surprising that I like it, as I'm not a ballad person, but this a beautiful piece. I've learned a lot about myself from Billy Elliot.
7.) Godspell. Another one that may surprise people who know me, as I'm not exceedingly religious. But one of my favorite songs comes from Godspell- "By My Side." Another ballad. Beautiful. It really makes me think. The song is about Jesus being by your side, but it can also relate to people you know in real life. Who really is "by my side?" "Turn Back O Man"- a sassy piece with innuendo that I could see myself performing. "On The Willows" is beautifully haunting. It gets stuck in my head constantly. "All For The Best" I saw as a wonderful tongue twister challenge that I mastered. Most Godspell songs are feel-good, and make me feel good!
8.) Murder Ballad. It's funny that a show I never actually saw made the list. But I love the music! "I Love NY" is a great rock song that makes me happy because I Love NY. "Troubled Mind/Promises" describes how I feel about trusting in relationships. "Coffees On" is always stuck in my head. The music is catchy, and for about 4 months was all I would listen to. I like how the music is mostly softer, as it helps to de-stress.
9.) Bring It On. Another great one by Lin Manuel Miranda. I get hooked on "I Got You," which emphasizes the importance of valuing your friendships over material things. Always a good life lesson to keep remembering. "It's All Happening" is about putting your dream or goal together to achieve it, a great philosophy which reminds me of how you much effort you need to get things in life. "It Ain't No Thing" reminds me to "love who you are and the world will adore you, and the couple that don't- well they can ignore you." Definitely helps boost my self esteem. A great feel-good musical.
10.) Hair. My #1. What can I say? It mellows me out and calms me down-without the use of drugs. The music is almost ethereal, ahead of it's time in my opinion. It's beautiful yet strong and peaceful and the whole cast album speaks to me. Hair is an unwind soundtrack for me.
Happy Holidays to all of my followers! It's been a while since I've blogged, but I'm back- just in time for the holidays! Shopping for the die-hard Broadway fan is about to get a whole lot easier. Just keep reading below as I suggest lots of unique gift ideas that theatre fans will be sure to love! If you would like to read my (longer list of) suggestions from last year (2012), click here.
1.) The Wicked 10th Anniversary World Souvenir Program
For the die-hard Wicked fan, there is never enough Wicked memorabilia to be collected. Here is a brand new souvenir program in celebration of the hit musical's 10th anniversary. Congratulotions, Wicked! Click here to check it out!
2.) The Sound of Music Live
Despite the recent Internet controversy resulting from NBC's airing of The Sound of Music with Carrie Underwood as Maria, any true theatre fan will appreciate the value of a major television network devoting a three-hour time slot to live theatre. The cast recording or DVD of the live event would make a lovely holiday gift for many Sound of Music fans.
3.) Staged by Ruby Preston Last year, I recommended Ruby Preston's Broadway mystery novel, Showbiz. Staged is the highly anticipated sequel to Showbiz, which continues the story of Scarlett Savoy. Wouldn't you like to know what happens next?
4.) Broadway Tails by Bill Berloni Animals are some of Broadway's most beloved "actors." Recent Broadway revivals of "Annie" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" have boasted the talents of cats and dogs. Broadway Tails is the story of Bill Berloni, Broadway's go-to animal trainer. This book is a great read for any Broadway fan or animal lover. 5.) Carols for a Cure Shop for a great cause! Carols for Cure is a compilation of holiday tunes sung by the casts of your favorite Broadway musicals to support BC/EFA. I look forward to this CD every year-- therefore, it will always have a place on my list of holiday gift recommendations! 6.) Movie tickets to Saving Mr. Banks Mary Poppins may have ended its Broadway run, but the practically perfect nanny lives on in this new movie about the making of the beloved movie (starring Broadway's Tom Hanks). Check out the movie's trailer below.
7.) Felicia Ricci's Belt Your Face Off
This former Elphaba Standby and author of the hilarious book, Unnaturally Green, has created her own online belting course (click here for a description). Since many theatre fans are also aspiring singers, what better gift than the gift of music? If you are unconvinced, check out Broadway Spotted's review of the Felicia's course.
8.) Tickets to see the U.S. Tour of The Phantom of the Opera
I saw the newly staged version of this long-running hit musical a few weeks ago at the Providence Performing Arts Center (blog to come soon…). Seeing the show for the third time reminded me of how truly awesome it is. The familiar musical phrases, the massive orchestra, the eerie chandelier dangling from the ceiling, the special effects. This is the musical production that I am recommending this holiday season!
9.) Sheet music!
For the musically-inclined theatre lover, sheet music makes a great gift! This year, I'm recommending the sheet music from Kinky Boots, which won Cyndi Lauper her first Tony Award for Best Score.
SYNOPSIS: Siblings Vanya and Sonia have sacrificed their own happiness to care for their elderly parents at the family’s farmhouse in Pennsylvania, while their self-absorbed sister, Masha, has enjoyed success traveling the world as an actress. One morning, their soothsaying housekeeper, Cassandra, warns Vanya and Sonia of an impending terrible event, and before long, Masha has returned home with her 29 year old boy toy named Spike. Hilarity ensues at this “family reunion”.
COMMENTS: Since I saw Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the play has won the Tony Award for Best Play, and I couldn’t be happier! This show had me laughing out loud for the majority of the evening- in fact, I haven’t laughed this hard at a show in a long time. This is attributable to Christopher Durang’s clever writing and the stellar acting of all six actors.
Kristine Nielsen as Sonia stole the show with a performance that was hilarious, neurotic, and heartbreaking. She was the definition of perfection, and I so wanted her to win the Tony Award. She brought so many different layers to this character and had the audience rooting for her (despite her neuroses). Her Maggie Smith impression was spot-on and her chemistry with David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver was perfect. Her performance alone makes this play worth seeing.
This was my first time seeing David Hyde Pierce on stage and he did not disappoint as Vanya, the dry and quietly sarcastic brother of Sonia and Masha. Often acting as the mediator between his two sisters and as a “voice of reason”, DHP garnered many laughs with his facial expressions alone. And no one wears a Dwarf costume better than him! His passionate and cathartic monologue was hilarious... and true!
Sigourney Weaver was impeccable as Masha, the glamorous, self-absorbed movie star. She played a selfish and insecure actress very well. Her scenes with Billy Magnussen, who played her boy toy Spike, were hilarious. Billy Magnussen was also well-cast as Spike and he had the abs to prove it. Liesel Allen Yeager (love her name) was great as aspiring actress, Nina. Shalita Grant gave the second most hilarious performance (after Kristine Nielsen) as Cassandra, the soothsaying housekeeper. Her presence on stage always guaranteed many laughs. She was completely over the top and I loved it.
I was also impressed by the detail of the sets. From the audience, I actually felt like I was looking at a real farmhouse, complete with grass, trees, a screened-in porch, wicker furniture, a ceiling fan, and stairs leading to the second floor. Pictures of a younger Masha adorned the walls and old board games like Monopoly and Scrabble were hidden under the table. I was actually glad that I arrived at the theatre early, just so I could take in the amazing set before the show started.
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is the best play I have seen in a long time and I HIGHLY recommend that you check it out at the Golden Theatre on Broadway! And good news- it has been extended through August 25, 2013!
SYNOPSIS: The most recent Tony Award winner for Best New Musical is currently playing to sold out audiences at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Based on the 2005 movie, Kinky Boots follows a young man named Charlie, who moves away from his father’s Northampton shoe factory to the bustling city of London in order to pursue a career in marketing with his fiance, Nicola. When his father dies unexpectedly, Charlie is forced to return to his home and he must decide what to do with his father’s failing shoe factory. Enter Lola, a sassy but classy drag queen, who inspires Charlie to start a new and innovative line of men’s footwear for drag queens, AKA kinky boots, and together, they work to save his father’s factory and the jobs of its workers.
COMMENTS: I love it when a new show comes to Broadway and initially, there’s not much buzz about it. Then (seemingly overnight), the rush lines are a block long, performances are sold out, there are no ticket discounts, and the show becomes the Broadway musical to see.
This seems to be the case for Kinky Boots, a new musical directed by Jerry Mitchell, with a book by Harvey Fierstein, and music by Cyndi Lauper. Big names in the world of theatre. One might expect some hype, but instead, all the hype surrounded the Olivier award winning musical, Matilda. For months and months, all I heard about was Matilda, who was sure to win the Tony Award for Best New Musical. What’s a kinky boot?
Luckily, the world soon found out what a kinky boot is. Now the winner of six Tony Awards (with 13 nominations) including Best New Musical, this production is doing quite well over at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and I suspect it will be running for a long time.
I think the success of Kinky Boots is largely attributed to the fact that most everyone loves a story about equality and acceptance and can appreciate its heartwarming message. The story is injected with humor and great musical numbers so that it avoids becoming too predictable or bland. Speaking of the music, the score (composed by Tony winner Cyndi Lauper- the first female to win Best Score solo) is very strong. I have since purchased the cast recording, and it’s one of those CDs that I can listen to without skipping any songs.
After being away from Broadway for many years, Billy Porter has finally found his perfect role. As drag queen Lola, Billy Porter is wise, vulnerable, sassy, and fierce. He truly steals the show. I think the group of actors who were Tony nominated for Best Lead Actor in a musical gave some of the strongest performances of the season and I myself was having difficulty deciding who to root for. When all is said and done, Billy deserved to win.
Not that fellow nominee Stark Sands wasn’t great in his role as Charlie. Billy Porter may have stolen the show, but Stark Sands was the glue that held the show together. He had great chemistry with the other actors on stage, especially Lauren, played by Tony award nominee Annaleigh Ashford. Annaleigh, as usual, nailed the comedic timing. She is truly one of Broadway’s “funny ladies”. I also loved the factory workers, who gave the impression of being one great big family on stage.
I highly recommend Kinky Boots on Broadway. There’s something for everyone in this new musical. Check it out at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre!
1.) BEST SPEECH- Billy Porter has waited so long for his perfect stage role, and watching him accept his first Tony Award was just the icing on the cake. Remember Stark, he’s keeping that Tony at his house.
2.) BEST PRESENTER(S)- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (with Jane Krakowski) burst out with “Girl, you’re gonna have fun tonight” when he presented Cyndi Lauper with the Tony Award for Best Score. Very clever, JTF. And the audience went wild.
3.) BEST DRESSED- Annaleigh Ashford
4.) BEST PERFORMANCE- The Opening Number was by far the best performance of the evening with lots of laugh-out-loud-inducing lyrics. For example.
“You could bounce a quarter off the ass of Billy Porter”.
“Hats off to Berry Gordy, he runs Motown like a boss. He dominates Top 40 and he banged Diana Ross”.
And to the Broadway kids, NPH sings, “Is there a Tony daycare where all of you go?... Do your parents set aside your Broadway dough”?
“Can I have my Tom Hooper Les Mis close-up please? You see, on Broadway, we don’t need extreme close-ups to prove we’re singing live”.
“If you win, have the time of your life, tell your manager, dad and your mom, thanks. Hi to your kids and your husband or wife, maybe just for the hell of it, Tom Hanks”.
“Kathie Lee’s a Broadway lyricist so anything can happen”.
In addition to the clever lyrics, Neil Patrick Harris was just phenomenal when you think about the limited rehearsal time. He didn’t stumble on a single word and he was full of energy. I see an Emmy win in NPH’s future! Bravo!
5. “OTHER” BEST MOMENTS-
Shout-outs to Cinderella for those seamless costume “transformations”. They were just as magical on TV as they were in person! More shout-outs to Matilda for including all of their principal actors and all four Matildas in their Tony performance. And finally, one last shout-out to Jane Lynch, who can actually sing pretty well. She is definitely scaring those “Little Girls” over at the Palace Theatre!
Happy Tony Weekend, everyone! I've listed some examples of Broadway trivia questions below. Feel free to use them at your own Tony Awards Parties! For more tips on how to throw a Tony Awards Party, check out my blog entry from last year by clicking here. TONY TRIVIA
1.) What actress has played Wicked’s Elphaba in three languages?
Willemijn Verkaik
2.) True or False. The current production of Annie is Jane Lynch’s Broadway debut.
True.
3.) Motown the musical is the story of what man?
Berry Gordy
4.) What is the name of the circus choreographer who choreographed the new revival of Pippin?
Gypsy Snider
5.) What short-lived musical was based on a documentary? (this season)
Hands on a Hardbody
6.) Which nominee for Best New Musical won an Olivier Award this past season?
Matilda
7.) This musical’s 25th anniversary celebration was in January.
Phantom of the Opera
8.) Which long running Broadway musical will be changing theatres at the end of the year?
Mamma Mia
9.) The actor who played the Teen Angel in the 1994 Broadway revival of Grease is now a Tony nominee for which new musical?
Kinky Boots (Billy Porter)
10.) What Bring It On actress is now playing Sherry in Rock of Ages?
Kate Rockwell
11.) What famous talk show host was tied to the musical Scandalous? Kathie Lee Gifford
12.) Who played Drood in the original Broadway production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood?
Betty Buckley
13.) In this show’s playbill, there is an ad that says, “you’ve seen the play, now read the book”.
Book of Mormon
14.) Is Cinderella considered a new musical or a revival?
Revival
15.) What shows on Broadway right now have been influenced by choreographer Bob Fosse?
I’m not going to lie to you. I’m probably the least qualified person to take on the task of reviewing Motown the Musical. I was born decades after the Motown era. While some of these classic songs are familiar to me (thanks to a childhood filled with my father’s “oldies” records), they were never really ingrained in my musical taste. Speaking of my father, it was because of him that I ended up in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre last weekend. I invited him to accompany me on a NYC day trip and I told him I would get tickets to any new Broadway show- his choice. He picked Motown.
So although I may not be the most qualified reviewer, I would like to say a few words in support of the show simply because it far exceeded my expectations. Despite the fact that I knew nothing about Motown and only recognized about 25 percent of the music, I really did enjoy the performance.
Synopsis: Motown the Musical chronicles the career of Mr. Berry Gordy, founder of the Motown record label. Motown boasted the talents of Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder. The musical essentially portrays three main events in the career of Berry Gordy between 1938 and 1983: his founding of the record label including his family’s financial support; his relationship with Diana Ross; and the loss of many key artists to larger record labels and his ultimate decision to sell the company.
Comments: For me, Motown was actually reminiscent of Million Dollar Quartet in that both musicals represented the struggle of smaller record labels to compete with larger companies. Many great artists got their big breaks from smaller record labels, only to later leave the label for the offer of more money from a larger company. From a financial perspective, the smaller labels simply could not compete with the larger labels. However, both Million Dollar Quartet and Motown portray the indelible role of these labels in history. In particular, Motown recognizes the record label’s role in civil rights.
As book writer and producer, Berry Gordy integrates sixty songs into his life story pretty seamlessly. As I mentioned earlier, the plot is quite simple and mainly covers the start of Motown, Gordy’s relationship with Diana Ross, and his decision to sell Motown after many artists move on to larger record labels. Though simple and straightforward, the book is injected with familiar, humorous inferences.
The music was, of course, the big audience pleaser. If you see Motown, expect the audience to be singing along with these popular covers. Expect to feel like you’re at a Diana Ross concert. And if you’re sitting in the front row, expect to get onstage and sing with Diana Ross (aka Tony nominated Valisia LeKae). Motown is not your typical Broadway musical.
There are many things to enjoy at Motown the Musical. The spot-on acting/impersonation, the familiar music, the choreography. I think I appreciated the historical significance of Motown most of all and I’m glad that Berry Gordy has the chance to share his story with Broadway audiences.
Broadway April 20, 2013 Matinee Synopsis: Matilda Wormwood is an exceptional little girl who is born into un-exceptional circumstances. Her mother is vain, shallow, and loud. Her father is a dishonest, book-loathing car salesman, who can’t seem to remember that Matilda is, indeed, a girl. Her brother is dull and dim-witted. Matilda finds an escape in books and story-telling, and she eagerly embraces the start of school. However, school brings new challenges, most notably, the evil, child-hating headmistress- Miss Trunchbull. Matilda unleashes secret powers in order to help her fellow classmates, her new teacher, Miss Honey, and herself. Winner of seven Olivier awards, Matilda was recently nominated for twelve Tony Awards.
Comments: Based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl, the most remarkable thing about Matilda is that it is appropriate and enjoyable for people of all ages. Part of this is due to Dahl’s ability to portray the darker side of childhood, and this is not lost in the transition from book/movie to musical thanks to book writer Dennis Kelly.
The title role is shared by four young actresses. It should be noted that the four Matildas are not eligible for a Tony Award, but instead, are sharing a special Tony Honor at this year’s Tony Awards. My Saturday matinee Matilda was the very spunky and adorable Miss Sophia Gennusa, who rapidly won the hearts of the audience members. I particularly loved her performance of “Naughty”, which I thought was written, choreographed, and performed cleverly. Sophia’s Matilda was quietly intense, mysteriously imaginative, and wise beyond her years.
I can’t talk about Matilda without discussing the stand-out performance of Tony nominee Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull. If I had to describe his performance in one word, it would be: scary. I am not a child and I was scared of him, or at least scared of the possibility of his character breaking the fourth wall! First of all, the costume designers and make-up artists must be credited with making Miss Trunchbull look truly hideous. The rotting teeth and facial warts complete with a single protruding hair were particularly effective. I also loved the hairy legs- a nice touch. With a chilling smirk, an insidious glance, a determined narrowing of the eyes, and an intimidating command of the stage, Bertie Carvel has created a truly creepy character. Bravo.
Tony nominee Gabriel Ebert and Lesli Margherita were a great comic duo as Matilda’s parents. Though the characters were ignorant and self absorbed, I thoroughly enjoyed their time on the stage because they were just hilarious. Tony nominee Lauren Ward was perfectly sweet and well-mannered as Miss Honey, Matilda’s teacher and advocate.
Choreography by Peter Darling was fabulous- it made me want to go home and jump on a swing-set! The energetic ensemble of young performers, who played Matilda’s classmates, was fantastic. I also loved the library-themed sets.
Music by Tim Minchin included several memorable songs, specifically “Revolting Children” and “Naughty”, but many songs seemed to support the choreography rather than provide a memorable melody to the ear. Not that I’m complaining, because as I mentioned earlier, the choreography was a major highlight in this show.
Check out Matilda at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway!
