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Regional Reviews: Los Angeles
There have been other changes made, too—an American word takes the place of an English word here and there; and a few words have been taken out of a lyric to make it sound easier on the ear. All of the changes seem to be geared toward addressing one of the biggest complaints about Matilda on Broadway: its lack of understandability. But none of the changes address the real causes of the problem; and, at their worst—like the loss of escapologist—they make the show a little less magical. What makes understanding Matilda difficult is, first and foremost, Matilda. The role is rotated between three young girls, and, on opening night, the Matilda in question, Mia Sinclair Jenness, often swallowed the last sound of each line, and had an English accent that frequently veered into Scottish. But the blame is surely not all hers; Matthew Warchus has directed members of his young ensemble (not Matilda) to squeal lines rather than sing them, and sound designer Simon Baker has thrown in the use of echo to make parts of Matilda's storytelling distant or powerful, when we really just need them to be comprehensible. Matilda is everything a family musical should be—playful and touching, but also smart and entertaining for adults—but it suffers from a production that doesn't work hard enough to make its words heard. Which is not to say you should skip it, just that you shouldn't go in unprepared. This is definitely one of those shows you appreciate more if you already have some familiarity with the score. Luckily, Tim Minchin's score stands up to multiple listens; his lyrics, in particular, are some of the most clever heard on Broadway in years. This is a children's musical that doesn't make the mistake of talking down to its audience—the lyrics are intelligent, witty, subversive, surprising, thoughtful, wistful, and, at times, downright hilarious. (I loved hearing a woman a couple rows behind me burst out laughing at an unexpected lyric.) Musical theatre needs more lyricists like Minchin; he gives you lines to savor, not just to sing. And, as long as you have a head start on the brilliant score, the production at the Ahmanson delivers where it should. Jenness is a spunky Matilda; she does an effective job in putting across the girl's disappointment at having parents who don't appreciate her, yet, rather than dwell on her unhappy situation, she takes matters into her own hands and tries to change her future. Jenness sings well and has no problem commanding the stage. She has a terrific moment in the second act's "Quiet," in which she holds a pause—and the attention of every eye in the house—for just as long as she wants. Matilda's main antagonist is the evil headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, a traditional British panto man-in-drag villainess. Bryce Ryness, in short skirt and oversized bosom, is perfectly evil as the child-hating disciplinarian who has clearly chosen the wrong line of work. Trunchbull's opposite is Miss Honey, the kind teacher who realizes Matilda's potential and wants to do her best for the girl, even though she's cowed by Miss Trunchbull. Jennifer Blood has a sweet voice, and her characterization is instantly likeable when she tries to get up the nerve to face the headmistress. As Matilda's useless mother Mrs. Wormwood, Cassie Silva is comically self-absorbed—she doesn't hate Matilda; she simply doesn't care about her at all. (Silva does, however, tend to screech a bit more than sing.) Mr. Wormwood is a tad malicious; he's disappointed by Matilda's very existence, and shares that fact with her whenever the opportunity presents itself. Mattfeld's Mr. Wormwood is funny, but he doesn't keep the comedy at full-tilt throughout, which means that sometimes he comes off as just a hateful, emotionally abusive parent. It doesn't always seem right for the show; Miss Trunchbull should be the scariest adult in the piece. But, the payoff comes at the end, when Mattfeld's Mr. Wormwood has a genuine moment with his daughter—a moment that wouldn't come off nearly as well if Wormwood had been a cartoonish villain all along. When all is said and done, though, the star of the show is Minchin's score, with an assist by Warchus's direction of the musical numbers. "School Song," in which the older kids frighten the younger kids with stories of the terrors they will face at Trunchbull's school, starts off foreboding, but, halfway through, its staging reveals it to be something else. "When I Grow Up," in which the kids sing longingly about the imagined joys of adulthood, is matched by a simple yet beautiful staging which simultaneously takes flight and is grounded by Miss Honey's unhappy grown-up reality. Its an absolutely gorgeous moment, which adults in the audience may appreciate just as much as kids do, although for entirely different reasons. That the show simultaneously speaks effectively to both perspectives is exactly why, despite its flaws, Matilda the Musical really should be seen. Matilda the Musical runs at the Ahmanson Theatre through July 12, 2015. For tickets and information, see www.centertheatregroup.org. For more information on the tour, visit us.matildathemusical.com/tour/. Center Theatre Group -- Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director; Stephen D. Rountree, Managing Director; Douglas C. Baker, Producing Director; Gordon Davidson, Founding Artistic Director -- Royal Shakespeare Company and the Dodgers present Roald Dahl's Matilda, the Musical. Book by Dennis Kelly; Music & Lyrics by Tim Minchin. Associate Choreographers Ellen Kane, Kate Dunn; Associate Director Thomas Caruso; Resident Director Ryan Emmons; RSC Commissioning Dramaturg Jeanie O'Hare; Casting Jim Carnahan C.S.A., Nora Brennan C.S.A.; Voice Director Andrew Wade; Associate Music Supervisor David Holcenberg; Musical Director Matthew Smedal; Music Coordinator Howard Joines; Tour Press/Marketing Broadway Booking Office NYC; Production Stage Manager Victoria Navarro; Production Management Aurora Productions; Company Manager R. Doug Rodgers; Executive Producer Denise Wood; Executive Producer Andr Ptaszynski; General Management Dodger Management Group; Sound Design Simon Baker; Lighting Design Hugh Vanstone; Illusion Paul Kieve; Orchestration & Additional Music Chris Nightingale; Set & Costume Design Rob Howell; Choreography Peter Darling; Director Matthew Warchus. Opening Night Cast:
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