(Production photo courtesy of Summer Theatre of New Canaan)

by Tim Leininger

NEW CANAAN — Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda is one of the better child-led musicals, up there with Annie in its adventurous story and catchy songs. The Summer Theatre of New Canaan’s production captures much of that delight, with an invested cast and an intricately designed production. Directed by Allegra Libonati and choreographed by Eric Stretch, it is running through July 26 at New Canaan High School at 11 Farm Road.

            A properly rambunctious show, Matilda is about, well…Matilda Wormwood (Charlotte Surak), a highly intelligent young girl who lives with a duplicitous car salesman father, Mr. Wormwood (Christopher Hudson Myers), an adulterating mother, Mrs. Wormwood (Rachel MacIsaac Myers), and an idiot brother, Michael Wormwood (Cooper Sadler). Unsure of how to handle such an intelligent child, they send her to Crunchem Hall Primary School where she is oppressed under the thumb of the malevolent Miss Agatha Trunchbull (Meghan Louise Taylor). She finds solace in her fellow classmates and guidance from her teacher Miss Honey (Mary McNulty), who becomes a surrogate to her.

(Production photo courtesy of Summer Theatre of New Canaan)

            Matilda also visits local library where she gets to know the librarian Mrs. Phelps (Keisha T. Fraser), where she starts telling the tragic loves story of an Escapologist (Miguel-Andres Garcia) and an Acrobat (Hannah Risner). A story that has deeper meaning to the people in Matilda’s life than she knows in the moment.

            Based off a children’s book, it’s a fairly simple story. Matilda and her classmates get in and out of trouble with Miss Trunchbull as they slowly empower each other to stand up against oppression. There’s a bit of supernatural deus ex machina at the end, that doesn’t quite land. This element of the plot could have been better foreshadowed. But aside from that, the musical is a delight. There’s a bit of glee that goes through me every time I hear the songs “Naughty” and “Revolting Children,” relishing the fantasy of being a child who gets a bit of pleasure in defying the adults in their life, and the song “Bruce,” in all its abusiveness, inspires resistance against bullying.

(Production photo courtesy of Summer Theatre of New Canaan)

            It’s the theme of standing up against bullies that locks the musical in for me. Matilda is surrounded by them, but she finds allies that help her resist against the evils, usually authoritarians, around them. Allegra Libonati captures this with glee as she leads an overall fantastic cast, invested in the necessary broad performances for such a comic musical. Christopher Hudson Myers and Meghan Louise Taylor in particular nail the grand, over-the-top performances necessary to create that absolute sense of right and wrong, while also keeping it fun, never making it too serious. When Trunchbull takes a student by her pigtails and flings her over the walls of the school grounds, it’s initially shocking, but the result is hilarious. It’s moments like this that make the broad strokes of comedy work for Matilda.

            The children are also thoroughly invested in their roles. Valentina Miller as the mischievous Lavender and Ever Brave Savage as Nigel are particularly excellent in playing their roles big without making it a distraction. Surak’s Matilda is good, but a bit more reserved than other Matildas I’ve seen. I would have liked her to bring a little more energy to the role.

(Production photo courtesy of Summer Theatre of New Canaan)

            The one big problem with the production is the English dialect. It is all over the place and difficult to understand, especially from the children, who have trouble doing the accent and maintaining the proper hits on consonants so that the words are clearly enunciated.

            The technical direction by James Hart is great. The set design, coupled with Kevin Gleason’s lighting design feels immersive, layered, and textured. Lauren Nicole Sherwood’s costumes are also delightfully rich with eccentric colors for characters like Matilda’s family and Miss Trunchbull, while properly muted with the school uniforms. Miguel-Andres Garcia’s aerial choreography is beautiful, and he and Hannah Risner’s performances in the storytelling sequences are lush with emotion and passion.

(Production photo courtesy of Summer Theatre of New Canaan)

            Summer Theatre of New Canaan has put together an excellent production of Matilda. It’ll be difficult to get around the dialect and if you’re bringing children, you may have to explain what’s going on for them, but the visual storytelling in the performances is broad and hilarious.

TICKETS: https://stonc.org/

PRODUCTION

Book by Dennis Kelly; Music & Lyrics by Tim Minchin; Directed by Allegra Libonati; Choreographer: Eric Stretch; Lighting Design/Co-Technical Director: Kevin Gleason; Technical Director: James Hart; Music Director: Robert Head; Sound Design: Daniel Bria; Costume Design: Lauren Nicole Sherwood; Orchestration & Additional Music by Chris Nightingale; Aerial Act Designer: Miguel-Andres Garcia; Casting: Wojcik Casting; Projection Design: Ryan Shreve; Props Master: Fiona Stevens; Production Stage Manager: Alan J. Stogin; Performance Conductor: Henry Tate; Company Manager: Brad Harder; Associate Director: Gabi Simmons; Social Media/PR: Ella Raymont

CAST

Charlotte Surak as Matilda Wormwood

Meghan Louise Taylor as Miss Agatha Trunchbull

Mary McNulty as Miss Honey

Christopher Hudson Myers as Mr. Wormwood

Rachel MacIsaac Myers as Mrs. Wormwood

Cooper Sadler as Michael Wormwood

Keisha T. Fraser as Mrs. Phelps

Jack Ranieri as Bruce

Valentina Miller as Lavender

Miguel-Andres Garcia as Escapologist

Hannah Risner as Acrobat

Victoria Vartosu as Amanda

Ever Brave Savage as Nigel

Camilo Velasquez Escamilla as Eric/Tommy

Delphine Day as Alice

Nora Grace Blair as Hortensia

Onstage Swing (Matilda/Nighel/Eric/Alice): Brielle Shupin

Onstage Swing (Lavender/Amanda/Hortensia/Tommy) Coralie Myers

Everly Alters as Playground Child

Parents: Cristyn Dang, Anthony Cataldo, Olivia Pryor, Keara Sweeney, Nathan Iles, Riley Schauer, Madeline Benoit

Christian Libonati as Children’s Entertainer, Cook, Juggler

Andre’Pernell Williams as Doctor

Big Kids: Cooper Sadler, Noah Roderiques, Olivia Pryor, Christian Libonati, Cristyn Dang, Nathan Iles, Riley Schauer, Andre’Pernell Williams, Keara Sweeney, Madeline Benoit

Noah Roderiques as Rudolpho

Loud Dancers: Keara Sweeney, Madeline Benoit, Andre’Pernell Williams, Cristyn Dang, Nathan Iles, Riley Schauer

Judges: Anthony Cataldo, Olivia Pryor, Christian Libonati

Anthony Cataldo as Sergei/Voice of Escapologist

Henchmen: Christian Libonati, Nathan Iles, Andre’Pernell Williams, Olivia Pryor, Madeline Benoit

Nick Mohamad as Mechanic

Olivia Pryor as Voice of Acrobat