{"id":109355,"date":"2025-05-14T11:22:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T18:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=109355"},"modified":"2025-06-25T11:27:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T18:27:48","slug":"matilda-the-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/matilda-the-musical\/","title":{"rendered":"Matilda the Musical"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>A Little Girl with Big Ideas and Even Bigger Courage<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Matilda Wormwood is not your typical child.<\/strong> Just 5 years old when the story begins and turning 6 along the way, she\u2019s whip-smart, book-obsessed, and deeply misunderstood by the two people who should love her most\u2014her parents. While her father scams customers and her mother dreams of dance trophies, Matilda finds comfort at the local library, spinning stories for a kind librarian and devouring everything from Dickens to Dostoevsky.<\/span><\/p>\n

But things don\u2019t get easier when she starts school. Crunchem Hall\u2014a joyless institution that sounds exactly like what it is\u2014is more a battleground than a classroom, ruled by Miss Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion turned headmistress who delights in terrorizing children. Her signature punishment? The Chokey\u2014a dark, narrow, spike-lined cabinet where misbehaving students are locked away. Subtle it is not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, Matilda is tougher than she looks. As the chaos builds, she discovers she has a special power (yes, the moving-things-with-her-mind kind), and with the help of her gentle teacher Miss Honey, Matilda finds a way to stand up for herself\u2014and everyone else\u2014before rewriting the ending to her own story.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the plot. Now here\u2019s what Novato Theater Company does with it: they bring the magic to life\u2014and then some.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the surefooted direction and choreography of Marilyn Izdebski, Matilda the Musical<\/em> strikes a beautiful balance between spectacle and storytelling. With Judy Wiesen guiding the music, Tim Minchin\u2019s rapid-fire, emotionally rich score shines\u2014full of wit, rhythm, and unexpected sweetness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Piera Tamer brings the role of Matilda to life with remarkable poise, intelligence, and just the right touch of mischief\u2014anchoring the show with a performance that feels both grounded and luminous. Jane Harrington\u2019s Miss Trunchbull is a towering comic force\u2014she\u2019s the Hunchback of Notre Dame with her hunch on the front, stomping through scenes with a chest full of rage and ridiculousness. It’s a big, bold performance that leans into physical comedy without losing the menace, and Harrington pulls it off with fearless commitment. Anna Vorperian delivers a quietly powerful performance as Miss Honey\u2014the gentle presence who shows Matilda what kindness and courage can look like.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>Photo Credit: Jere Torkelsen<\/span><\/p>\n

Pat Barr and Melody Payne, as Matilda\u2019s cartoonishly awful parents, go gleefully over the top\u2014delivering perfectly timed performances that feel outrageous but never out of step with the story\u2019s tone. They\u2019re not just a source of comedy\u2014they help define what Matilda is fighting against.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And then there are the kids.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A couple dozen young performers light up the stage like a coordinated burst of energy. They sing, dance, and nail tight choreography with the kind of discipline that would be impressive at any age. But beyond the precision, there\u2019s something else happening: joy. Watching these kids perform\u2014fully present, fully committed\u2014is enthralling, entertaining, and yes, inspiring. For a few shining scenes, everything feels right with the world. That\u2019s the kind of theater that sticks with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time \u201cRevolting Children\u201d kicks in, <\/span>the audience is with them\u2014cheering not just for Matilda, but for every underdog who dares to speak up<\/strong>.<\/span> This production isn\u2019t just a good time\u2014it\u2019s a reminder that stories matter, kids matter, and sometimes, the smallest voices carry the most power.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u2766 \u2766 \u2766
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Performances:<\/strong><\/span>
Through June 8, 2025<\/strong><\/span>
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm<\/span>
Sundays at 2 pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Novato Theater Company<\/span>
5420 Nave Drive, Novato, CA<\/span><\/p>\n

Tickets:<\/strong><\/span>
Visit NovatoTheaterCompany.org<\/a><\/span>
or email Tickets@NovatoTheaterCompany.org<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Authorship & Creative Statement<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens\u2120<\/em> method\u2014an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews\u2014they are authored, shaped, and published by me.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 A Little Girl with Big Ideas and Even Bigger Courage Matilda Wormwood is not your typical child. Just 5 years old when the story begins and turning 6 along…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"yes","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[838],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-109355","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-joseph-cillo"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"