“Matilda” at Music Mountain is a joy for young and old

“Matilda” is a winner. Love that little girl. If you aren’t familiar with the name, you should be.
“Matilda,” the novel written by Roald Dahl in 1988, was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time and was number 30 among the all-time best children’s books by The School Library Journal.
Everyone knows the musical “Annie,” whose downside has always been how treacly sweet she is and annoyingly plucky. “Matilda” is the antidote. This girl is a little bit wicked and not averse to a bit of revenge on deserving adults doing terrible things. And we the audience, who have faced our own adversities, just want to say: “You go, girl!”
The story line is that Matilda Wormwood, an amazingly gifted 5-year-old with telekinetic powers, is the child of a ballroom crazy mother and a used car salesman, who never wanted a girl and he keeps referring to her as “boy.”
To distract herself from her awful family, she goes to the library and visits with the librarian, Mrs. Phelps. Matilda is an avid reader and likes to create stories herself. Her biggest fan, in fact, is Ms. Phelps who becomes enthralled by Matilda and her creative tales that have her on the edge of her seat.
Matilda is enrolled by her parents in Cruchem Hall Primary School. The principal there is the sadistic Agatha Trunchbull, former athlete who represented Great Britain in the 1972 Summer Olympics in the “hammer throw.” She has been known to throw children around, as if they were a discus.
Luckily for Matilda, she has a loving and caring teacher in Miss Jenny Honey, who sees her as the delightful, gifted child that she is. But she is abused at both home and school. Is there any way out for Matilda? That is the premise and we assume, with her super intelligence that she will win the day. But between her amoral parents and the psychopathic Trunchbull, we are kept in suspense as to just exactly how.
The title character in the production at Music Mountain Theatre in Lambertville, N.J., is played with winning charm, hitting all the right notes both figuratively and literally, by two ladies, who take on Matilda in alternating performances. I saw them both and both are incredible. Kudos to both, in alphabetical order, Giana Griffiths and Lucy Spiegel.

When Matilda was up for a Tony, it won Best Scenic Design of a Musical. A feat that might not have been accomplished if Michael Moeller was in their cast. An amazing performance by Moeller who chews up the scenery and makes Ms. Trunchbull (normally done in drag as done here) into the truly over-the-top horror that she is. The Wicked Witch of the West seems like Mother Theresa in comparison.
Hilariously wonderful, deliciously crafted performances of Matilda’s parents are played to the max by John Fischer and Jaime Geddes. Each is so self-obsessed and frantic, you wonder how a child survives parents like this. The subversive quality of this musical’s book is that we have seen survivors of bad parents and bad teachers. Geddes and Fischer are pitch perfect in making them just enough vile and just enough outrageously funny. Kudos.
Balancing out the bad is the good Miss Honey, played with love, sweetness and grace by Jennifer Fischer. You may remember her and her outstanding performance in “The Last Five Years.” Her decency and serenity in a world gone mad stands out. Her solo songs of “This Little Girl” and “My House” are truly the meaning of the word “beautiful.”
Impressive, in a number of smaller roles, is Caleb Duffy, whose voice is so smooth and lyrical that you trust that this theater will use him again and again. He’s a good actor with amazing vocals.
A special tip of the hat to Gavin Pikril as Bruce, Ryley Bryce as Lavender, Justin Derry as Michael Wormwood and Alex Klein as Rudolpho who steal their scenes. They bring joy to the stage
The ensemble was exceptional on all levels…acting, singing and dancing. Their work shined in “Miracle” and “When I Grow Up.” They blow away the audience with their singing, laughter, dancing and joy.
Go see this show. As I said before, this little girl is a winner.
Performances run to Aug. 15. Tickets are available at musicmountaintheatre.org.

---

Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.