Fun 'Matilda' tour succeeds despite clarity issues
So much weighs on the tiny shoulders of the title heroine of "Matilda The Musical." Not only does this supersmart British schoolgirl have to use her wits to thwart bullying adults, but the actual child actresses playing Matilda have the mammoth task of carrying the bulk of this seven-time Olivier Award-winning musical.
A tour of the 2010 Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1988 children's novel is now making a strong debut at Chicago's Oriental Theatre. It's a lot of fun, though not as finely tuned as it could be.
Australian rocker Tim Minchin's rapid-fire song lyrics and the long storytelling tracts in Dennis Kelly's skillfully expanded script would be a mouthful for most adult actors, not to mention kids. For an American company to master this complex material requires constant vigilance. The show's heavy demands are sometimes exposed, especially in the opening night performance of Lily Brooks O'Briant as Matilda (she shares and rotates in the role with Sarah McKinley Austin and Savannah Grace Elmer David). O'Briant exudes a calm determination in the role, but at times it can be tough to understand what she's saying, especially as she approximates a British accent.
Sound and clarity issues (perhaps caused by an amplification issue for sound designer Simon Baker) affect much of the cast, though the many joys and touching moments remain intact.
Director Matthew Warchus and choreographer Peter Darling have thrillingly illustrated many of the Dahl's novel grotesqueries for the stage, particularly in the cartoonish violence perpetrated by the tyrannical school headmistress Miss Trunchbull (David Abeles in a comically menacing drag turn). Kids will delight in Matilda's devious ways of standing up to her verbally belittling parents, who are played with plenty of showbiz panache by Cassie Silva and Quinn Mattfeld.
Adults may be surprised at how genuinely affecting "Matilda" can be. The importance of supportive adults in children's lives is emotionally rendered in the bonds developed between Matilda and her meek teacher Miss Honey (Jennifer Blood) and the encouraging librarian Mrs. Phelps (Ora Jones).
"Matilda" is a visual sight for the eyes, even if Rob Howell's bursting Scrabble-tiled set has been flattened out from its London and Broadway incarnations to make touring easier. Hugh Vansonte's colorful lighting design also offers up a swirling delight.
"Matilda" repeatedly stresses the importance of brains over brawn and how intelligence can be a better weapon against brute aggression. That the musical's small heroine soldiers on with so much resilience despite seemingly insurmountable odds is commendable. But more importantly, it's all packaged with a great sense of theatrical fun.
“Matilda The Musical”
★ ★ ★
Location: Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000,
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (also Sunday, March 27), 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (also Wednesday, March 30 and April 6); through Sunday, April 10
Tickets: $37-$115
Running time: Two hours and 40 minutes with intermission
Parking: Area pay garages and limited metered street parking
Rating: Some cartoonish violence, but largely for general audiences