Dahl’s psychokinetic 5-year-old charms all ages
If you happened to be alive in the 1990s, then chances are you’ve either seen or read the inspiring book-turned-movie “Matilda” that tells the story of a special young girl who doesn’t let the misfortune of the world get her down.
The Chattanooga Theatre Centre is bringing “Matilda” to the stage, and there’s something for everyone in this remarkable musical, which opens tomorrow night at 8 p.m.
“Matilda” is a 1988 novel by Roald Dahl that was turned into a 1996 movie before being adapted for the stage in 2010. The plot follows the story of a young girl with psychokinetic powers, an incredible imagination, and a strong-willed sense of determination who has a not-so-great home life with deadbeat parents and an even worse headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, at school.
However, while these things may seem detrimental for anyone, especially a five-year-old girl, Matilda shines a light through the darkness and shows that things don’t always have to be as bad as they seem.
“‘Matilda’ is a really beautiful musical based on Roald Dahl’s book; he’s known for ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘James and the Giant Peach’. He has this fantastic kind of playful, dark, and magical side to him that he incorporates throughout the project. And this is really about people following their intuition,” guest director Katherine Tanner explained.
“It comes from a dark world, but you move beyond that experience to make your life better and to remind people it doesn’t always have to be that difficult, which is great.”
“Matilda” is directed and choreographed by Katherine Michelle Tanner, who directed last season’s “Newsies”, and has a larger cast of 15 children and 11 adults. The music for the CTC’s production is directed by Michael Huseman and features energetic dance numbers and upbeat songs. The cast started rehearsals on August 5, giving them about a seven-week rehearsal schedule.
“It’s such a fun character show. [Tanner] said the other day in rehearsals that if you’re ensemble, don’t be just ensemble; try to draw all the attention to you. It’s so explosive like that, and everyone really comes together,” said Aleah Larson, a member of the female ensemble who also plays a mom, a cloaked figure, and an older student.
Although almost half of the cast for the show is made up of children, Tanner explained that this show definitely isn’t just for younger audiences; there are relatable aspects of the show for every age group in “Matilda”. She also said that if you only see one show this year, this is the one you should see.
“I think both the adults and the teens are enjoying it, coming at it with their challenges. And then the younger kids are learning from all the others. Literally one of the best shows, I feel, for a family experience because every age group will get something out of it,” Tanner said.
“I’ve never really directed a show in this capacity, with so much emotional intelligence that comes at you from all those age levels. It’s usually one or the other.”
Additionally, one of the underlying themes in “Matilda” is the idea of being who you want to be, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks, and Tanner explained that she’s doing her best to instill that theme in the cast for this show.
“This is the one show where we can all come together to be as quirky as we want to be versus fitting a mold. I’ve been telling my cast, ‘Don’t fit this mold, be exactly who you want to be, do it more, and be more vibrant,’” explained Tanner. “With this show, it’s important to stand out and be as developed and rich as you can with your character because it won’t be too much.”
With a larger production like “Matilda”, the CTC is able to rent a moving set to account for much of the on-stage action. Tanner explained that if the cast and crew are lucky, the set arrives about three weeks before the show is slated to open; the set for “Matilda” is right on schedule.
“The set is beautiful. It has moving pieces because we switch locations roughly 10 times; we go from the library to the house to the school to the playground. There’s a teeter-totter, and there’s swings,” explained Tanner. “I think the set reflects the notion of how we expand our minds and our experiences from childhood to young adulthood to adulthood. It’s also very colorful; the set is red and white with checkered floors, and the walls are all books.”
“It’s also really cool how the sides, where the wings are, they’re giant bookcases; it kind of brings you down to the children’s’ levels of how big and crazy this whole thing is,” Larson said.
The Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s production of “Matilda” opens this Friday night at 8 p.m. and is scheduled to run through October 13, with evening shows Thursday–Saturday and Saturday–Sunday matinee shows. Tickets are available online or over the phone with the CTC box office.
If you’ve ever wanted a chance to experience the magical story of this gifted young girl on stage, then you should be sure to catch the Theatre Centre’s production of “Matilda”.