Profile for LesMisRulz

fashionguru_23 said: "Matilda in Toronto was always scheduled for a July- early January run. Although, Mirvish has learned with open ended runs like The Producers, and Hairspray; the best thing to do is always announce an earlier closing date, and then open a new block of tickets as need be. Tour groups are always offering trips to shows in Toronto on dates that are after their current closing date, and sure enough a new block goes on sale.

Matilda in Toronto was not what I was expecting from all the buzz coming out of New York and London, that I did not like it. I was really hoping to. I too waiting months for tickets, not because I couldn't get one (which you could by end of September, really) but because the prices were way above what I wanted to pay. and hoped there would be a deal which I got in late November. Side note: Ms. Honey's accent had no idea where it was suppose to be."

Of course, they hope and plan to extend based on a show’s ability to sell tickets, but they won’t confirm unless it is performing well. This in no way diminishes the success of Matilda in Toronto; instead, it verifies it and likely prodded the RSC to announce an additional US tour schedule, notably waiting until near the end of the Toronto run: https://www.broadwayworld.com/national-tours/article/MATILDA-Announces-2017-North-American-Tour-Dates-20161221. It was not a done deal before Toronto and called for quick adjustments in the schedules of many families with children in the production.

I still enjoyed Paula Brancati as Miss Honey, but I understand your point concerning her accent and believe others playing the role (Jennifer Blood, Jennifer Bowles, Allison Case) have better handled that aspect.

I am sorry you didn’t enjoy the show. To each their own, of course, and I trust you have found others to enjoy. I loved Matilda in Toronto, in Cincinnati, and continue to do so in the West End. Admittedly, I love many shows (average seeing 40-50 per year), but Matilda remains near the top of my all-time favorites.

 

 

MarkBearSF said: "Charley Kringas Inc said: "...It was a weird experience because I knewwhatthey were (meant to be) saying, but the actual sounds that arrived at my ears were jumbled."
Forewarned about this, I grabbed some auditory assistance headphones for the show. It helped immensely."

I sympathize with those who had difficulty understanding the words. I think the above statement again supports that it was more a matter of poor sound design as a potential “flop” rather than the show or a problem with the cast. Having seen the musical nine times so far, including several times in both North America and the West End, the sound was disappointingly hit and miss. As a self-confessed Matilda mega-fan, I love the lyrics and long to hear them clearly.

The fact that many of the same children almost immediately garnered Broadway roles in shows like School of Rock and Frozen (currently, two of the four young Annas and Elsas were Matildas), and have received stellar reviews, further supports this line of thinking. I would find it hard to believe they all suddenly gained excellent enunciation skills. Others are in shows in venues such as Paper Mill Playhouse or have gained screen roles. Simply put, they are talented, and I believe some will be future Broadway stars.

I would take issue with the idea that the Broadway/US tour Matildas couldn’t do a British accent. After the first year on Broadway, they and the cast were directed and trained to do a hybrid accent and include more American language (e.g. use “sweater” instead of “jumper&rdquo to allegedly make it easier on American audiences. In my opinion, this was a mistake that led to additional confusion. 

As previously noted, it is doubtful that the show would have extended its multi-month run twice in Toronto and then headed out for a second US tour if it was struggling financially.

 

 

adamgreer said: "bk said: "adamgreer said: "LesMisRulz said: "Call_me_jorge said: "The cheers tour???

I do remember reading how Matilda was doing poorly on tour."

As qolbinau noted, perhaps you are referring to the sound design issues?

Matilda did not strugglefinanciallyon tour, extending to asecond year, and running from May 2015 thru June 2017.
It doesn’t.
Based on figures publishedbyBroadway League on IBDB, attendance in the second yearconsistently averaged close to 90% andpotential of gross appears to be in the mid-80% range, slightly higher than the first year when it had a multi-month stay at the Mirvish in Toronto.

IBDB linkto Matilda figures"



Are you sure those are figures for Matilda? It looks to be figures for all shows combined. As successful as it may have been, I doubt the Matilda tour was pulling in $39 million a week.

"

Does it even say Matilda on that page??? Of course it's combined grosses. I gotta tell you."

It doesn’t. But if you read his link it specifically says “Matilda figures.” That’s why I was asking. Calm down."

Sorry for the link! Of course, you are correct, those must be combined figures, not just for Matilda, and I will delete the link if I can to avoid confusion. I was on IBDB’s Matilda tour page, but mistakenly clicked on the top menu which is general information.

The extended tour dates of over two years that I referenced are correct (including the long stay in Toronto), and that could indicate a profitable production. However, at present I can only provide personal, anecdotal evidence of its financial success, having seen it five times on the tour with capacity or near-capacity crowds at each performance in Canada and the Midwest. I realize that is only a small fraction of the tour stops and that I lack production costs.

(Edit update: Incorrect link in previous post has been deleted.)

Oops...double post. 

Though I enjoy Disney musicals, Matilda is at another level. I have experienced RSC’s production nine times, from the West End to the Broadway tour. Why would I continue to see a musical centered on the life of a little girl and include it among my top musicals along with Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Sound of Music?

It promotes storytelling and reading, teaching with respect and love for children while listening to them, remaining a child at heart, never bullying or discriminating, pursuing long-term forgiveness over short-term revenge, and finding empowerment by acting on a solution instead of complaining about a problem at any age. Disney is more singular in its approach, and one might argue simpler, perhaps allowing spectacle to fill in the gaps instead of deepening the storyline.

Matilda possesses a darker edge and a greater reward. From the poignant “When I Grow Up” (that works on different levels for children and adults) to the insightful “Quiet” and the energetic “Revolting Children” among others, the music illuminates the characters and propels the plot and theme.

The production is still running in London's West End, is touring the UK, and has run on Broadway, in Australia, has toured the US and Canada, was a hit in the Philippines, and will soon open in Korea, garnering nominations or wins of theater awards wherever it goes. The cast (largely children, including pint-sized Matildas no taller than 4'-3" is comprised of talented triple threats as they sing, act, and dance in near-perfect timing to the brilliant score/lyrics of Tim Minchin. Many of them grow up to move on to other Broadway/West End shows or film and TV.

But don’t confuse the musical with the film. This is not just a musical for children; it's a musical for everyone who needs to remember what it is to be a child...perhaps that's all of us? As Dahl once wrote, "Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are hidden in the most unlikely places."