#276
Posted: 3/12/13 at 12:50am
Bailey was indeed on tonight.
Let me preface my "review" by saying this; I have been anticipating seeing this show for a very long time. I could not have been more excited or anxious to see it this evening, especially after reading the raves on here. That being said, MATILDA is not a great show. It is a great production of an all around good show. I wish the material matched the production, direction, and performances, but it's hardly a phenomenally-structured or developed piece of musical theater. That isn't to say it's bad, by any means. Because the material is far from bad. It's just not great.
A general overarching problem I had was the way the story was spread out. Not enough happens in the first act; too much happens in the second (the last forty minutes or so are overstuffed). I appreciated that Dennis Kelly took his time in telling this wonderful story (and I loved the inclusion of the escapologist and the acrobat) and it never feels boring or long; it just feels a bit crammed with plot towards the end. That said, the book is good overall. It definitely has some genuinely touching moments and very creatively-written scenes.
The music is generally very good, but Tim Minchin should be kissing Peter Darling's and Matthew Warchus' feet for staging even the most forgettable of songs so brilliantly that they stick. There are some great moments, musically, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a song like "Solidarity" here; one where the music, lyrics, and staging are all so great that it makes you want to scream. The lyrics are the best part of the show, in terms of writing. Smart, witty, and child-like without being child-ish.
The production simply could not be more flawless. The sets, the costumes, the lighting, the orchestrations, the sound design...all of it is just perfection. Every single moment is so perfectly and creatively staged by the miracle-workers that are Darling and Warchus. Darling does a sort of BILLY ELLIOT meets SPRING AWAKENING-lite thing here and it works beautifully. And Warchus is just an absolute wizard when it comes to directing for the stage. This made me forget he was even associated with the horror that was GHOST. He has such a sharp, keen eye for such different, creative, and exciting ways to block a scene. He continues to impress me, even when I think he can't do any better.
The performances are all excellent as well. Not a weak link in the bunch. Lesli Margherita, Lauren Ward, Karen Aldridge, and Jack Broderick stuck out most from the supporting lineup for me. Bertie Carvel is every bit as deliciously twisted, funny, and campy as everyone has said. What a great performance...he can clear a space on his shelf for the Tony now. And best of all, carrying this mammoth production on her tiny shoulders tonight was Bailey Ryon. And she was magnificent. She captured the essence of Matilda so effortlessly, sang like an angel, and managed to steal the audience's heart the second she appeared onstage. If the other three girls are just as good as her (which I'm sure they are), there should be no debate about whether or not they deserve to be Tony frontrunners. And there are just no adequate words to describe this wonderful, wonderful ensemble of children. One minor quibble: the kids can be a bit hard to understand when they sing, as they sometimes swallow their words due to the accents. I have faith this will be ironed out by opening though.
All this said, MATILDA is very much worth seeing. Nit-picking and reservations aside, it's generally well-structured, seamlessly staged in every respect, and performed with such gusto that it intermittently inspires those rare moments that happen every so often a season, when you remember why you love the theater. When the hugely talented child ensemble breaks out in rebellion, or swings over the audience's heads daydreaming about when they grow up, you'll more likely than not recognize your inner child stirring and beaming from ear-to-ear.
SIDE NOTE: I was in the balcony (great view) with a lot of children around me and I have to say they were extraordinarily well-behaved. They all seemed to genuinely enjoy the show and didn't seem too fidgety or bored, which is saying a lot for sitting still for two hours and forty minutes with one short break. It was really nice to see!
Let me preface my "review" by saying this; I have been anticipating seeing this show for a very long time. I could not have been more excited or anxious to see it this evening, especially after reading the raves on here. That being said, MATILDA is not a great show. It is a great production of an all around good show. I wish the material matched the production, direction, and performances, but it's hardly a phenomenally-structured or developed piece of musical theater. That isn't to say it's bad, by any means. Because the material is far from bad. It's just not great.
A general overarching problem I had was the way the story was spread out. Not enough happens in the first act; too much happens in the second (the last forty minutes or so are overstuffed). I appreciated that Dennis Kelly took his time in telling this wonderful story (and I loved the inclusion of the escapologist and the acrobat) and it never feels boring or long; it just feels a bit crammed with plot towards the end. That said, the book is good overall. It definitely has some genuinely touching moments and very creatively-written scenes.
The music is generally very good, but Tim Minchin should be kissing Peter Darling's and Matthew Warchus' feet for staging even the most forgettable of songs so brilliantly that they stick. There are some great moments, musically, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a song like "Solidarity" here; one where the music, lyrics, and staging are all so great that it makes you want to scream. The lyrics are the best part of the show, in terms of writing. Smart, witty, and child-like without being child-ish.
The production simply could not be more flawless. The sets, the costumes, the lighting, the orchestrations, the sound design...all of it is just perfection. Every single moment is so perfectly and creatively staged by the miracle-workers that are Darling and Warchus. Darling does a sort of BILLY ELLIOT meets SPRING AWAKENING-lite thing here and it works beautifully. And Warchus is just an absolute wizard when it comes to directing for the stage. This made me forget he was even associated with the horror that was GHOST. He has such a sharp, keen eye for such different, creative, and exciting ways to block a scene. He continues to impress me, even when I think he can't do any better.
The performances are all excellent as well. Not a weak link in the bunch. Lesli Margherita, Lauren Ward, Karen Aldridge, and Jack Broderick stuck out most from the supporting lineup for me. Bertie Carvel is every bit as deliciously twisted, funny, and campy as everyone has said. What a great performance...he can clear a space on his shelf for the Tony now. And best of all, carrying this mammoth production on her tiny shoulders tonight was Bailey Ryon. And she was magnificent. She captured the essence of Matilda so effortlessly, sang like an angel, and managed to steal the audience's heart the second she appeared onstage. If the other three girls are just as good as her (which I'm sure they are), there should be no debate about whether or not they deserve to be Tony frontrunners. And there are just no adequate words to describe this wonderful, wonderful ensemble of children. One minor quibble: the kids can be a bit hard to understand when they sing, as they sometimes swallow their words due to the accents. I have faith this will be ironed out by opening though.
All this said, MATILDA is very much worth seeing. Nit-picking and reservations aside, it's generally well-structured, seamlessly staged in every respect, and performed with such gusto that it intermittently inspires those rare moments that happen every so often a season, when you remember why you love the theater. When the hugely talented child ensemble breaks out in rebellion, or swings over the audience's heads daydreaming about when they grow up, you'll more likely than not recognize your inner child stirring and beaming from ear-to-ear.
SIDE NOTE: I was in the balcony (great view) with a lot of children around me and I have to say they were extraordinarily well-behaved. They all seemed to genuinely enjoy the show and didn't seem too fidgety or bored, which is saying a lot for sitting still for two hours and forty minutes with one short break. It was really nice to see!
Updated On: 3/12/13 at 12:50 AM
