MATILDA Previews- Page 9
MATILDA Previews
Broadway Star Joined: 5/19/06
MATILDA Previews#200
Posted: 3/7/13 at 3:52pm
From what I've been told the schedule for this week:
Oona: Monday Wednesday night
Sophia: Tuesday Thursday night
Milly and Bailey share Friday and Saturday.
MATILDA Previews#201
Posted: 3/7/13 at 5:06pm
For someone who's only seen the movie and not read the book, who is Rudolpho? Good to hear that there is some great dancing in the show, though.
Phillip Spaeth is out due to injuries.
MATILDA Previews#202
Posted: 3/7/13 at 5:12pm
Rudolpho is Mrs. Wormwood's faux-Italian ballroom-dancing partner.
I hope Spaeth recovers soon! Any idea what his injury is?
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
MATILDA Previews#203
Posted: 3/7/13 at 5:17pm
I think his harness broke and he fell into the pit.
(and yes....I'm kidding.)
Stand-by Joined: 11/10/12
Stand-by Joined: 11/10/12
Stand-by Joined: 11/10/12
Stand-by Joined: 11/10/12
MATILDA Previews#209
Posted: 3/7/13 at 11:30pm
Sorry for the triple post - my iphone apparently sent it 3 times.
The show tonight was fantastic. A great musical executed amazingly by a talented cast and creative team. Sat in the last row of the Right Balcony and could see fine. Show started 10 minutes after 8, and ran until about 10:45. Audience loved the whole thing, and began clapping along with "Revolting Children" from the very start and cheering throughout the entire song. Only minor problems I had were diction, as many of the kids lyrics/lines got lost or jumbled. Nearly a flawless show, and I cannot wait to see it again!
MATILDA Previews#210
Posted: 3/7/13 at 11:43pmDid anyone clapped at the entrance of Matilda? At the Miracle recording, everyone clapped, which I am surprised. I also heard people, gasping at "I'm a good reason for population control."
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
MATILDA Previews#212
Posted: 3/7/13 at 11:47pmAlso, the marquee in London is so much better. Why don't they use that 3-D lettering of Matilda and whatnot. And the image of the child.
Broadway Star Joined: 6/5/05
MATILDA Previews#214
Posted: 3/7/13 at 11:57pmIs Phillip Saeth still out? Any understudies/swings on?
Stand-by Joined: 11/10/12
MATILDA Previews#215
Posted: 3/8/13 at 12:25am
Merchandise: 4 tshirts, a keychain, cast recording, and a magnet is all I remember. Desperately wanted a poster.
People did not clap with matildas entrance, I think that was just due to the first preview excitement. People laughed at everyone of her lines in Miracle...especially "Mum says im a good case of population control"
Also, as for the injury...there is no pit. Ryan Steele was on for Rudolpho though tonight.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
MATILDA Previews#216
Posted: 3/8/13 at 12:55amThat was a (Spiderman) joke; I said so in the post. Oy.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
MATILDA Previews#217
Posted: 3/8/13 at 11:01amWas the population control line on the cast recording? I don't remember that unless I didn't notice it.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/27/04
MATILDA Previews#219
Posted: 3/8/13 at 11:59am
SOPHIA GENNUSA is genius - the show itself: not so much
Caught Matilda last night, was able to get a great pair of tickets in the orchestra row J side not too far off the aisle at a discount a few days before. People were still buying tickets at the box office for the performance an hour before the show when I was picking up my tickets so they are available.
Sophia Gennusa in the title role was a wonder, it was a thrill to watch her single handedly steer what is essentially a low brow cartoon into tender nuanced territory. Icould not keep my eyes off of her. I wanted to take her home.
Matilda cleared one thing up for me, now I really know how the English got that way if this is what every school kid is brought up on. Its a very mean spirited story told through sophomoric comedy where you are yearning to take the actress away from the company more than Matilda away from her crass family. That we cheer the end of the play where an abusive family can just give away their daughter/son to a severely damaged woman is something for Psychology Today to do a story on. But we live in a world where serial killers inhabit our entertainment space so this show and an American audience's enjoyment is depressingly understandable. I would not recommend this show to the Annie/Cinderella sect and I am far from a prude.
But I digress. On the plus side, taking the material out of the equation, this is the most exciting musical staging I have seen in years. The direction,choreography, sets, lighting,costumes, sound are all off the charts. Michael Bennett would be jealous. It is a seamless vision that if it had better material would be perfection.
Unfortunately you have to trudge through a roller coaster of brilliant highs and mind numbing lows to get to the fulcrum of musical comedy ecstasy that takes you from a shed (don't ask) to a brilliant take off of Spring Awakening by a cast of youngsters who are amazing. Then as is the nature of this show you get plopped back to the gutter and the Russian mafia.
I get what they were going for, it just didn't get me. There were pockets of audience members laughing their heads off but it wasn't until the shed scene that the story actually took on some magic that the crowd acted as one.
The score has some great numbers (Naughty, When I Grow Up, Quiet, Revolting Children) but more missed opportunities. Miss Trunchbull's big second act turn could have been so much more effective with a good song under it. I was surprised that Tim Minichin's lyrics weren't as smart as the pieces hes known for in his act and on YouTube.
The staging and performances however cover up the lackluster numbers.
Bertie Carvel is freakin' fantastic as Miss Trunchbul - I'm scar'd a' huh! Freak is a great description of the character he came up with. Too bad its all one note - but it is a fun one note. Lauren Ward is fine as the abused, spineless enabler who in the real world would be serving time with Miss Trunchbull. Again one note, But this is a cartoon.
But back to Sophia Gennusa, I am in awe, she actually revealed the soul of Matilda - the only real person in a magical Alice In Wonderland maze of outrageous adult monsters. She can sing the heck out of the score and every word she spoke or sung was not only understandable but a pull on my heartstrings. It would be a sin if this little actress did not get an award. As far as musicals are concerned so far this year ( not having seen Motown or Pippin)she gave us the performance of the season last night. She and the staging were certainly my saving graces.
MATILDA Previews#220
Posted: 3/8/13 at 12:09pm^ Excuse me, "how the English got that way"? I'm English, what way exactly is it that you've decided I am?
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
MATILDA Previews#221
Posted: 3/8/13 at 12:22pm
Wow, what a way to insult an entire nation. This is CLASSIC children's literature. Do you think the original Grimm's Fairy Tales were PLEASANT? Did you never READ Dahl? James and the Giant Peach? The Twits? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
His stories are all fantastical and almost always involve horrid adults (or situations) for two reasons (maybe more):
So children can becocme empowered
So that children would appreciate what THEY have and see THEIR parents more reasonably.
(Of course, that doesn't mean that you have to like it.)
MATILDA Previews#222
Posted: 3/8/13 at 12:38pmIt sounds like Sophia is getting brilliant reviews. Being the youngest Matilda, that's quite an accomplishment. I'd love to hear some audio of her.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/29/12
MATILDA Previews#223
Posted: 3/8/13 at 1:02pm
Oona got entrance applause on Wednesday night. I was applauding for Ryan Steele as well.
The ending to Matilda was very sweet and definitely empowering for children - I felt very proud that she was finally getting the respect she deserved, and would be with a person who loved her and treated her well. The ending was beautiful.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/27/04
MATILDA Previews#224
Posted: 3/8/13 at 1:05pm
Dramamama Published in 1988 I've always thought a classic needs some time to ripen. I did download the source material last night and the book reads far less coarse than the stage play. Probably because it has Dahls narration to couch it and buffer us. I suppose that would be the duty of the book writer and director to provide that same comfort. They seemed to revel in the thinner and darker side of the material. Which was their prerogative. The composer lyricist was the only one trying to soften things.
Not insulting a nation, just a knowing loving jab, spent many memorable days in the UK.
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