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.
Up In One
