So long matilda

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 4:41pm

What have been some of your favorite memories of Matilda on Broadway? 

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 4:48pm

None for me (seen it just once) but my preteen loves it--it was the gateway drug to her Broadway musical obsession that has had her go to Fun Home, The Great Comet and number of other on and off Broadway musicals. She's seen Matilda a few times, and we'll be there on the 1st for the final performance (and then she'll undoubtably start bugging me for a London trip, so she can see it again on the West End, probably along with that incipid "Finding Neverland". Sigh)

Updated On: 12/27/16 at 04:48 PM

[binau]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 4:50pm

Amazing show. America is by far #1 for musicals but this is a rare example of a British musical pulling it off. 

A children's musical that doesn't make me want to neck myself, with a meaningful message (if you have a problem in your life - fix it. No need to wait for the 'sun to come up' and win the lottery (aka a rich daddy billionaire)). Valuing intellectual curiosity and education - something that is lost on so many youth today (in my country, at least)  

So many great songs (Naughty, Quiet, School Song, When I Grow Up) with clever lyrics - when they can be actually heard properly - and addictive melodies. 

Innovative staging (School Song in particular - it is rare these days to feel like you are seeing something truly new, but they did it). 

A shame it couldn't run indefinitely but the show is far too expensive to run. 

Updated On: 12/27/16 at 04:50 PM

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 5:38pm

qolbinau said: "Amazing show. America is by far #1 for musicals but this is a rare example of a British musical pulling it off. 

A children's musical that doesn't make me want to neck myself, with a meaningful message (if you have a problem in your life - fix it. No need to wait for the 'sun to come up' and win the lottery (aka a rich daddy billionaire)). Valuing intellectual curiosity and education - something that is lost on so many youth today (in my country, at least)  

So many great songs (Naughty, Quiet, School Song, When I Grow Up) with clever lyrics - when they can be actually heard properly - and addictive melodies. 

Innovative staging (School Song in particular - it is rare these days to feel like you are seeing something truly new, but they did it). 

A shame it couldn't run indefinitely but the show is far too expensive to run. 

 

"

YES to all of this. Matilda is one of my favorite shows because of this. I've seen it 3 times, and I find when I listen to the cast recording after not listening to it for a while, I find the "lessons" that are geared towards children should also resonate for many adults. I know quite a few Jennys who really are afraid of talking to intimidating authority figures no matter how old they are and have to talk themselves up just to ask a simple request. 

I find "Naughty" to be especially relevant now.

"Just because you find that life's not fair, it
Doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it.
If you always take it on the chin and wear it,
Nothing will change.
Even if you're little you can do a lot, you
Mustn't let a little thing like 'little' stop you.
If you sit around and let them get on top, you
Might as well be saying you think that it's OK,
And that's not right."

Replace "little" with "vulnerable" or "politically powerless" or "discrete and insular" and the message hits.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 6:09pm

Same here. I love this show so much! I remember I was in NY right when previews started. I waited for 2 hours in the snow to get rush tickets for the 5th preview, and I got a seat in the front row. I went in having heard good things, but for me this was one of the few times that a show has actually exceeded the hype. It was Milly Shapiro's first performance as Matilda, and she was great! I'll never forget Bertie Carvel's magnificent performance, which was among the best I've ever seen. It was such a magical experience that made me laugh, cry and everything in between. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 6:16pm

I may not have been able to catch the show on Broadway, but I did get to attend the Tony Awards the year it competed, and caught the national tour in Durham almost a year ago...
http://karereviews.weebly.com/matilda.html

[MoDance0934]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 8:31pm

This is my favorite Broadway show. I loved that it stayed close to the book, but added in new surprises. The music just made the show ten times better. I think my favorite memory was getting to see the final performance for Bertie and Lauren's final performance. They were the best at playing those roles - hands down. I will miss Lesli Margherita's blog. That woman is a hoot.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 8:35pm

Awful in every possible way...but sad for the adults losing their jobs though.

[ethan231h]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 8:48pm

I've seen the show 2 times, i really liked it. with that said, it was never the show i feel is just amazing. I think it is nice to see a children's show that is adult oriented unlike ones in recent years. Honestly the first time I saw it, i felt a but underwhelmed, just based on what the word of mouth was and the NYT review. But all in all, a successful run, and some really great performances, especially the queen lesli, Berti, and I particularly adored Alison Case as Ms. Honey!

[5377brian]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 9:04pm

So the tour is starting back up here in Costa Mesa in January, and I am wondering (hoping) some of the Broadway cast might join the tour for a while?  I would love to see Lesli Margherita in it, she was divine in Hunchback last summer...

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 9:18pm

5377brian said: "So the tour is starting back up here in Costa Mesa in January, and I am wondering (hoping) some of the Broadway cast might join the tour for a while?  I would love to see Lesli Margherita in it, she was divine in Hunchback last summer...

 

"

I wonder if they are dumping the entire Toronto cast. It would make sense to continue on without the children, but maybe they'll keep the adults.

[itis2l84u]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 10:16pm

Call_me_jorge said: "5377brian said: "So the tour is starting back up here in Costa Mesa in January, and I am wondering (hoping) some of the Broadway cast might join the tour for a while?  I would love to see Lesli Margherita in it, she was divine in Hunchback last summer...

 

"

I wonder if they are dumping the entire Toronto cast. It would make sense to continue on without the children, but maybe they'll keep the adults.

 

"

They announced some of the tour cast already almost a week ago.

"Direct from Toronto, the three girls sharing the title role are Hannah Levinson, Jaime MacLean, and Jenna Weir. The principal cast also features Paula Brancati (Miss Honey), Dan Chameroy (Miss Trunchbull), Keisha T. Fraser (Mrs. Phelps), Brandon McGibbon (Mr. Wormwood), and Darcy Stewart (Mrs. Wormwood). Full casting will be announced at a later date." X

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 12/27/16 at 11:39pm

Wonderful show! I loved it in Chicago, I really wish I could have seen it in NYC... Oh well, there's always London...

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 8:07am

Matilda is one of my all time favorite shows. I have seen it 11 times on Broadway, and I will be there for the final show on Sunday. I am not ready to say goodbye to this one.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 9:36am

A very smart, sincerely sweet show. I think, of everything running at this point in time, it may be my favorite. A good run; I think it was intevitably going to have a less-easy go in America.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 11:05am

muscle23ftl said: "Awful in every possible way...but sad for the adults losing their jobs though."

 

I will never understand why people feel the need to get their negative word in on threads like this. Clearly the point of the thread is to share positive memories of the show in honor of its closing. The OP did not ask "what does everyone think of Matilda and the fact that it's closing?" If you have nothing to contribute to the actual point of the thread, just stay out of it. You couldn't just sit by and watch people praise a show that you don't like, without making sure we all know you don't like it? It's just so purely mean-spirited and gross. 

 

[HighFlyingAdored97]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 12:39pm

I hold this show near and dear to my heart. I find it so inspiring and uplifting, and I always tear up at the cartwheel off the stage and the curtain call. I've seen the show five times, but my favorite memories were the first two times I saw it. The four adult leads - Bertie Carvel, Lauren Ward, Lesli Margerita, and Gabriel Ebert - were perfectly cast. Each child in the ensemble shone. Sophia Gennusa and Oona Laurence were fantastic in the title role; I'm glad that Oona still pops up on television and in movies from time to time - she is a great actress!

[HeleneIsASlut]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 1:27pm

I absolutely adore this show. I saw it with the OBC the performance after the Tony Awards and it's such a beautiful gem. Great performances, incredible staging, and some of my favorite music. I remember seeing When I Grow Up and my breath was just taken away. It was just a night of shear joy and theatre magic. I'll treasure it forever. Farewell Matilda <3

[Skip23]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 3:52pm

Someday, maybe, I'll see a production where I can understand many of the accents.  That probably determines a lot if you like the show. Seeing it twice - I couldnt and I didnt.  The CD is fun, tho.  

[TigerBait88]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 3:58pm

This show is an absolute favorite of mine and one of my top 5 favorite musicals of all time.

I remember seeing a show at the RSC's home in Stratford as well as a show in the Globe Theatre and seeing ads for a new musical with music from Tim Minchin and being intrigued. Little did I know as soon as the Original London Cast recording came out that it would be an instant favorite of mine ...at least musically at that point.

I was lucky enough to finally see the show on its first national tour and am beyond privileged to say I'll be in attendance at the final Broadway performance on the 1st. Can't wait but also don't want the day to come. Don't wanna see the doors close on this lovely show.

At least there's always the next tour!

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 4:01pm

It was a truly great show.  Talk about a new and inventive score.  People are always complaining about how they can't understand the words, but maybe you need to wake up and listen.  Not every composer is going to shove romantic power ballad with lyrics like "you're a boy, I'm a girl, let's hold hands and dance around the flowers" relentlessly down your throat for two hours.  I mean, do you find Shakespeare to be awful because you may have to actually think about what's happening on stage.  Anyways, I believe that it is probably the strongest children's show ever written and I hope that it has a long life elsewhere (as I suspect that it will).

Updated On: 12/28/16 at 04:01 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/28/16 at 4:24pm

Matilda is, for the time being, my favorite musical on Broadway. I love the music from beginning to end (even if I have to follow along with the lyrics on the cast CD to fully appreciate it), and the staging had moments of pure wonder (like those swings in "When I Grow Up"!). I also appreciate its theme of rebellion against oppressive authority - there aren't too many shows specifically about that, and it's right up my alley. :)

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/31/16 at 6:43pm

Such a fun video! It features many of the original adults. 

[BroadwayMan5]

Posted: 12/31/16 at 6:47pm

I loved Matilda on Broadway with the original cast (Oona Laurence was the Matilda I saw). It was mesmerizing and so inventive and fun. I saw it on tour last year and it didn't have the same spark for me so I always wanted to make it back and see it on Broadway again before it closed to see what I thought but I didn't get a chance. I think it will have a VERY long life in regional/amateur productions

[Broadway Bounce]

Posted: 12/31/16 at 8:57pm

There was a recent interview with Lesli who made it clear that she wouldn't not be part of the upcoming tour.