Roald Dahl wrote many books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG and Matilda. As a kid, there's a good chance you might have read one or many of his books, as they were and are very popular in children's literature. They are classics, and most of them have been interpreted into movies and plays. I myself was part of the ensemble for the Junior version of the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in high school. That play based on Roald Dahl's novel is probably the most popular one. But there is one other that has made its mark on the stage--particularly, the Broadway stage.
It's likely you've heard of the 1996 movie Matilda, and maybe you've seen it. But did you know that it's also a current hit on the Broadway stage? Advertisements are everywhere on the Broadway site, and since it's back-to-school season, it's even bigger news. Why?
Well, the story centers around Matilda, a little girl who lives with her awful parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. Unpleasant and not very smart, they boss and bully her around. But the home is only part of her troubles. Here's where the school part comes in. Every day of the school year, Matilda attends classes while having to be under the tyranny of the ruthless and terrible Miss Trunchbull. Luckily, her class happens to be taught by the sweetest teacher, Miss Honey. Matilda loves books and is extremely intelligent, and armed with her great imagination, she is determined to beat the odds and turn her life into something great.
The musical Matilda made its debut on Broadway on April 11 of this year. It is directed by Matthew Warchus with the score (music composition) by Tim Minchin. Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro all share the role of Matilda; Craig Bierko plays Miss Trunchbull; Jill Paice is the sweet Miss Honey; and Gabriel Ebert and Lesli Margherita play Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. For being out on Broadway for only a short time, the play already has four Tony Awards: Best Book of a Musical, Best Featured Actor, Best Lighting Design, and Best Scenic Design. And starting this day, two actors--Craig Bierko and Jill Paice-- replace Bertie Carvel and Lauren Ward for the roles of Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey. So that's the big Matilda news for today. (Btw, the person who got the play's Tony Award for Best Featured Actor was Gabriel Ebert, who plays the role of Mr. Wormwood).
I wanted to write about this play this week because, as you know, it's back-to-school for a lot of kids out there. And even though a good number of them probably dread it like Matilda's classmates did, they can always make a point to do as Matilda did and try to make the best out of where they are, and where they're going.
Cites and Sources:
(Gilbert, Ryan. "Maggots, Rejoice! Tony Nominee Craig Bierko and Jill Paice Join the Company of Broadway's Matilda" Broadway.com/buzz. N.p., 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 3 Sept. 2013.)
http://www.broadway.com/buzz/171435/maggots-rejoice-tony-nominee-craig-bierko-and-jill-paice-join-the-company-of-broadways-matilda/
http://www.broadway.com/shows/matilda/
http://www.broadway.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117008/?ref_=sr_1
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001094/bio
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