And you thought your mama was bad?
Guurrlll, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet til you see Cody Boehm as Mrs. Wormwood in Little Theatre of Alexandria’s newest show, “Matilda the Musical.”
She has got to be the meanest, cruelest mother around, but she’s certainly no worse than her partner in crime, Matilda’s father, the selfish Mr. Wormwood (Matt Liptak) who oozes malice and self conceit with every breath he takes. (His checkerboard suit by Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley may explain some of it.)
That these two are horrible parents is an understatement but then there’s another “wicked” in the show who beats them both at this horribleness game.
That would be the ogre, Matilda’s school headmaster, the heartless, snarly, hefty (ahem) Ms. (or Mr.?) Trunchbull (Dino Vergura). She thunders, she pitches, she screams and rumbles, tossing – in one of the best scenes of the show – a wayward student right outa the room like a boomerang! (Just you wait.)
To announce Trunchbull’s coming, Francine Krasowska leads an 11-member orchestra with mighty and eerie percussion and horns to tell everyone to “take cover” for cometh the slayer of all things fun! The floor shakes, the boys and girls quiver and the audience wonders: What comest thou?
This trio of monsters steal Matilda’s show, and they are hilarious doing it! The costumes! Their dynamism! The exaggerations.
This is a lot of fun and a huge hit by Alexandria’s finest with music and splendid choreography (by Michael Page, assisted by Jess Stahl) for a great escape from the world outside. (We need this!)
The cast is loaded with more than a dozen children, certain to appeal to a like-minded audience.
Matilda is a very smart little girl, and one wonders: Just how did she get those brains with the parents she has? Books! Books are the answer, but her disgusting parents demand to know: What good are books?
Books will ruin any day!
They trash them and her dad tears one up to show his daughter just how much he scorns them and her! You see, Matilda’s parents don’t even want their daughter; her dad calls her “boy.”
Meanwhile, the little girl’s vivid imagination and stories mesmerize the librarian, Mrs. Phelps (Sara Alipanah), in Matilda’s favorite place, an escape for her and repository for the girl’s tales and dreams.
There is more goodness in her world, found in her teacher named (what else?) Miss Honey (Lizzie Bartlett) who comes to the rescue a time or two.
Cecelia Gorini and Lyle Vogel portray Matilda at different performances. Jackson Crowell is Nigel, one of the children, who jumps up and down, smiling widely to make the audience laugh lots.
Sometimes, though, the children speak so fast, it is hard to understand what they are saying.
Director Janie Downey makes a star, Dae’Quon Shines from Rudolpho, Mother Wormwood’s dance partner, with his sexy dance moves and curvatures making me wish to see more of this entertainment.
Also, Alek Tabu is Matilda’s brother, Michael, a television aficionado, like his dad, and with a brief tapdancing piece near the end of the performance, thrills the audience.
With backstage help, the many scenes easily shift from home to bedroom to library to school room and back again (with designs by Jim Hutzle).
Lighting director Audrey Crowell is busy assisting in mood changes and targeting soliloquists.
Other cast members are Melanie Campbell, Caleb Dawkins, Benjamin Dioquino, Lewis Eggleston, Kiril French, Aanya Gejji, Lily Tave Henrich, Taylor Litofsky, Zuri Luis, Michael Nehring, Clarence Payne, Rebecca Phillips, Bella Porter, Samantha Regan, Jillian Rubino, and Hadley August Sheinberg.
They got cake and could eat it all, too.
Technical crew members include Kadira Coley, producer; Karen Maline and Beck Webster, assistant producers; Caitlin O’Leary and Meggie Webster, stage managers; Alan Wray, sound; Emilie Pade, properties; Kadira Coley, hair and makeup; Russell M. Wyland, rigging.
This “Matilda” is recommended for children over age 3. It has some adult words but, no matter, the play will charm adults and children over its 2.5 hours with one intermission.
Street talk is spreading the word about the performance and producing brisk ticket sales ($36).
Thursday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through March 1, 2025.
Notable honors for “Matilda the Musical,” which is based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel, include five Tony Awards in 2013 and seven Olivier Awards in 2012, the latter representing Britain’s highest theatrical achievements.
