Photos by Robin Smith
When Wine Country Theatre decides to put on a show, they really put on a show!
Matilda the Musical, based on Roald Dahl’s book about an extraordinary young girl, is the latest in a line of pull-out-all-the-stops, tug-on-your-heartstrings, cast-aplenty North County productions including satisfying and successful runs of And the Winner Is, It’s a Wonderful Life, and last summer’s Little Shop of Horrors.
This one, like Little Shop, absolutely needs and makes creative use of the awesome stage, resources and seating arrangements of the Templeton Performing Arts Center, which more than lives up to its advertising as “North County’s premier indoor performance venue.”
Matilda features a cast of 39 (including more kids than you can count), excellent costuming by Dianne Coppenger, and a director/choreographer who can list on her resume not only Broadway and TV credits but a longtime collaboration with the legendary Cher. Yes, that Cher.
Community theatre doesn’t get much better than this. From the moment the curtain rises on a multi-colored giant cupcake to the delightful curtain call with the entire cast singing its heart out for you, Matilda fulfills expectations as a shiny, bright, sweet confection.
But it has its unexpected moments as well, thanks to the music and lyrics by that Aussie Renaissance man Tim Minchin and the comfort displayed by the actors and director/choreographer Doriana Sanchez when playing up the darker elements of the story (Dahl never shies away from the grotesque in his stories, that’s for sure).
So, the “bad guy” in this tale is Miss Trunchbull, headmistress of Matilda’s school, played all-out by Jon Estes in drag as a female tyrant and bully. Estes, an example of ideal casting, channels a hybrid of Nathan Lane and Eddie Izzard in this physically and emotionally demanding role. He probably loses five pounds after every performance—and has to find a baby to hug to get himself out of Trunchbull’s frame of mind!
Quinn Newman is the feisty, scrappy, willing-to-go-all-out-as-well “good guy” of the show. As Matilda she can act, sing, and dance on her own, but she easily becomes part of the company as well during the several all-hands-on-deck songs that make up almost half of the musical numbers. The show’s dichotomy of darkness and light comes out particularly well in a song near the end of the show, the two-meanings-of-the-same-adjective “Revolting Children.”
Matching Estes and Newman in commitment to their roles are Samantha Simmons and Scott Saunders as Matilda’s neglectful parents. Both seem to relish the comedic absurdities of their roles, while Tara Brinkman as Miss Honey (with a voice to match her name) and Stacy Widstrand as Mrs. Phelps (seeming to enjoy her role as a librarian with a touch of the bohemian in her) are a little more restrained as adults who have Matilda’s best interests in mind.
Other adults more broadly defined (but nonetheless memorable) are a skillful Koby Wescom as the dancing Rudolpho, Amani Arellano and Cameron LeClair as a couple who through dance and mime feature in Matilda’s imaginative storytelling, and Jacob Shearer as the sinister Sergei, appropriately menacing even while petting his cat. Special mention must be made of two ensemble members, who each in their own way get well-deserved laughs for their comic timing: Christian Albers as a cook and one of Sergei’s henchmen, and Edgar Delacruz as Sergei’s other henchman.
This Matilda brings an abundance of talented people together for an experience that the community shouldn’t miss.”
Let’s not forget the children who manage to grab a bit of the spotlight as well: Liam Calloway as Matilda’s brother, Rudd Larson as Bruce, Scottlyn Staton as Lavender, and Dominic Estes as Nigel each contribute their special talents to entertain the audience.
Musical director Joanne Stoddard clearly had her work cut out for her with the number and variety of performers, but she and Sanchez have shaped some wonderful song and dance routines for this diverse group. Setting a high bar for both children and adults, the result is truly impressive. Rehearsals must have been a blast for the cast.
My only quibble with this production has to do with sound levels and the recorded music track. Sometimes music overwhelms voices so that the lyrics aren’t quite clear. Particularly for a first-timer, the words are important to understand the story, which in Matilda unwinds almost entirely through song.
Community theatre creates an abundance of expectations for audiences, performers, staff and volunteers who put the time in to create something they hope will create a true “community” experience. With an exceptional Wine Country Theatre cast and crew, this Matilda brings an abundance of talented people together for an experience that the community shouldn’t miss.