In a season of light, Syracuse Stage’s holiday show ‘Matilda the Musical’ braves a bit of darkness (Review) - syracuse.com

You don't have to be a child to recognize that the world isn't fair, adults often lie to get what they want, and authority figures can be both comic and terrifying, even as they delight in doing you harm. Writer Roald Dahl mined this vein of concern in his children's books "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach"; in "Matilda," his protagonist is the requisite plucky girl who not only fights against unfairness but is determined to set things right.

"Matilda the Musical" is the bold, brave musical Syracuse Stage is offering as this year's holiday show in collaboration with SU Drama, and they too are setting things right after 18 months of an unfair world. With book by British scriptwriter Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Australian musical comedian Tim Minchin, "Matilda the Musical" debuted in London's West End in November 2011. After transferring to Broadway in April 2013, it won five Tonys including Best Book of a Musical.

Directed by Donna Drake, who helmed three previous holiday shows at Stage ("The Wizard of Oz," "Elf the Musical," and "Beauty and the Beast"), this production is not the big, splashy spectacle of years past, and rightly so. Like Matilda, we've been worn down by lies and by those in power as clownish as they are dangerous. We're far less likely to be swept away by pure fantasy now that we're older, wiser, masked, and vaxxed. But what "Matilda" lacks in pure escapism, it makes up for in thoughtful earnestness. Its message is simple: the story of who we are can always be changed if we stand up for what we know is right.

For those who haven't read the book or seen the 1996 movie starring Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito, the storyline is straightforward: bright and imaginative Matilda is born to greedy, grasping Mr. Wormwood a sleazy used car dealer, and Mrs. Wormwood a self-absorbed airhead. To escape her family's belittling, Matilda teaches herself to read and buries herself in books. When her kindergarten teacher Miss Honey discovers her brilliance, so does Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the evil headmistress of Matilda's school, who rules with an iron fist and threatens any student who crosses her with a dark vile closet of punishment, the Chokey.

The title role is shared by two performers: Annabel Cole, a 7th grader from Brooklyn, and SU Drama student Emerson Glick, a junior musical theater major. Two SU Department of Drama faculty fill key roles: professor of practice David Lowenstein as Trunchbull, and assistant professor of musical theatre Kathleen Wrinn as Miss Honey. Luke Darnell and Kim Sava play Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, and Pascal Pastrana is Rudolpho, Mrs. Wormwood's salsa partner and paramour. The cast of 30 includes professional Equity actors from across the country, SU Drama students, and local young actors.

On opening night, Cole played Matilda with vivacity and verve, earning a robust cheer at curtain call for her strong singing and winsome acting. Playing alongside her as kindergarteners, SU Drama students -- some nearly twice her age -- effectively pull off their inner child, most notably Haley Wright as Lavender and Shaun Collins as Nigel. The 'Little Kid' standout is local Fayetteville-Manlius 7th grader Brian Hebert, a Ron Weasley look-alike with the charm and presence of Rupert Grint in the first Harry Potter film; his cake-eating scene is the icing on the show. Also notable: SU sophomore Morgan Lewis as Mrs. Phelps, a librarian who encourages Matilda's gifts as a reader and storyteller.

The musical numbers, though slow to start, pick up pace halfway through Act I, which is important: for those eager to compare the musical with the 1996 movie (I'll get to that later), the song-and-dance is what distinguishes these performers from their more-famous onscreen counterparts. Mrs. Wormwood and Rudolpho steam up the stage as they educate the shy Miss Honey on the merits of flashiness in the high-kicking "Loud." Mr. Wormwood opens Act II with a lecture warning young audience members not to try at home the things they see onstage, namely reading, which will ruin their lives; he pivots into the frolicking "All I Know," extolling the virtues of TV viewing while his son sits stupefied by the flickering light of a screen. (Though he bears no resemblance to Billy Fuccillo, anyone who's seen the late auto dealer's hundreds of TV commercials over the years will recognize that same salesmanship and charm.)

Part of the success of "Matilda the Musical" is the familiarity of the material: we've seen moments like it before. Darnell and Sava as the Wormwoods feel like Rooster Hannigan and Lily St. Regis from "Annie"; the students singing "When I Grow Up" is a G-rated version of "Totally F*cked" from "Spring Awakening"; Miss Honey's "My House" is Audrey from "Little Shop of Horrors" realizing her dreams from "Somewhere That's Green": and "Loud" is the future Glinda from "Wicked" revisiting the song "Popular," but now as a bored married woman having an affair.

If you grew up watching the 1996 movie, have no children, but want to trip down memory late with "Matilda the Musical," this production will not likely satisfy that nostalgic itch. It's not a retread of the film but an original show that -- while drawing from the same source material -- stands on its own. Unlike the film, it's not Americanized: all of the actors in the Stage production speak with British accents.

The show's music director Brian Cimmet leads an eight member orchestra that's fluid and energetic. Czerton Lim's scenic design brilliantly emphasizes the book-to-stage concept with massive spines of children's classics framing the stage and giant typography used as a backdrop to the action; by keeping the set colors neutral, the staging enables Ryan J. Moller's costume designs to pop and Jason Kyle Estrada's wig designs to glow under Thomas C. Hase's lighting. Brian McMullen's projections are well-rendered, particularly the bank of videos jerkily replaying Trunchbull's single moment of glory as a hammer-throwing champion. Jacqueline R. Herter's sound design adds to the creepiness of Trunchbull's appearances with subtle cues of evil afoot.

Roald Dahl's skill as a children's author is evident in his ability to push the envelope of age-appropriate creepiness, grossness and gruesomeness. While this works in film -- it's a recorded medium and automatically creates distance -- a live stage performance can be intense. Headmistress Trunchbull's declaration of her school's motto, "Children are maggots!" is indicative of the twisted sensibilities in this particular story. Judge accordingly, and be aware that "Matilda the Musical" depicts children thrown through the air and dropped down from the sky, having their earlobes pulled until they visually stretch across the stage, and being forced to overeat as punishment. Several moments may be too intense for young stage-goers. The musical is recommended for children six and up, but if your child is particularly imaginative or sensitive to gruesomeness, even if only implied, some scenes may cause anxiety.

But if you're an adult who's never cared for the traditional endlessly-cheerful musical, and you have an appreciation for a more Tim Burton-esque approach to celebrating the holidays, the darkness at the edge of "Matilda the Musical" will warm your edgy little heart.

When buying tickets, please be aware of Syracuse Stage's attendance requirements (see below) and full Covid-19 safety guidelines.

The Details:

What: "Matilda the Musical" by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin

Where: Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

When seen: Opening night, Nov. 26

Length: 2 hours 15 minutes plus a 15-minute intermission

Family Guide: Suitable for six years old and up

Runs through: January 2

Ticket information and reservations: Call 315-443-3275 or purchase online at syracusestage.org

Attendance requirements: Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test, and masks worn at all times