Matilda the Musical
at Marple Newtown High School

Reviewed on March 11, 2022

Aiden Kaliner
Harriton High School
Submitted for publication to WordPress Site and Cappies Page

Welcome to Matilda's 5th Birthday Party, where Marple Newtown High School brought childhood magic and delight to the stage with Matilda the Musical!

Since its debut in 2010, Matilda the Musical, based on the well-known novel by Roald Dahl, has become a smashing success on the stage. Following the story of an immensely intelligent young girl, Matilda Wormwood, the musical charts her experience overcoming adversity at home, due to her irresponsible parents, and at school, due to her cruel headmistress. Sprinkled with a bit of magic and telekinesis, Matilda's wit, strength, and courage propel her and her fellow students to do what's right and be a bit rebellious.

With many of the teenage actors portraying children and the technical challenge of telekinesis, producing Matilda the Musical is no easy feat for any high school theatre company. Nonetheless, the Marple Newtown Performing Arts Center tackled the beloved childhood classic with ease and efficiency. With a majority of student-led technical departments, all students involved clearly invested many hours of dedication into the production.

Lucy DeFrancesco as Matilda delivered a heartwarming and touching performance. Her smooth and enchanting vocals were integral to the character's development, and meanwhile, her genuine acting techniques made her portrayal feel childlike and adventurous. DeFrancesco's rebellious performance provided the perfect foil to Peter Pilko's Trunchbull. Together, the two led the enormous cast admirably.

Arianna Berryman and JJ Trainor, notable standouts among the supporting characters, as Mrs. Wormwood and Bruce, respectively, added lively energy to the production. Berryman's astonishing stage presence as well as her strong dancing abilities shone during her performance of "Loud." Overcoming technical difficulties with microphones, Berryman stayed consistent and dedicated to the extravagant persona. Trainor, captivating the audience throughout the course of the musical, impressed audiences with a soaring voice during "Revolting Children." While the energy of the ensemble dipped at times, Trainor always delivered a show-stopping performance.

The sets--designed by Carly Grimm, Emma Geddes, Nyck Kuranaruk, and Michael McClean--were thoughtfully executed. Sticking with the theme of childhood and literature, the design team put careful attention into small details throughout the various platforms and bookshelves. Mia Nye, the stage manager, deserves recognition for keeping copious notes and ensuring all 92 cast members were accounted for. Additionally, Lucy DeFrancesco deserves tremendous applause for, in addition to leading the cast, her costume design.

Matilda the Musical was not only a miraculous return to live musical theatre for Marple Newtown High School but also a heartwarming and magical return to childhood fantasy.

Kaitlyn Kaulback
Archmere Academy
Submitted for publication to WordPress Site and Cappies Page

M - a - t - i - l - d - a What does that spell? You guessed it! It's "Matilda", presented by Marple Newtown Performing Arts Center.

Inspired by a late 80's children's novel and premiering on the West End in 2011, "Matilda" follows child prodigy Matilda Wormwood as she enrolls in school when soft-natured teacher Miss Honey takes notice to her extraordinary academic abilities. Along the way, she endures her ignorant parents, strict disciplinarian Ms. Trunchbull, and her newfound power of telekinesis.

Lucy DeFrancesco's portrayal of Matilda perfectly embodied the genius' youthful, yet articulate disposition. With an extensive vocal range, DeFrancesco utilized both her lighter head voice and resonant belt in a multitude of songs such as "Naughty" and "Quiet". As an excellent storyteller, she kept the audience engaged throughout her monologues by adding layers of emotion, building up the tension. Moreover, Arianna Berryman breathed life into the extravagant Mrs. Wormwood with excellent comic timing and physicality. Berryman's bright, melodious vocals and vibrant energy in "Loud" showcased her incredible breath support and dance technique.

While the other characters possessed limited stage time, many supporting/featured actors took advantage of their little moments to make a lasting impact. From JJ Trainor's (Bruce) stellar vocals in "Revolting Children" to Annastasia Cavanaugh's (Lavender) commitment to physicality, this versatile supporting cast did not disappoint. Matilda's Classmates, a subset to the whole ensemble, served as a dynamic and vital component that tied the whole production together. While the energy of the entire student ensemble remained somewhat dull in the first act, the cast bounced back with higher, more engaging energy for the second act.

Although Matilda's telekinesis provides quite the technical challenge, Marple Newtown overcame these difficulties with impressive special effects, such as the coffee mug and chalk that seamlessly moved by themselves. Furthermore, the lighting, lead by Tim Fitzpatrick, amplified the mood of each scene with many complicated cues spread throughout the production. Unfortunately, some sound issues arose during act one. Numerous mics frequently popped and cut out unexpectedly, missing key lines. Nevertheless, the microphone balance greatly improved in act two.

Additionally, stage manager Mia Nye demonstrated organization and diligence with detailed, color-coded script notes marking light, prop, and blocking cues. Thanks to Nye's leadership, the stage crew ensured that all of the scene changes proceeded quickly and smoothly, displaying the team's attentiveness.

Not only did the production showcase remarkable talent both on and off the stage, Marple Newtown's "Matilda" reminds us that being a little naughty can bring out the miracle in all of us.

Gabriela Puntel
Abington Friends School
Submitted for publication to Cappies Page

Marple Newtown Highschool's production of "Matilda The Musical" transported everyone into a land of books with its impressive talent, extensive dedication, and sublime comical quips.

Dennis Kelly's musical interpretation of Roald Dahl's classic children's novel stars an eager, book-loving "miracle" named Matilda, whose curiosity causes hardship in her life, whether it be by her shallow-minded family or her cruel principal, Matilda is forced to seek refuge in the stories around her.

This production was jam-packed with energy-filled songs, skillfully created dramatic scenes, and infectious enthusiasm. Marple Newtown impressively created a show with many actors of all ages and made it into something truly magical. The musical aspect of this show was particularly strong, and this was best displayed in "Revolting Children", where the cast captured the essence of igniting the flame of rebellion with spirited vocals.

The star of the show was Lucy DeFrancesco, who embodied the childish curiosity of Matilda, as well as skillfully utilized harmonious singing as a way to express Matilda's drive for doing what's right. And of course, no one could forget Peter Pilko, who played Miss Trunchbull, as he explored the bounds of his role of the cruel principal with a disdain for kids like Matilda.

With such a large cast, Marple Newtown displayed talent in numbers as they tackled this production of "Matilda The Musical". While there were times when more energy could have been shown in the ensemble, songs such as "Loud" showcased talented dancing and singing. Some unforgettable performances included Allie Wahl, in the role of Miss Honey, whose beautiful voice and endearing persona allowed the relationship between Matilda and Miss Honey to bloom into something bigger than just teacher and student. As well as JJ Trainor, playing Bruce, who did not disappoint, flaunting captivating stage presence and impressive vocals, he left the audience craving more.

Creating a world in which the audience could grow alongside Matilda throughout the production, Marple Newtown Highschool succeeded at designing a vibrant, playful set that was used for a wide range of settings. Efficient and quick set changes made this production more enjoyable and allowed the attention of the audience to be drawn to the intriguing scenes that followed. Also, while there were some microphone issues throughout the production, actors did not break character and continued on with their performances. While the backdrop used for lighting was at times distracting when cast and crew members would travel backstage, it was worth it in the long run because the lighting was effectively used to portray emotions, add significance to dramatic moments, and draw attention to certain characters on stage.

In final, Marple Newtown's production of "Matilda The Musical" was a creative, passionate, and talent-filled success.

Cassie Matalonis
Archmere Academy
Submitted for publication to Cappies Page

With hectic telekinetics and rebellious children, Marple Newtown High School got a little bit naughty with their production Matilda the Musical!

Based on the 1988 children's novel by Roald Dahl, the story follows 5 year old genius Matilda Wormwood as she juggles rotten parents, rebels against the tyrannical Trunchbull, and falls under the wing of the lovely Miss Honey – someone with a unique story of her own.

Leading the show as Matilda was the marvelous Lucy DeFrancesco, whose powerful voice added to both her singing and acting presence. With an equally lovely voice, Miss Honey played by Allie Wahl, radiated endearing and sweet energy, especially during her song My House. The devilish foil to Miss Honey was Peter Pilko playing the infamous Miss Trunchbull, whose controlled animation created a rigid and snarky disposition perfect for the role.

As for Matilda's family, Bryan Kim and Arianna Berryman playing Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood respectively added both sass and humor. Especially impressive was Arianna's dancing and command of the stage in her song Loud. The youngest Wormwood, Michael, played by Josh Crilly, didn't have many lines but made good use of them with un-rushed and well-timed delivery.

In terms of ensembles, although they lacked energy in act one, act two was much improved. Matilda's class however showed consistent energy and fun! Most notably was classmate JJ Trainor playing Bruce. His stunning belting ability and rambunctious flare, particularly in his song Revolting Children left audience members thrilled. Additionally, with a cast of 92 students, the show did a great job of letting ensemble members shine with smaller roles. The actors certainly savored their moment–putting passion and humor into their performances as evident in Rebecca Kennedy's performance as mafia leader Sergei whose accent left the audience in stitches.

Off-stage, running it all was student producer Kaylie Pohlig who assumed major responsibilities including casting and show budgeting! Set design was also well done as a baseline set accommodated the multiple locations of the show with a simple shift of focus. The sound and lighting crew ran a complex mic arrangement but occasional mic cuts caused the audience to miss out on some songs and lines.

Congratulations Marple Newtown High School for a memorable show!