“Matilda”: A Wonderful, Whimsical     

Finale to The Muny’s 101st Season

by Pat Lindsey

The Muny is ending its 101st season on a very high note this week with the witty and whimsical “Matilda,” the story of an unappreciated little girl who uses her brilliance and newly discovered psychokinetic powers to rewrite her own story and change her dismal life. It’s quirky and twisted, but also warm and inspiring. And it will make you fall in love with a little girl named Matilda.

From the moment Matilda (Mattea Conforti) is born to her unloving, anti-intellectual parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood (Josh Grisetti & Ann Harada –below photo ), she is neglected and ridiculed. A few years later, they cannot understand her love for reading and her father goes so far as to tear up one of her library books and lock her in her room bookless. Her obnoxious, aspiring ballroom dancer mother, used car salesman father, and dimwit brother think she should watch more television.

By age 5, Matilda is ready to start school and escape her horrendous family life, but at Crunchem Hall she is faced with additional abuse from the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull (Beth Malone). Matilda finds salvation in her new teacher, Miss Honey (Laura Michelle Kelly), who recognizes her giftedness, and the librarian, Mrs. Phelps (Darlesia Cearcy), who is enthralled by the stories Matilda tells. Day after day, Miss Trunchbull singles out students to blame for everything that has gone wrong in her world and Matilda leads the students into standing up against the former Olympic hammer-thrower.

In the end, Matilda’s family is leaving town in a hurry to escape the Russian Mafia, but Miss Honey asks if Matilda can stay with her. The Wormwoods are more than happy to be rid of Matilda and Matilda is able to live a new life in a loving home with Miss Honey. It’s a happy ending for a little girl who deserves to be loved and appreciated by someone who actually wants a child.

Mattea Conforti is absolutely marvelous as the 5-year-old moppet who plays Matilda. It’s a stretch of the imagination to believe she’s really five, but she’s a wonder kid nevertheless. Her amazing delivery of dialogue, clear, beautiful voice, and dancing ability make her perfect for this demanding role. Beth Malone as Miss Trunchbull is outstanding as the terrorizing head mistress who reminds us of the Wicked Witch of the West when her face appears on the LED screens on the stage, making her unibrowed presence larger than life. Both Malone and Josh Grisetti as the bumbling, idiotic father, provide an abundance of physical comedy to the show and make their abusive characters laughable. Laura Michelle Kelly, who gives sense and sensibility to this show as Miss Honey, also adds her gorgeous voice to three of its songs.

A cast of 47 children multiplies the kid power of “Matilda” exponentially. Those with speaking parts have British accents and all of them perform synchronized dance numbers expertly. Add them to the brilliant Mary Engelbreit-inspired set design by Director John Tartaglia’s design team and the end result is a spectacular production accented with special effects that sends our imaginations into sensory overload. It’s a wonderful way to end The Muny season and my personal favorite show of the year.

“Matilda” will be performed on The Muny stage nightly at 8:15 p.m. now through Aug. 11. For tickets, go to muny.org or call 314-534-1111.

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