.Schooled: ‘Matilda the Musical’ Runs in Novato

Honestly, I was skeptical of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. This show has become like Annie, a show every parent has to sit through multiple times, forcing smiles on our faces. After attending the opening night performance of the Novato Theater Company production now running through June 8, I am happy to report that I was wrong. 

For those who don’t know, Matilda is about a little girl who grows up unloved, develops psychokinetic abilities and goes to a school led by a villainous woman, where she meets the caring Miss Honey.

Like all responsible productions involving large numbers of children, the underage roles are double-cast. For this review, Piera Tamer played Matilda, Kylie Cohen played Lavender and Ella Brill played Bruce.

The kids are fabulous. Tamer and Cohen have charisma, presence and talent most adult actors would envy. Brill gives an adorable and talented performance as Bruce. All three are a joy to watch. 

Casting by director Marilyn Izdebski is consistently good. Pat Barr and Melody Payne as Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood are great at the complex physical comedy required of the roles while allowing enough pathos to support Tamer’s sympathetic portrayal of Matilda. Samantha Maas-Baldwin’s Mrs. Phelps is sympathetic and relatable. Andrew Herold’s Rudolpho, while a small role, almost steals the show. 

Anna Vorperian’s empathetic performance of Miss Honey grounds a script prone to silliness. Her singing keeps Miss Honey’s sweetness without losing any of its power. It can be a difficult role, but Vorperian nails it.

It would be easy with such a large juvenile cast to let the singing “slide” as it were, but musical director/conductor Judy Wiesen did a great job at keeping the cast together and in sync without, as often happens, making the children mechanical. 

The tech on this show’s great, too. The set design (consultant: Michael Walraven, construction: Perry Nelson) is fun, adaptable and allows some excellent staging. Lights (Frank Sarubbi), costumes (Adriana Gutierrez) and props (Cindy Morris) also harmoniously support the storytelling with maximum visual impact. 

As I often say, there is no such thing as a perfect show, but shows like this take so many people to pull together that they frequently dissolve into chaos. This show is so cohesive and enjoyable that it might make one believe that some people can move things with their minds.  

‘Matilda the Musical’ runs through June 8 at the NTC Playhouse, 5420 Nave Dr., Ste. C, Novato. Fri & Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 1pm, $25-$35. 415.883.4498. novatotheatercompany.org.