Review: A Sweet and Dark MATLIDA THE MUSICAL

Based on the last children's book written by famed author Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning MATILDA THE MUSICAL finally arrives in Chicago with Dahl's dark humor and Rob Howell's costumes and Tony-winning set (featuring a tower of toppling Scrabble tiles) intact. The somewhat magical and entertaining romp runs through April 10 at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph

In a world where every parent earnestly believes their mundane Millennial child is extraordinary, one truly exceptional child, Matilda Wormwood (played terrifically in the performance reviewed by Lily Brooks O'Briant; a role she shares on tour with Sarah McKinley Austin and Savannah Grace Elmer ), goes virtually unnoticed. Smart beyond her years (only five and she knows her multiplication tables into practically infinity and has read Jane Eyre and The Lord of the Rings at a time when her playground mates are struggling with The Cat In the Hat), she's been dismissed by her parents. Her mum (the appropriately loud and flashy Cassie Silva as Mrs. Wormwood) has never quite forgiven Matilda for ruining her life (she went into labor and ended up missing her chance for glory in a big ballroom dance competition) and her dad (Quinn Mattfeld as the charming and sleazy used car salesman Mr. Wormwood) wanted a son and refuses to even acknowledge that Matilda is a girl (a point she continually corrects him on).

Beyond genes and lineage, she shares very little with them or her dim-witted brother Michael (Danny Tieger, who makes the most out of the little comedy thrown his character's way). They would rather watch the telly (as in television; this is a show based on a British literary work) and she would rather spend her time reading (something that doesn't sit well with either parent; Mr. Wormwood even tears up a library book at one point).

It forces her to seek refuge at the library, where she entertains the Jamaican librarian Mrs. Phelps (Chicago actress Ora Jones as warm and inviting as always) with episodic retellings of a story she may or may not be loosely basing on her life and others around her.

To punish Matilda and extinguish her passion for reading and learning, her parents send her to the aptly named Crunchem Hall. The school is cruelly run by Miss Trunchbull, a former Olympic hammer-throwing champion played by David Abeles.

Abeles, in a costume featuring sagging breasts and long knee socks that only manage to highlight his hairy legs (Trunchbull has always been played by a man in drag), is delightfully committed to delving into the more sadistic tendencies of his character. A favorite moment of mine is when Miss Trunchbull grabs a school girl by her pigtails, swings her around and tosses her as she would a hammer. There is a moment when Abeles smiles and you aren't quite sure if she is reveling in her cruelness, reliving her former athletic glory or a combination of both. Abeles is over the top, but manages to still ground the character so as to avoid her being too cartoonish.

As in many of Dahl's works that feature cruel, clueless or self-absorbed adults, MATILDA also features at least one or two decent adults. Along with her friend Mrs. Phelps, Matilda finds an ally in her teacher Miss Honey (a poised and graceful Jennifer Blood), who recognizes and appreciates how special Matilda really is.

If the English accents didn't prove to be a challenge to an American audience, the cleverness of Tim Minchin's lyrics gets lost in the cavernous Oriental thanks to some of the worst sound problems I've ever heard on a national tour. A quick search of the Internet reveals that this is not something that was unique to the performance of the show I saw. A number of other cities where the show has previous set up shop have also reported sound issues. Frankly, this is inexcusable for a show that has been playing to all sorts of various-sized houses for almost a year now.

"Mustn't let a little think like 'little' stop you" (from the first act solo "Naughty" sung by our title heroine) is a particular lyric that still resonates with me and hopefully any adult or child who hears it.

But you have to be able to hear it. Sure, this Dahl's house of over-the-top and outlandish characters and situations survives, the cartoon antics should keep the younger set entertained and the sets and and costumes dazzle. Without proper sound, the show goes from being extraordinary to merely ordinary, though.

As Matilda sings, "if it's not right, you have to put it right." Nearly a year into the national tour, it would seem that producers aren't hearing her or -perhaps more egregious, channeling their inner Mr. or Mrs. Wormwood and just not listening.

Matilda and the theater-going audience --paying as much as $123 (or more if you splurge for premium seats)-- deserve much more.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL runs through April 10 at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph. Tickets $25-$123.800.775.2000. www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Photos by Joan Marcus for the National Tour.

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