Roald Dahl's imaginative tale "Matilda" was originally developed for the stage as a holiday production by the Royal Shakespeare Company. From there it went on to delight audiences from London's West End to Broadway, and now it has come to the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. This highly imaginative, darkly amusing musical not only won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards in England, including best musical, it garnered five Tony Awards, including best book of a musical.
Roald Dahl's imaginative tale "Matilda" was originally developed for the stage as a holiday production by the Royal Shakespeare Company. From there it went on to delight audiences from London's West End to Broadway, and now it has come to the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. This highly imaginative, darkly amusing musical not only won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards in England, including best musical, it garnered five Tony Awards, including best book of a musical.
Matilda, the title character, is an amazing child prodigy who devours books ranging from simple tales like "Cat in the Hat" to Dickens and Dostoevsky in the original Russian. Most parents would be delighted, but not hers. When this offbeat musical phenomenon crossed the pond to light up Broadway the producers decided not to Americanize the show, instead they remained true to the story's British origins keeping it connected to Roald Dahl's distinctive style. Overall this was a wise choice, but at times the strong, clipped accents of the children were "a wee bit" hard to understand.
Act I begins with "Miracle," a song about how wonderful it is to be a special child who is loved a lot. Unfortunately Matilda, who really is special, has landed in the Wormwood family. Dad (Quinn Mattfeld), a dishonest used car salesman, wanted another son and always refers to her as a boy even though she constantly tells him "I'm a girl!" Her mother (Cassie Silva) doesn't appreciate the kid either.
In fact the only one who truly understands and loves Matilda is her timid teacher, Miss Honey (Jennifer Blood). And if things are bad for Matilda at home, just wait till she goes to her school run by the terrifying Miss Trunchbull (played by Bryce Ryness—a man). Trunchbull, an Olympic Hammer Thrower with a giant wart on her face, hates children. Ryness' performance is both terrifying and hilarious.
The songs (music and lyrics by Tim Minchin) and book by Dennis Kelly are funny and keep the off-beat story moving at an often furious pace. One of the funniest songs is "Telly" (the British word for TV) sung by Mr. Wormwood at the start of Act II. In it he laments the fact that his odd kid likes books, not the 'Telly.' In the song "Loud," Mrs Wormwood informs Miss Honey that "looks beat books."
The kid in all of us will appreciate this convoluted tale of a brilliant child who longs to be loved. She not only reads, she creates wonderful stories of her own about a mysterious acrobat and an escape artist who want a child to love. When she tells her tales to the librarian in installments the characters come to life on stage in very imaginative ways. But where do these stories come from and what do they mean? She also can move objects with her eyes or magically make a piece of chalk write a message on the blackboard that will freak out Miss Trunchbull in Act Two.
Choreographer Peter Darling's dance numbers are fast paced and fun, particularly in the gym class routine that features a trampoline and acrobatic tumbling performed by the youngsters. Rob Howell's set and costumes are storybook special and Matthew Warchus' direction is 'spot on.'
At times on opening night it was a bit difficult to understand the children's strong, stacato British accents and the mystery writing on the chalk board needed to be sharper for full comprehension. If you have a problem here and there, talk with a child in the audience, like the little girl sitting behind me who had read the book and was having a ball. As for me, my go-to kid was my nine-year-old neighbor, Gracie, an avid reader who loved the book and remembered exactly what was mysteriously written on the chalkboard. Gracie, like Matilda, is one smart little cookie.
On opening night Mia Sinclair Jenness played Matilda. (Gabby Gutierrez and Mabel Tyler play the role on an alternating basis). "Matilda" runs through July 12 at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. For tickets and information go to www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or call 213-972-4400.
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The dinosaurs, first introduced to us in Stephen Spielberg's "Jurassic Park," are back with a vengeance in an even bigger, better prehistoric amusement park now known as "Jurassic World." In order to attract new investors and increase attendance, the park has created an all new dinosaur species in their laboratory. Soon the Indominus Rex, more frightening than the T-Rex, will be Jurassic World's newest, most terrifying attraction. The current owner, Simon Masrani (Irrfan Kahn) is eager to display the new monster for the world, but will the park be able to contain the fierce beast?
Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) is busy promoting the new attraction to potential investors when her two nephews Zach (Nick Robinson) and his younger brother Gray (Ty Simpkins) arrive for a visit. It has been years since they have seen one another, but due to job pressures Claire is unable to meet them upon their arrival. Instead, she sends her assistant to welcome the boys. Via cell phone she tells them she will join them for dinner later that evening. In the meantime they head off to explore Jurassic World with her assistant.
Cut to Owen (Chris Pratt) who is in charge of four young velociraptors in the park. They regard Owen as the alpha male. When he barks out orders the foursome listen and obey. Pratt's character is not only heroic and sexy, he also provides much of the humor that lightens up the plot. Vincent D'Onofrio portrays the park's military consultant who wants Owen to train his raptors as weapons of war capable of tracking down and killing the enemy. but Owen refuses to put his raptors in harm's way..
Once we meet the main characters the adventure takes off in high gear, leaving us breathless as prehistoric predators are inadvertently unleashed into the park. .
While Aunt Claire is consumed with her job, her two nephews find themselves alone in an area where hundreds of dinosaurs are contentedly grazing. The serenity of their park ride experience inside a large movable bubble is shattered when the escaped Indominus Rex enters the scene. Will they get out alive? At this point Claire joins forces with Owen in an effort to gain control of the situation and save her young nephews who are on their own and in grave danger.
The visual effects are amazing and the action sequences involving raptors, Indominus Rex and flying pterodactyls will leave you clinging to the edge of your seats. The action sequences are too intense for very young children, since some of the soldiers trying to contain Indominus are eaten alive. Adults will cope with the intensity, but youngsters could really be traumatized. No actual dinosaurs were harmed in the making of this film.
"Jurassic World," a fast paced action adventure with amazing visual effects, is rated PG-13 for intense, frightening action sequences and violence involving prehistoric creatures.
