Deliciously daffy lead performances, a couple of equally splendid but darker-hued star turns, an awesomely talented child ensemble, and one of the cleverest and most tuneful scores to cross the pond in recent years make 5-Star Theatricals’ Matilda The Musical worth catching despite consistent sound-mixing problems that too often made Dennis Kelly’s book and Tim Minchin’s lyrics difficult if not impossible to decipher on Opening Night.

Lucy Bollier (alternating performances with Olivia Marcum) stars as Matilda Wormwood, born to parents who don’t deserve a child as brilliant as the one they’ve been blessed with.

Curvy, peroxided Mrs. Wormwood (Janna Cardia) is such a dolt, even nine months pregnant she’s convinced she’s just “fat,” and human beanpole Mr. Wormwood (James Larsen) is no less of a nitwit, blissfully clueless that his second-born is a girl.

Fortunately for our plucky five-year-old, a love for books not shared by her telly-obsessed family (completed by Nick McKenna’s simpleton older brother Michael) helps make her away-from-home life bearable, as do Matilda’s eclectic band of classmates, a helpful librarian from the exotic West Indies (Deanna Anthony as Mrs. Phelps), and above all her honey-blonde teacher Miss Honey (Katie DeShan).

Less agreeable is the ever looming presence of child-abhorring, discipline-loving headmistress Miss Trunchbull (Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper), bent on making her pint-sized charges’ lives a living hell.

Songwriter Minchin has written one catchy ditty after another, from the child ensemble’s self-celebratory “Miracle,” to Matilda’s delightfully defiant “Naughty,” to the infectiously optimistic “When I Grow Up,” to the tunefully triumphant “Revolting Children” performed by nine of the most gifted under-twelvers you’ll see all year and an equal number of talented “upperclassmen” executing Heather Castillo’s infectious, athletic choreography like Broadway pros.

Factor in song showcase gems (Mrs. Wormwood’s show-stopping “Loud” and the father-son rib-tickler “All I Know”) and a few bona fide heartstrings-tuggers (Miss Honey’s “This Little Girl” and “My House” and Matilda’s “Quiet”) and you’ve got a cast recording’s worth of songs you’ll gladly hear again and again.

If only book writer Kelly hadn’t felt it necessary to veer from Dahl’s novel with a tagged-on subplot involving the Russian mafia and an original fairy tale Matilda recounts to Mrs. Phelps, though my objections to these changes may stem in large part from Opening Night’s overpowering underscoring and some equally overpowering English accents that left me guessing at what was being said.

As for Matilda’s powers (a major focus of Danny DeVito’s pitch-perfect 1996 Americanized screen adaptation), they occur so late in the musical and receive so little attention that audiences unfamiliar with the novel or movie may not even realize that Matilda has them, especially when a prop pitcher stays resolutely in place.

There can be no quibbling whatsoever where performances are concerned beginning with 10-year-old Bollier’s engaging, deeply touching star turn as the mistreated, misunderstood titular lass.

As for her fellow preteens (Iyana Hannans as Hortensia, Luke Pryor as Tommy, Nico Ridino as Eric, Glory Rose as Alice, Drew Rosen as Nigel, Marcello Silva as Bruce, Taylor Lynda Thomas as Amanda, and Olivia Zeneztis as Lavender), they could each and every one give grownup Broadway triple-threats a run for their money.

Under Lewis Wilkenfeld’s assured direction, Mongiardo-Cooper’s marvelously maniacal Miss Trunchbull chews scenery so voraciously, she virtually redefines love-to-hate, Cardia’s dementedly dance-obsessed Mrs. Wormwood and Larsen’s lunatically larcenous Mr. Wormwood eat it up and spit it out with the best of them too, and DeShan’s Miss Honey is as luminous as she is oceans’ deep with love.

Nifty featured turns are delivered by Alexander (a warm and winning Jamaican Mrs. Phelps), McKenna (a dimwitted delight as Michael), Ben Carroll (the sexiest, most silver-throated rock-star of a Doctor in town), J.B. Bauersfeld (a Russian baddy to do the president’s men proud), Monica Ricketts (a winsome Acrobat opposite Carroll’s Escape Artist), and a best-yet John Paul Batista’s possessed-by-the-devil-of-dance Rudolpho.

Last but not least, Jared Cardiel, Renee Cohen, Joah Ditto, Maya Galipeau, Josh Golombeck, Tyler Luff, Carolyn Lupin, Julia Marley, and Tyler Marie Watkins (along with Batista and McKenna) go from tween to adult and back as terrifically as they are tireless, and like their fellow castmates vocalize to perfection under Jennifer Lin’s expert musical direction and orchestral baton.

Stephen Gifford’s inventive original set design frames the action with mountain-high shelves of books, books, and more books, then adds classroom/playground paraphernalia and Kevin Williams’ myriad props to the mix.

Noelle Raffy’s costumes (rented from Tuacahn Center For The Arts and presumably originally designed by an uncredited Maria Lenn) are visual treats each and every one as are Jessica Mills’ hair and wig designs, and Jose Santiago’s lighting makes all of the above look even more spectacular.

Jonathan Burke is sound designer, Debbie Bryan is makeup designer, and Alex Choate is assistant properties designer.

Francesca Barletta is assistant director. Batista is assistant choreographer.

Talia Krispel is production stage manager and Tawni Eccles and Julian Olive are assistant stage managers. Jack Allaway is technical director. Terry Fishman is dialect coach.

Like Roald Dahl’s novel before it, Matilda The Musical celebrates intelligence, family (though not necessarily the one you’re born into), and the friendships that can make life livable. Sound issues and adaptation alterations aside, that’s a message well worth cheering, particularly when it’s being delivered by 5-Star stars like these.

5-Star Theatricals, Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks.
www.5startheatricals.com

–Steven Stanley
March 22, 2019
Photos: Ed Krieger

Tags: 5-Star Theatricals, Dennis Kelly, Roald Dahl, Tim Minchin, Ventura County Theater Review