‘Matilda’ comes to Morgan Hill

A cast of 70 young performers will bring the magical story of an extraordinary girl to life in TheaterFun’s upcoming production of “Matilda,” directed by Carol Romo.

Showing March 27-30, the musical tells the story of a brilliant young girl with special powers who overcomes obstacles and wins hearts with her charm, cleverness and a touch of magic.

“It is a show about happiness,” said Tiffany Torres, who plays the title character. “It is about a girl who has a power that she has never felt before, and she has a family who doesn’t really support her, but when she meets her teacher, she is her new best friend.”

The production also stars Suzie Lockhart as the kind-hearted teacher “Miss Honey” and Danielle Bergot as the exacting headmistress “Miss Trunchbull.”

Romo said the show was chosen at the suggestion of her young performers.

“I asked the kids, ‘what show should we do next?’ and a couple of them said ‘Matilda!’” Romo said. “I thought, ‘wow, it’s a dark show,’ but what I think comes out of it is redemption and love.”

While the story tackles some difficult themes, including parental neglect and bullying, it ultimately delivers a powerful message about standing up for what is right.

“To me this show is about a girl making a big difference in a lot of peoples’ lives,” Lockhart said. “It has some hard parts where the children don’t always get what they want, but if they keep fighting and persevering they’re going to get it.”

Romo noted that the enthusiasm for the material was evident from the beginning, with unexpectedly high interest resulting in an unusually large and highly committed cast.

“These kids knew every word to every song on the first day of rehearsal,” she said. “That has never happened before.”

The plot centers on Matilda, a precocious child with neglectful parents who discovers she has telekinetic abilities. When sent to a school run by the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull, she finds an ally in her teacher, Miss Honey.

“Miss Trunchbull uses discipline a lot, and does not believe in kindness and happiness,” Bergot said. “Miss Honey, who is the very opposite, believes in kindness and happiness, and that is how she teaches. Miss Honey makes a very big difference in Matilda’s life, and Matilda makes a very big difference in her classmates’ lives.”

For Lockhart, Miss Honey’s growth throughout the story resonates deeply, forming a compelling subplot.

“She always lets Trunchbull push her around, and lets her do whatever she wants, because she doesn’t have a lot of strength in her to speak up,” she said. “But when Matilda comes in, she shows her that it is okay to speak up. I think she realizes that once she can actually stand up to her, she can make a difference, and help the kids to have a happy and loving school.”

Bergot has embraced the challenge of playing the villainous Trunchbull, an embittered taskmistress who rules the school with an iron fist.

“I think the Trunchbull is just a big fat mean bully,” she said. “She just wants what she wants and doesn’t really care about anyone else. Her background is that she used to be an olympic throwing hammer champion in 1989. She sings a whole song about that.”

Romo has made a concerted effort to balance the occasionally somber tale with her own glimpses of brightness by injecting humor and levity in between the darker moments.

“We put some humor in there, and any chance I saw that we could change it up a little bit, not the script but just their actions,” she said. “I was raised on Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin—they’re comics from the 50s. Superb. Everything I do has got their touch of humor to it, a little slapstick.”

The young performers have appreciated the opportunity to make the roles their own after being fans of the story.

“My favorite thing about the show is that you get to play around with how you say your lines and how you get to play around with your movements,” Torres said. “With the singing and dancing, it is super fun to learn them.”

For Lockhart, the most rewarding aspect has been seeing the production take shape.

“My favorite part is watching the show come together after everyone’s hard work pays off,” she said. “Once everyone learns their lines and everyone knows what to do, it just makes the show so much more magical.”

Bergot praised Romo’s casting choices and directorial approach.

“Every person who she cast in the role that they got is doing a phenomenal job,” she said. “I think that all of the singing and dancing and lines and movements that everybody practiced one by one, like we took every scene very slowly. Once we decided to do full run throughs and speed it up, it all came together and is looking phenomenal.”

If there’s one word that captures the essence of the production, according to Bergot, it’s “powerful.”

“It is a very powerful show,” she said. “Miss Trunchbull is powerful, but then Matilda becomes powerful. Miss Honey becomes powerful. All of the kids become powerful, powerful enough to make Miss Trunchbull less powerful.”

Romo, who initially had reservations about the show’s darker themes, now counts it among her favorites.

“It is powerful and magical. When those kids hit the stage and they start singing, it gives me goosebumps,” Romo said. “I love the show, and I didn’t think I would. I was won over.”

TheaterFun’s production of “Matilda” opens March 27 at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse.

Calvin Nuttall is a Morgan Hill-based freelance reporter.