Review: ‘Matilda the Musical’ star Gabrielle Gutierrez, 11, dazzles at The Smith Center
For the first time in the five-year history of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, I believe, a mechanical problem brought the first act of “Matilda the Musical” to a crushing halt on its opening night Tuesday evening. The curtain came down to avoid an onstage collision between a scenic wall of word bricks and classroom of sit-down desks sliding in to take its place.
But the mishap, which stopped production for just a little more than 5 minutes, didn’t faze 11-year-old Gabrielle Gutierrez in the title role. She stunned, dazzled, wowed, amazed and astonished with her calm confidence, lengthy monologues, script delivery and singing voice. Simply extraordinary!
In fact, all the kids in this story of rebellion against headmistress authority are delightful. When they do their gym choreography of tumbling over a vault horse and lift high off the stage on old-fashioned swings above the audience, it’s as if you are watching future Cirque du Soleil athletes. Their dance routine atop, under and around desks is wonderfully refreshing choreography.
There also is a collective audible sigh followed by cheering in the audience when the wicked headmistress demonstrates her Olympic hammer-throwing skills by launching a pig-tailed girl into midair before she falls down from the rafters saved at the last second by her school chums.
The Monty Python-type sketch against the evils of “Telly” that starts the second act is a hoot as the smarmy second-hand car salesman father of Matilda, Mr. Wormwood played by Matt Harrington, is in total denial that his wife, Mrs. Wormwood played by Darcy Stewart, gave birth to a girl instead of a boy!
You really want to cheer when Matilda switches the hair dye in her parents’ boudoir, and his turns bright green. Later she puts Crazy Glue on the rim of his trilby, and the hat remains stuck to that hair for the rest of the show.
Right up until the end of this dark-comedy musical showing the disgraceful, authoritative rules of English schooling, you are confused about whether this will have a happy ending. The Rio headliners Penn & Teller would be impressed by the blackboard that spelled out sentences by itself and moving cup of water.
Then suddenly the dark clouds lift, and the sun shines in joy as the rambunctious kids and their teacher, Miss Honey played by Jennifer Bowles, win out over nasty Miss Trunchbull brilliantly played by Dan Chameroy. He has just the right amount of misguided misery and belligerent bullying in the role that reminded me of my biology teacher — a form military Major — when I was back home in school uniform shorts.
“Matilda,” at The Smith Center through Sunday, is a fun, exuberant evening of theater; wonderful, uplifting story from author Roald Dahl; joyous, boisterous work of music and lyrics; and brilliant performance from a terrific cast. It’s such a grand, high-spirited experience that even if you paid full price only to sneak in for the frolicking finale of the entire cast taking bows and applause on different-colored, two-wheel roller scooters, that alone is worth the price of admission. Bravo to all!