Astronomical—that's the word that was dancing through my mind after this weekend's adaptation of 'Matilda The Musical,' presented by the Western Illinois University Department of Fine Arts and Communication. With the knowledge that Matilda Wormwood (played by Olivia Colley) devoured through the power of reading, she not only taught her friends and classmates (played by Liam Alexander, Alyssa Clauson, Finnley Colley, Yuki Deng, Emily Dixon, Nico Hadley, Eva Hammersley, Anya & Finn Hartnett, Olivia Hawkins, Talecia King, Skyler Louden, Ella Mason, Kallie & Mykka Merrill, Caitlyn & Megan Potts, Vera Schmidt, Gwen & Nora Severs, Anna Szabo and Anna & Nora Von Kannon) what she learned from each of her readings but also how to apply and harness that power to eradicate the evil of those who try to put you down—not only during the most impressionable years of anyone's life: adolescence—but throughout life as well. Based on Matilda's wit, she guided her friends to understand that it's all about how one drives to the stars on silver wings, which is such a crucial lesson to hold onto dearly for the rest of your life. And you don't need telekinetic powers to earn your silver wings.
At the start of her journey of self-discovery, poor Matilda could be compared to the Linda Ronstadt song, 'When Will I Be Loved?' Having been mistreated, put down, and pushed around by her parents Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood (played by Andrew Kluesner and Emma Thomas, respectively), since birth, Matilda quickly learned how to 'stick it to the man' by pulling pranks that not only made her and the crowd laugh uncontrollby, but also provided relief from the most stressful parts of her life until she meets her adversary, Miss. Agatha Trunchbull (played by Delaney Bartlow). Bartlow, I'll give you this: your portrayal of Trunchbull was spot on. I often squirmed in my seat, fearing you'd put me in the 'Chokey' for not sitting up properly or for staring at you too intently, trying to craft the perfect words to compliment your performance. I love a good villain, and Bartlow takes the crown as the overwhelmingly imposing headmistress.
Of course, not everything in Matilda's life was downright gloomy. She experienced moments of joy, thanks to two advocates who not only encouraged her beyond her potential—knowing she could succeed despite her family's barriers—but also gave her unconditional love that truly saved her life and motivated her to keep going: Miss. Honey (played by Breahna Lesemann) and Mrs. Phelps (played by Julia Kluesner). Her friends and classmates—Bruce (Everett Mealiff), Lavender (Cecilia Kluesner), Amanda (Vida Schmidt), Nigel (Lachlan Alveshere), Eric (Remy Sensor), Alice (Karsyn Dorethy), Hortensia (Ada Mealiff), and Tommy (Kai Adkins-Covert)—were the fasteners that provided the extra boost, embodying the theme of friendship beyond the classroom—a bond that's becoming increasingly rare in today's society.
With the help of her friends and Miss. Honey's approval led to Matilda's theme song changing from 'When Will I Be Loved' to Twisted Sister's 'We're Not Gonna Take It,' as she found the courage to fight not just for her own rights, but for those she cared about the most. Any act of rightful defiance must be done with strength, and for this production, it brought not only satisfaction from the crew but also a standing ovation from the crowd watching this long-anticipated moment. Oh, how many of us wish we had the courage to stand up to those who wrong us. I believe this show inspired many of us.
I'd be remiss not to include the rest of the cast, who also acted as the backbone of this play, and whose narratives were each pieced together into marvelous moments in the show -.the Doctor (Amelia Wilson), Entertainer (Andrew Winder), the Escapologist (Tim Mealiff), the Acrobat (Ana de Oliveira), Rudolpho (Tyler Lucas), Sergei (Corda Adkins-Covert) and the rest of the Ensemble (Whitney Christophe, Lily Heitz, Hailie Hendrix, Jiwon Kim, Nelson Padgett and Timothy Todd).
Indeed, it's hard to forget the musicians who contributed to the musical aspect of the show and evoked the rollercoaster of emotions many of us experienced throughout this two-hour play - Aaron Ames, Sharon Nott, Madalyn Pridemore, Darren Woods, Tyler Demaree, Anthony Jameson, Addison Clow, Jamie Thurman-Keup, Philip Kelle, Nicole Gillotti, Bruce Briney and Darin McDonald. To the artistic and production staff, the heart and soul of every production, our sense of wonder and understanding would be lost without your essential wisdom in conveying the mood. Never lose that drive.
But the biggest tip of my hat and bundles of flowers I'd like to figuratively give go to Meagan Morrow (Director), Ethan Ivey (Musical Director), Donald Laney (Choreographer) and Tammy Killian (Producer), who brought this beloved Roald Dahl novel to life by highlighting the importance of Matilda and this young lady's friends. You all presented a magical gift by reminding us how much unity, friendship, hope and wonder can mean to people. I know that each of you, along with the entire cast and the talented crew behind the scenes, made William T. “Billy” Clow profoundly proud to know that his spirit lives on with all of you, the College of Fine Arts, but most importantly, the stage where you tell these beautiful and heartwarming stories.
Congratulations to everyone who was a part of this year's SummerStage. You all earned your silver wings this past weekend!
