Matilda The Musical Comes to The Valley
Contributed by Brenda Davis
Once upon a time, there was a girl who was trapped. This is the story of her great escape! Matilda is the tale of a brilliant child who has been ignored by her parents. Based on the 1988 novel Matilda by Roald Dahl, this wonderful story is brought to life on the Glenn Massay stage June 2-June 10, 2023.
Director Bronsen Stewart says of the production, “It took a lot of back and forth before finally deciding on Matilda The Musical! But after thinking about it over and over again and falling in love with the music, I realized that this is the story that needs to be told right now! With all the negative and hateful events going on in the world, Matilda stands out above it all and will bring joy to the audience! The message is truly inspiring to younger kids and young adults who are about to go out and start their lives! On top of that, I wanted to pick a show that would genuinely showcase the insanely talented abilities of this cast. We’re bringing more challenging choreography, wonderful vocals, and a story that can only be told with the energy and the heart of this cast! With a crew like this, you’re sure to see a truly remarkable and highly energetic stage production this June!
Another bonus for me personally is that It’s been so much fun building another set with my dad, Tim Stewart. He was the mastermind that designed and built all the Audrey II plants from our production of Little Shop of Horrors last October. I enjoy working with my dad and set building gives us an opportunity to spend quality time together doing something we both really enjoy.”
A-List Productions brings together a talented cast of 20 local actors, singers and dancers and will be joined by eight members of Enliven Dance Studio. This production has ambitious choreography directed by Pam Burlingame.
Colony High sophomore Hailey Willis plays the leading role of Matilda and says, “I am super excited for the opportunity I was given to play Matilda in this show! Matilda is such a fun character to learn and flesh out, and I love playing her! I’ve been in many productions but the cast of this show truly stand out to me by how talented and professional they are. Everyone is so kind and every practice is so much fun.”
Burton Shields says: “I enjoy tackling the role of The Trunchbull so much! The amount of evilness with order that she conducts is so cruel yet so exhilarating to portray. The first time I saw the show I noticed the ABSOLUTE POWERHOUSE that made her iconic. I just knew I had to be in those shoes! Screaming at children is a plus!”
Seasoned actress Aspen Bakner has played many roles including Ursula in The Little Mermaid as well as The Wardrobe in Beauty and The Beast. This time around Aspen is happy to play a kinder, sweeter role. When asked about playing the role of Miss Honey, Aspen said “I’m so excited to be portraying such a loved character. As I’m studying the role, I’m realizing how much of a kind soul Miss Honey is. She’s so selfless and such an excellent example to all her students. On the other side, she has so much self-doubt which I feel is very relatable to many people, including myself. It is heartbreaking to know someone as kind as she thinks so low of herself. It’s been very interesting working through her doubts because I feel like it’s so obvious to the audience how wonderful she is. This is also my first “soft” role as I’ve been calling it.
I’m usually cast as the villain or the loud out-of-this-world character so it's been a huge transition to learn the role of a normal person with normal wants and doubts. This is my last show here in the valley before I move to the lower 48 so I’m definitely planning on giving it my all and going out with a bang, which won’t be hard with a show like MATILDA!”
Matilda is an extremely intelligent child and a math genius says, “What I really like is reading! It’s like a holiday in your head!”
Mr. Wormwood, Matilda’s father, is played by Porter Reynolds who had this to say about his experience: “It’s an awesome opportunity to portray someone as notable as Mr. Wormwood. I grew up watching Danny DeVito’s portrayal of Mr. Wormwood and this is a dream come true for me! This is my first attempt at playing a mean character and I’m loving it!”
To promote your business in our playbill, please email healthyhomealaska@gmail.com or call 907-232-8160
To learn about future productions and audition dates follow A-List Productions on Facebook and on their website at A-List Matilda runs for two weekends only from June 2-10 so get your tickets as soon as possible at: Alist.booktix.com all tickets $20