Welcome to Carl Sandburg Middle School's production of Matilda Jr.
Matilda is based on Roald Dahl's famous 1988 children's novel of the same name. It is an ode to the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination. Matilda is a little girl with impressive wit and intelligence, as well as special powers! Unfortunately, she has horrible parents who do not recognize her abilities or show her love. When she arrives at school, Matilda impresses her schoolteacher, Miss Honey. But Matilda's school life is not easy--the school has a horrible headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, who hates children and loves to come up with horrible punishments for the "maggots" who do not obey her rules. Luckily, Matilda has courage, cleverness, and kindness in equal measure, and she just might be what the school needs to finally stand up to their biggest bully!
After producing a virtual production of High School Musical Jr. last year, it is a pleasure to be back on the Sandburg stage. Matilda Jr. is a show I have wanted to do for a long time. It is a story that reminds us not to underestimate the underdog, and that heroes often come in unexpected packages. It felt like the perfect show to do this year to welcome students back into our program.
The fifty plus students have done a wonderful job making this show come to life. While some of our cast spent this year getting reacclimated to the stage, most of them are performing in a musical for the first time! Their passion and dedication is evident, and I know you will be proud of what they have accomplished. As Matilda says throughout the show: "Even if you're little, you can do a lot."
I would like to thank my fellow directors for their dedication to this production. I would also like to thank the students for their many hours of work and for their endless enthusiasm. Finally, I would like to thank all of the parents, teachers, friends and family members who volunteered their time and talents to make our show a success.
-Rebecca Douglass, Director
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
Matilda was first commissioned and produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered at The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England on 9 November 2010. It transferred to the Cambridge Theatre in the West End of London on 25 October 2011 and received its US premiere at the Shubert Theatre, Broadway, USA on 4 March 2013.
Orchestrations and Additional Music – Chris Nightingale
