Curtains rise for the opening night of Matilda
December 5, 2019
An aspiring playwriter, senior Chloe Zonis sits down with Wingspan to talk about her passion for the stage.
In the title role of Matilda, sophomore Jane Wester sings in the opening act. Students have been preparing for the musical since August, however, after the show completed, many students found themselves catching up on missed school work.
In the school’s production of Matilda, sophomore Connor Burke sings in the role of Miss Trunchbull. In the Broadway production, Trunchbull is typically placed by a male actor, to give her a more stern persona.
Conducting the pit ensemble, orchestra director Julie Blackstock has been rehearsing music with students for weeks. The pit orchestra performs in the musical annually and consists of orchestra and band students
Watching orchestra director Julie Blackstock conduct, sophomore Seoyeon Stephanie Chung plays piano with the pit ensemble.
In the fourth musical number of Matilda, junior, violinist Hwanhee Lee glances at his music.
Lifted up by her fellow cast members, sophomore Mia Tremmel prepares to sing in the role of Bruce.
Burk, playing Miss Trunchbull, yells at Matilda, played by Jane Wester, as her classmates look on with fear at theatre’s production of Matilda first semester.
One of the most popular musicals of the last decade hits the campus stage Thursday starting at 7 p.m. as the theatre department puts on its debut performance of Matilda the Musical.
Heather Willingham, director of the theater arts program, fell in love with the music when she first heard it, and is excited to see the production come together.
“Every year we challenge ourselves more and more to see what we can do,” Willingham said. “This year we’ve really stepped up the challenge. My students are also a big part of the design process. A lot of the stuff you see on set, on lights, and sound is coming directly from them.”
Preparing for the role as Ms. Trunchbull, the headmistress and antagonist of the musical, sophomore Connor Burk invested a lot of time into researching the demeanour and personality his character.
“I looked through all the different versions of the musical as I could and all the people who have played her before,” Burk said. “I think something that really helps is the makeup and costume because it’s kind of different playing an old woman wearing a skirt and heels versus dressing like a normal teenager. It helps you get into character better.”
Sophomore Jane Wester, who plays the lead role as Matilda in the production, thinks that the experience has helped her to learn more about performing in front of an audience.
“Probably my biggest takeaway has been that character development is just as important as writing a book or in a TV show or film,” Wester said. “It’s just as important on the stage, maybe even more because you don’t get a second chance. The audience are seeing it in the moment, and you want to make it as interesting as possible for them throughout the show.”
