“You gotta give yourself permission to shine!” Welcome to Freedom Theatre’s production of Matilda the Musical, where every person big or small can shine in their own light, whether you’re on stage, backstage, or in the audience! This fast paced musical is centered around a young girl named Matilda, who has neglectful parents she struggles to connect with, and a primary school principal whose main hobby is bullying the students at her school. The story has a happy ending, with Matilda’s parents choosing to accept her as she is and allow her to have a better life, and with Principal Trunchbull receiving justice for her bad deeds.
This process has had particular challenges, with a compressed and atypical rehearsal schedule that overlapped with our One-Act Play Festival. The dedication and passion for theatre arts in this program never ceases to astound me, and while this has been a stressful Winter season, my students never wavered in their love of this art form. I am grateful that theatre arts are alive and well at Freedom High School, that these students have gotten a chance to perform another musical together during their time here. The last four years have thrown a lot our way, and I am proud of my students for the soul they have put into this musical.
This show holds a special place in my heart, since the 1996 movie was my favorite as a child. I remember running around with the VHS tape, begging adults to play it for me. To be able to realize this incredible story of perseverance on stage has been a true honor, and I am so glad to share it with you today. Overall, the musical has a positive message about standing up for what is right regardless of the obstacles, and children young and old love the tale. The concept for our show, developed collaboratively with my head techs, is that Matilda lives in a real world with real problems, but it is painted by the magic of her imagination.
Without the passion and creativity of this cast and crew, our play could not have come together to be the production you are watching tonight. I am deeply honored to be a part of such a creative and quirky group of young artists, and I would like to express my extreme gratitude for the hard work put into this production. The outstanding parent support provided the backbone for this show to succeed, while the sincere dedication of the actors and technicians allowed its grace. Thank you to Ally Dugan, my assistant director, for her leadership and imagination, and Riley Burns and Ella Walters for their inventive choreography. Thank you to Sara Prince and Justin Streletz for their music direction, Barrett Disse-Garrison for her choreography guidance, and thank you to Jay Bercher and Barb Oliphant for guiding the show’s technical teams. It took the commitment of every person involved to make this show successful, and I could not be more proud of the work we have created together.
