Cappies Review: 'Matilda The Musical' At Thomas Jefferson High School

By Lauren Irish of St. Stephens & St. Agnes School

A certain "Smell of Rebellion" wafted through Alexandria on the night of April 30. Its source? Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology! With technical prowess, the high school theater production team brought a technologically avant-garde Matilda to the stage, surprising the audience with their innovations while maintaining the classic tale of a little girl who wishes to be loved.

Written in 1988, the musical exploded in popularity upon reaching the Broadway stage in 2013. The story is about a little girl named Matilda and her family who condemns her gender and intelligence. Only when she goes to school is her intellectual potential recognized by her teacher and many of her peers (to the dismay of her principal, Miss Trunchbull). Most dance numbers in this piece require childlike movements while the children dance along, and because the story takes place in Great Britain, a British accent is firmly required both in speaking and singing. Additionally, the set must be flexible as it changes alongside her words, due to Matilda's storytelling throughout the musical.

This musical requires a production team to be able to recognize and execute the smaller aspects of the show to fully portray all of the themes that run throughout it, and the Thomas Jefferson team took this challenge head-on and excelled. Each song was choreographed with careful consideration to the mood and characters performing, and every musical number included interaction with the set, creating a dynamically realistic experience for the audience. As expected from a school that prides itself on its intense STEM program, technology and engineered props and set parts were incorporated into nearly every aspect of the production. From swings that descended from the ceiling, to blocks that lit up following the lyrics of "Revolting Children," the TJ production team pulled out all the stops in order to present to the audience a fresh take on the story of Matilda that went past what was expected of a high school theater program.

Sarina Saran, portraying the curious and imaginative Matilda, maintained a British accent throughout the entire show, even when songs required vocal difficulty. Despite being a senior at Thomas Jefferson, Saran was able to control her pitch and body posture and act brilliantly as a six-year-old girl who could act mature beyond her years.

With the parents of Matilda written to be cruel and abusive, it is difficult to portray another villain to be harsher and more feared than the former characters. The role of Miss Agatha Trunchbull is a difficult one with songs such as "The Smell of Rebellion" containing many tongue-twisting and fast-paced lyrics that can trip up any amateur actor or actress. Ryan Lien could not have been a more perfect fit to play this tricky character and conquered the difficult lines and choreography with ease.

Regarding special effects and technology, the Thomas Jefferson team went above and beyond in these aspects. Along with the working swings and light-up blocks, they incorporated smoke effects (to mimic a burp when Bruce, played by Cyrus Rivers, eats a massive slice of cake), a disco ball, and a gate that characters could climb on and that lit up letters of the alphabet that slid down the cracks like Connect 4 pieces.

It was a technological "Miracle" on stage and a performance that demonstrated what a high school production team can be capable of if they put their minds to it.