When
this British-import musical performed at last year’s Tony Awards, I enjoyed
myself but wasn’t immediately taken. The
number, a short medley performed mainly by the young ensemble, was cute and
fun, just enough to make me poke around for a little more about the show. I hadn’t read the book by Roald Dahl or seen
the film from the ‘90s, and I didn’t really get hooked until I found this older
video of the West End Matildas at the Olivier Awards. I was completely taken by this wonderful, charming
song and knew that I had to hear more.
If you
didn’t pause to watch the video (which you really should,) the song in question
is “Naughty;” though performed by all four young actresses on the telecast,
it’s a solo for the brilliant, diminutive heroine to ponder the veracity of
accepting one’s lot. She opens on
literary figures – Jack and Jill, Romeo and Juliet – wondering “why they didn’t
just change their story” and positing that so-called naughtiness is sometimes
needed to improve an unjust situation. Winningly,
she sings, “Just because you find that life’s not fair, / It doesn’t mean that
you just have to grin and bear it. / If you always take it on the chin and wear
it, / Nothing will change.” She goes on
to state that even small people with small power aren’t destined to oppression
(“You mustn’t let a little thing like ‘little’ stop you”) or being “stuck in
[their] story.” She celebrates tiny acts
of rebellion such as “the seed of a war in the creak of a floorboard” and
reminds the audience that such tiny acts are how all large-scale change
begins: “Every day starts with the tick
of a clock - / All escapes start with the click of a lock.” In the end, she acknowledges that the only
person who can change her story is herself, and she gets ready to do just that.
Catchy,
clever, and heartfelt – there’s so much packed into this number, and it
instantly spurred me to further investigate the show. Like the book, the musical tells the story of
Matilda Wormwood, a 5-year-old genius born to a depressingly-ordinary family
that couldn’t care less about her extraordinary abilities. Matters worsen when she starts school and
comes face to face with the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull, whose strictness and
inhumane punishments keep the student body in fear, and it’s up to Matilda to
stand up to the Man (or Woman, in this case.)
The
cast recording I own is from the original Stratford-Upon-Avon production,
featuring many of the same adult actors who followed the show to London and
then Broadway. The Matildas (three, all
of whom are represented on the album) were too old for the role by the time the
show moved to London and later crossed the Pond, but it’s nice to hear them on
the CD. Fun fact – the one picture above
is Kerry Ingram, who currently plays Shireen Baratheon on Game of Thrones.
None of
the other songs quite live up to the perfection of “Naughty,” but there’s still
a lot to like. Tim Minchin’s score is
bouncy and fun, and his lyrics sparkle with sly wit. The opening number, “Miracle,” is a cheeky
nod to participant-trophy culture and parents who think their unremarkable
offspring hung the moon. “When I Grow Up”
is a lovely ensemble piece, “Revolting Children” is an anthemic crowd-pleaser,
and I love the clever, quasi-acrostic flavor of “School Song.” Additionally, “Quiet,” Matilda’s other big
solo, is positively gorgeous, a real treat for any young actress. I’ve gotten tons of mileage from this CD
(literally – it frequently occupies my car stereo,) with my only complaint
being that it’s sometimes hard to move forward instead of repeating “Naughty” and
“Quiet” on a loop.
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