“Miracle” – I get such a kick out of this
opening number, which plays on the idea of “perfect little angels” and “participant
trophy” culture. Scores of smug children
bask in the glow of their parents’ indiscriminate, hyperbolic praise, and in
addition to being wonderfully funny, it provides a nice contrast with the
disgust and disinterest of Matilda’s horrible parents.
Best
line: “Special-ness seems de rigueur. / Above
average is average – go figure. / Is it some modern miracle of calculus, / That
such frequent miracles don’t render each one un-miraculous?”
“Naughty” – No surprise here, since I gushed
about it in my original review. This
solo is utterly fantastic, smart and spunky.
I like the literary references that show off how extraordinary Matilda
is, and the message – in order to take control of your life, sometimes you have
to break the rules – is brilliant.
Best
line: “Even if you’re little you can do
a lot, you / Mustn’t let a little thing like ‘little’ stop you.”
“When I Grow Up” – This song, with
its lovely, simple melody, takes a short break from the action to let the kids
in the ensemble muse about life and the future.
They’re all anxious to be older, when they’ll no doubt be taller,
smarter, stronger, braver, and able to handle everything life throws at them,
yet still maintain everything they like about being young.
Best
line: “When I grow up, / I will have
treats every day, / And I’ll play with things that Mum pretends / That mums don’t
think are fun.”
“Quiet” – Another solo for Matilda, a nice 11
o’clock-ish number that depicts her breaking point. What starts as a frantic cascade of facts,
questions, and frustrations coalesces into stillness as a sudden, crystalizing
calm washes over her. A fantastic
character piece, and a treat for the young actress playing her.
Best
line: “I’m sorry – I’m not quite
explaining it right, / But this noise becomes anger, and the anger is light, /
And its burning inside me would usually fade, / But it isn’t today.”
“Revolting Children” – Here, the kids
follow Matilda’s example from back in “Naughty” – they take control by acting
up, turning Ms. Trunchbull’s adjective use of the word “revolting” into a
verb. The rock flair and anthemic chorus
bring the show to a rousing climax.
Best
line: “We will become a screaming horde!
/ Take out your hockey stick, and use it as a sword! / Never again will we be
ignored! / We’ll find out where the chalk is stored, / And draw rude pictures
on the board! / It’s not insulting; we’re revolting!”
No comments:
Post a Comment