The Brilliant Matilda

One word to describe Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group’s Matilda The Musical by Roald Dahl – brilliant. Director Bobby Garcia’s meticulous eye for detail brought together a team of technical wizards, creative geniuses and accomplished actors to bring to life the Tony Award-winning musical about a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers and her journey from being raised by her cruel parents to going to school where she builds a formidable relationship with her school teacher.

Faust Peneyra’s scenic design was a work of art in itself, bookshelves filled with books in all sizes framed the stage where in one scene a carousel suddenly appeared, that is just to name a few of the masterpieces created by Faust. Matched with the impeccable lighting design of Driscoll Otto who sets the mood and tone for the whole show. Raven Ong’s costume design was a sight to behold, his attention to detail made every piece of clothing stand out in just the right way.

Bobby continues to bring one outstanding production after another and assemble a cast that would not only give justice to the material but even surpass everybody’s expectations. Theater veterans Jamie Wilson as Miss Trunchbull, Cris Villonco Valderrama as Miss Honey, Carla Guevara Laforteza and Joaquin Valdes as Matilda’s parents, Mrs. & Mr. Wormwood and Emeline Celis Guinid as Mrs. Phelps all gave a master class in acting that showcased the right amount of wit, humor, tenacity and vigor that has made them some of the most seasoned thespians in the country.

What truly brought tears to my eyes was the performance of eight year-old Uma Naomi Martin as Matilda along with the extremely talented and gifted cast of ‘Maggots’ – Miguel Suarez, Denise Arteta, Maria Ericka Peralejo, Ella Gonzalez, Chantel Marie Guinid, Rhythm Alexander, Gabo Tiongson and John Joseph Miraflores. From the moment they opened the show, we were all glued to their performance especially in the production number ‘Revolting Children’ choreographed by the incomparable Cecile Martinez.

Watching these children perform only shows that the future of theatre is bright and promising. Every scene they were in was a delight to see. And the most impressive of all is the star of the show, Uma who gave a tour-de-force performance that equaled the maturity of a seasoned actor. Each note was sung pitch perfect, every line was delivered with conviction and every moment she was on stage was something I cherished especially when she sang “Quiet”, you could hear a pin drop as the audience was enthralled with her performance.

I can go on and on and rave about the show but I will run out space for this post. For those who have not seen the show there is still a chance to watch Matilda and see the equally talented set of Matildas and Maggots as well as the multi-talented actors that are in the ensemble. They are on their last weekend at the Meralco Theater. Call Ticket World at 891-9999 or log on to https://www.ticketworld.com.ph/Online/default.asp

Performance photos courtesy of Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group