‘Matilda’ bringing music, fun to SCHS

Shawano Community High School is going to make audiences believe in the power of magic again as it brings the musical version of “Matilda” to its stage over the weekend.

Giant books and blocks and floating chalk writing on chalkboards are just some of the things folks will see in the show, which kicks off Feb. 2 and runs through the weekend.

The show follows Matilda Wormwood, a 6-year-old girl with interesting powers, and the abuse she suffers in life — first at the hands of her no-good parents and, then, the sadistic headmistress of Crunchem Hall, Miss Trunchbull, who believes it is better to shatter young minds than educate them.

“Matilda” is bringing back one SCHS musical tradition that has been dormant for several years. The cast includes not only high school students, but also students from some of the younger grades.

“We decided on ‘Matilda’ because we saw it as an opportunity to not just have some of the high school students, but also some of the middle school students and potentially even younger students,” said co-director Alex Konen. “Younger voices are needed in the ‘Matilda’ class of students.”

Konen’s counterpart, Matthew Pfantz, sees bringing back the tradition as an opportunity to introduce younger students to theater in the hopes that future productions can feature more talent as the pandemic derailed the theater program along with others at SCHS. He noted that the Destination Imagination program is available in the younger grades, but it doesn’t have them involved with lengthy theatrical productions, such as “Matilda.”

“We’re using it as a recruitment tool and a way to build the program with getting people interested in theater at a younger age,” Pfantz said.

The show’s titular character is an example of perseverance in an uncaring world, according to Pfantz.

“‘Matilda’ is a show about a young girl who has a pretty difficult life,” he said. “She does connect with her parents. She does connect with many adult figures. She doesn’t have a lot of friends, and she’s trying to make it through life the best way she knows how. Throughout the process of going through these troubling things, she kind of develops her own way of coping with things.”

Pfantz noted that receiving magical powers does allow Matilda to connect with one teacher, Miss Honey, and create friendships with some of her classmates.

“At the end, she finds the family she’s always wanted,” Pfantz said.

He noted that the premise is similar to the 1996 film that most know and love. There is a newer musical version currently being shown on Netflix. However, the SCHS show has more music than the film versions, Pfantz said.

“This is more set for the stage than the screen,” he said.

Konen added that the stage version has subtler examples of Matilda’s magic than the movie version, but there will be some interesting bits in the show for audiences to enjoy.

“In the movie, she’s literally flying kids around in the air,” Konen said. “That’s not something that happens in this iteration.”

Pfantz said the students are connecting because of the classic film but are enjoying the newer music that comes with the stage show. He noted it’s a departure from musicals done by SCHS in that it’s more playful and fun than “Little Women” and “The Sound of Music.”

“They remember how fun it was and how childlike it was and how imaginative it was in the’90s with that movie,” Pfantz said. “They were really excited when we announced it — ‘Oh, this will be a lot of fun.’”

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: "Matilda"

WHEN:  7 p.m. Feb. 2-4, 2 p.m. Feb. 5

WHERE: Shawano Community High School, auditorium, 220 County Road B, Shawano

TICKETS: $12 adults, $9 seniors, $6 children. Tickets available at www.shawanotheater.ludus.com.