“Matilda the Musical” at Stuttgart Theater Center (J&M Media)

The Stuttgart Theater Center’s “Matilda the Musical,” directed by Sarah Viola, is an energetic and comedic musical following young Matilda as she navigates condescending parents, her new school and a cruel headmistress.

Matilda (Juni Conant, Julia Thomson) is a brilliant young girl who has spent her life being talked down to by her parents. As she attends school for the first time, she meets her timid yet caring teacher Miss Honey (Juliette Sutton Baker). When Matilda finds out her new headmistress not only mistreats Miss Honey but the students as well, she decides enough is enough and takes matters into her own hands.

The large cast of primarily youth performers is complimented with adult leads and standout vocal talent. Some of the lead roles are double-cast and it is worth seeing both groups in this family-friendly comedy.

“Matilda the Musical” at Stuttgart Theater Center (J&M Media)

The headmistress, Ms. Trunchbull (Chaplain (LTC) Don Williamson), yells at the students and the stage goes dark except for a spotlight on Matilda. Time is nearly at a standstill and the cast in the background moves in slow motion. We feel Matilda’s visceral reaction to the mistreatment as she sings about her heart pounding and her eyes burning; and then all of a sudden it gets “Quiet.” The audience is mad at the abusive headmistress and feels Matilda’s initial fear. As the song progresses, however, we sense her hope and strength as she gets ready to take on the Trunchbull.

The simplicity of the sets allows for seamless transitions from scene to scene with moveable bookshelves used to define the space and two huge backdrop panels of expertly painted books. In addition, there are so many good props from the magical chalkboard and cup to the infamous telly. Costumes matched the austere nature of Matilda’s new school with gray, drab uniforms, wigs and occasional pops of color to indicate specific characters like Miss Honey.

“Matilda the Musical” at Stuttgart Theater Center (J&M Media)

The show is a vocal masterpiece. The singing talent of the cast is amazing, with each song expressing a full range of emotions and enhancing their ability to make the scene and music come alive. Both Conant and Thomson are especially impressive with their dedication to memorizing lines, music, languages and blocking as Matilda.

As the story progresses, Bruce Bogtrotter (Dean Miller) gets caught sneaking a piece of the Trunchbull’s chocolate cake and suffers the punishment of having to eat the entire thing. This scene has so much passion from the cast, the choreography is so much fun, and it projects so much hope and anticipation, plus Miller nails the emotion and talent in his first impressive stage performance.

“Matilda the Musical” at Stuttgart Theater Center (J&M Media)

In the end, Matilda advocates for those who are bullied and stands up against the adults who treated her poorly. She even seems to change the hearts and minds of some of them.

Reserve your tickets online or by calling the Stuttgart Theatre Center at +49 (0)711-729-3055.

Performances are held at the Kelley Theater, Bldg. 3320, Kelley Barracks