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ROYAL OAK — The next show to be presented by Stagecrafters will be running throughout this month.
Stagecrafters’ production of “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical” will be performed April 7–23 at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette Ave. in Royal Oak.
“Matilda” is the story of a little girl with “wit, intelligence, and psychokinetic powers,” a press release states. “Unloved by her cruel parents and picked on by her school’s mean headmistress, Matilda faces obstacles with courage and cleverness in equal amounts.”
Director Theresa Williams will be making her main stage Stagecrafters directing debut with “Matilda,” though she has directed multiple shows through the company’s youth theater program.
She said in an email that “Matilda” is a fun and energetic show, but also one that is touching, sad and scary.
“I wanted to transition my experience working with the youth theatre program onto the Main Stage, and a family friendly show with kids in the cast was a perfect fit,” she said. “I was also intrigued by the technical elements that are required.”
Williams said rehearsals have been going well and that the cast has been working hard to get ready for the show’s debut.
“The most rewarding aspect of this process has been watching all of the elements come together,” she said. “I have been planning this specific production of Matilda for over three years and I can’t wait to finally see what’s been in my head appear on stage.”
Matilda will be played by 10-year-old Cora Steiger, of Oxford. While she hasn’t read the book, Steiger has seen the movie adaptation and said she wanted to portray Matilda because the show looked fun.
“I enjoy acting like somebody else,” she said. “It’s really fun being able to be somebody else, to see how they act.”
She is looking forward to performing the musical.
“You get to show friends and family that this is something that you love doing and you get to show them why you love doing it,” she said.
Steiger also felt the same as Williams about getting to work with the cast. In learning the role, she said, she also saw similarities between herself and Matilda because of their small stature and love of reading.
Steiger said she’s excited for everyone to see the musical.
“I am so excited because this is like my first big role and it’s all about Matilda,” she said. “And with everything coming along, with having the orchestra come, and getting the set all together, and seeing it all put together is always amazing. And then (people) I haven’t seen in a while are coming to see me, and that makes me really happy that I get to see them and I get to show them this. It’s just so, so exciting.”
Tickets cost $35 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances, and $25 for Thursday night performances. A $3 ticket fee is applied to each ticket. The show begins at 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets can be purchased at stagecrafters.org or by calling (248) 541-6430.
“Everybody has been working so hard on the show for so long,” Williams said. “I can guarantee that this production of Matilda will be unlike anything audiences could imagine.”
