"And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through."
-David Bowie
Kids understand more than we give them credit for. I've said this many times in my responses in this class, but I mean it more here than I ever did before. I think the difference between children and adults is a topic that Roald Dahl was always trying to bring up. Across all his works, we can see clear patterns in the characteristics and behaviors of the adult characters. A few words we could throw out would be neglectful, rude, evil, ugly, fowl, or biting. Whether we're talking about the treacherous Trunchbull or the ambiguously mean Willy Wonka, the adults all have an air about them that separates them from the children. One exception to this rule, however, is the character of Miss Honey in Matilda. I spent a long time wondering what the reasoning behind making Miss Honey a nice adult was, and came up with a few different answers. A possible explanation is that the child-genius Matilda needed to have at least someone on her side--someone who could eventually take care of her. Or perhaps it is that Dahl didn't necessarily think ALL adults were evil. However, the answer that I think works best in accordance with the subject matter of the musical and book is this: Miss Honey is not really an adult. In this reimagining of the beloved children's book, the biggest overarching theme that I could pull out was that of bravery being the most important tool for change in ones life. The children are all portrayed as beautiful, wonderful, eager to love and learn humans; the adults are all portrayed as the opposite. Miss Honey survives the story as a kind compassionate woman, yet still upholds dishonorable traits--she is scared, beaten down, and a pushover. I submit that Miss Honey, in Roald Dahl's eyes, is not actually an adult. She instead is the child of the story, and Matilda takes the role of the adult as she guides Miss Honey to find her voice and her courage.
To tie in this musical with our discussion on experimentation is quite easy. It's clear that when you sit down to watch this show there is a lot at work that is unconventional and non-traditional. Right from the start, we are thrown into choreography that resembles the wild energy of children. Everything is really sharp and perfectly timed--the children dance by hitting specific poses. As they sing about how their parents think they're miracles, they jump and yell and do naughty things, and it's very contrapuntal. When Matilda is introduced, we also get to see the difference between her and her classmates, because she instead sings of how her parents say she's a "nasty little worm" or a "bore." Matilda is subjected to abuse throughout the entire musical, but remains level-headed and calm and wise about the situation. She knows when people are being unfair, and she knows that she deserves something better than what she has. Her choreography for her solo numbers is really influenced by boxing and karate--she hits battle poses and strikes the air with her hands more than others. This stylized dancing is reflective of her inner desires and motivations to fight to get what she needs. So, at first glance, while the choreography seems very strange and unrealistic, it's actually reflective of the nature of children and their desires to be heard and taken seriously.
The design also is experimental in its own way. The color scheme seems to be bright greens, pinks, and blues--brighter than you think they'd be. Set pieces seem to glow, and the lighting enhances the weirdness of it all. I've noticed a certain grossness that exists with Roald Dahl's works. He understands the appeal of weird and nasty to children. Everything from the clothing the parents wear to the insults Trunchbull makes is a little bit gross, and it's really refreshing. I think we need to see the contrast between our world and this particular world in order for the aesthetic to tell a message. Perhaps children need to know that the weirdness is a cue for them to understand that the bad evil adults are metaphors or exaggerations. I think it's probably important for children's media to be fantastical for them to make the distinction between reality and fiction.
One more thing I want to reiterate is the adult-ness of Matilda. I think portraying such a young girl as so mature and controlled and smart is a really honorable way of portraying a child. THere are children that I think feel and act this way. They are small adults in tiny bodies and are quite aware of their shortcomings and their disadvantages. I think more children are like this than we are aware of. There's a nice number called "When I Grow Up" in the musical in which the kids dictate what they want and will do when they grow up and can make their own decisions. They sing idealistically about how they will "watch cartoons until [their] eyes go square" or "eat sweet everyday" or "go to bed late every night." This is their anthem of advocation for some kind of charge in their lives and is a bit sad because we, the adults, know that they won't ever get there. Those children that sing that song are then followed by Miss Honey arriving on stage and singing a verse that reflects her own follies:
This is then followed by Matilda singing about her own personal convictions :
The two verses sung next to each other provide us with the ultimate insight to the inner emotions and expressions of the characters, and provide a nice thematically framework for the theme. We learn here that Matilda, though small and young, is the one who understands more about what life requires. Miss Honey remains the child, stunted and afraid, and in need of help from her smaller counterpart.
Overall, it's a very beautiful musical that has an important message and then is just filled with energy and imagination and fun. I feel it's one of the smartest and most cohesive works I've ever seen on stage.
To tie in this musical with our discussion on experimentation is quite easy. It's clear that when you sit down to watch this show there is a lot at work that is unconventional and non-traditional. Right from the start, we are thrown into choreography that resembles the wild energy of children. Everything is really sharp and perfectly timed--the children dance by hitting specific poses. As they sing about how their parents think they're miracles, they jump and yell and do naughty things, and it's very contrapuntal. When Matilda is introduced, we also get to see the difference between her and her classmates, because she instead sings of how her parents say she's a "nasty little worm" or a "bore." Matilda is subjected to abuse throughout the entire musical, but remains level-headed and calm and wise about the situation. She knows when people are being unfair, and she knows that she deserves something better than what she has. Her choreography for her solo numbers is really influenced by boxing and karate--she hits battle poses and strikes the air with her hands more than others. This stylized dancing is reflective of her inner desires and motivations to fight to get what she needs. So, at first glance, while the choreography seems very strange and unrealistic, it's actually reflective of the nature of children and their desires to be heard and taken seriously.
The design also is experimental in its own way. The color scheme seems to be bright greens, pinks, and blues--brighter than you think they'd be. Set pieces seem to glow, and the lighting enhances the weirdness of it all. I've noticed a certain grossness that exists with Roald Dahl's works. He understands the appeal of weird and nasty to children. Everything from the clothing the parents wear to the insults Trunchbull makes is a little bit gross, and it's really refreshing. I think we need to see the contrast between our world and this particular world in order for the aesthetic to tell a message. Perhaps children need to know that the weirdness is a cue for them to understand that the bad evil adults are metaphors or exaggerations. I think it's probably important for children's media to be fantastical for them to make the distinction between reality and fiction.
One more thing I want to reiterate is the adult-ness of Matilda. I think portraying such a young girl as so mature and controlled and smart is a really honorable way of portraying a child. THere are children that I think feel and act this way. They are small adults in tiny bodies and are quite aware of their shortcomings and their disadvantages. I think more children are like this than we are aware of. There's a nice number called "When I Grow Up" in the musical in which the kids dictate what they want and will do when they grow up and can make their own decisions. They sing idealistically about how they will "watch cartoons until [their] eyes go square" or "eat sweet everyday" or "go to bed late every night." This is their anthem of advocation for some kind of charge in their lives and is a bit sad because we, the adults, know that they won't ever get there. Those children that sing that song are then followed by Miss Honey arriving on stage and singing a verse that reflects her own follies:
"When I grow up,
I will be brave enough to fight the creatures
That you have to fight beneath your bed
Each night, to be a grown up."
This is then followed by Matilda singing about her own personal convictions :
"Just because you find that life's not fair
It doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it.
Even if you're little you can do a lot
You shouldn't let a little thing like little stop you."
The two verses sung next to each other provide us with the ultimate insight to the inner emotions and expressions of the characters, and provide a nice thematically framework for the theme. We learn here that Matilda, though small and young, is the one who understands more about what life requires. Miss Honey remains the child, stunted and afraid, and in need of help from her smaller counterpart.
Overall, it's a very beautiful musical that has an important message and then is just filled with energy and imagination and fun. I feel it's one of the smartest and most cohesive works I've ever seen on stage.
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