‘The show went fantastic.’

10/15/2022

“Every single night each character was developed stronger and stronger”

Jill Lander, director of the Barrow-Civic production of "Matilda the Musical

Final bow

By Jill Harry

It’s been one week since the curtain closed on the Franklin Civic Operetta’s production of “Matilda The Musical” and the excitement of the applause lingers.

“The show went fantastic,” said director Jill Lander. “It was great to see all the standing ovations and cheers. Every night ended in one. Yes, I was happy to see my vision on the stage and people love it, but for the actors to get that recognition for their hard work for months was very rewarding.”

The show was two years in the making after it was delayed due to the COVID pandemic.

When it got the green light to finally move forward late last year, Lander went to work with prep work starting in earnest in April.

By May, she had the actor for the main character identified and one-on-one rehearsals got underway.

In June the rest of the cast, many of them youth, was picked and hit the stage to master hundreds of lines, memorize a dozen fast-paced songs, and learn several dances.

“All the kids put their all into this show,” Lander said. “It was amazing to see how they developed their characters from the first day not understanding why they weren’t allowed to smile in the show until the end.

The second they all put on their costumes it was like a lightbulb went off and the development they made was strong and amazing.”

On September 30, the curtain opened on their seven-show run.

“At first it was really nerve-racking,” recalled sixth-grader Ella Fleeger, who played the title role of Matilda. “Then it was like we were just doing dress rehearsal again.”

Then it was two and a half hours of pranks, dark comedy, and a zany but happy ending.

The musical tells the story of bookworm Matilda who starts school and meets the despicable headmistress Miss Trunchbull, played by Shawn Clerkin, a terrifying personality on stage but quite the opposite behind the curtain, a combination that at times tested Fleeger’s ability to stay in character.

“He (Clerkin) was very supportive and very funny,” Fleeger said. “It was hard to act scared when he was looking at me ‘cause he would raise his eyebrows and it was funny.”

"I also had a tough time playing a character who bullied (Ella's) sweet and honest Matilda. Yes, sometimes we smiled and winked at each other during some of our onstage “freezes”, Clerkin said.

“Shawn was always funny, always nice to all the kids and he was a really kind person,” said fourth-grader Lily Black, who played Matilda’s classmate Hortensia. “He was also full of stories.”

Quite the description of a person who, on stage, called both girls and their peers “maggots” and Matilda “a gangster.”

“The kids love him,” Lander said of Clerkin.

While Fleeger and Black both listed the silly Rudolpho, played by Ryan Carter, as their favorite persona due to his silliness, Lander said it was difficult to pick just one character.

“Every single night each character was developed stronger and stronger,” Lander said.

It was the fun, team atmosphere that had Fleeger and Black giving their “Matilda” theatre experience top reviews with a high recommendation for others to give it a try.

“Be prepared to have a lot of responsibility,” Black said. “You have to learn a lot of dances and it takes a lot of time, but you meet a lot of great people. I’d do it again.”

“Go for it,” Fleeger said. “It is very much worth it.”

These are the final stories in a series about the recent Barrow-Civic performance of "Matilda The Musical" written by Jill Harry. The series followed the making of Matilda from auditions to standing ovations.

Becoming Matilda

“Matilda The Musical” is the tale of a little girl who bravely steps forward to take control of her own story. She stands up against the bullies at home and school to defend herself and others, and along the way inspires others to do the same. She is a small girl with a wild imagination and a big persona.

Five months ago, Cranberry Elementary School student Ella Fleeger, who measures less than 5 feet tall, timidly stepped up to portray that small but mighty literary character in the Franklin Civic Operetta Association’s production of the musical. It was a large order for a soft-spoken pre-teen.

Over the next several weeks, she mastered hundreds of lines, memorized two large solos, and learned several dances. Then on September 30, she took the stage with the type of bravery associated the under-loved genius and became Matilda.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Ella a few times during the show’s rehearsal schedule. Our introduction was her shy personality was quite evident. Her answers were polite but reserved.

Our next meeting was several weeks later and dominated by her excited peers, who clearly respected her abilities and boisterously said so. Ella, however, mostly sat quietly and spoke humbly when speaking at all. It was much the same during our next encounter at dress rehearsal, though there was a change in her mannerisms.

Perhaps she had sprouted by a bit above her self-reported height of 4-foot, 11-inches, but she seemed to walk a bit taller even if it was on the same soft footing.

Two nights ago, we had a brief phone conversation about the show, our first chance to talk since it had opened. Gone were the two- or three-word answers, and in their place were eloquently expressed replies.

She spoke about the nerves of walking out onto the stage between her castmates for the first time, singing her favorite song “Quiet,” and the final moments of each performance – her standing alone on the stage under the blue/purple lights.

"She really embraced her character with all the positivity Matilda possessed," fellow cast member Shawn Clerkin said of Fleeger. "Ella had a great demeanor and was supportive of all the actors on stage. While some young actors can be influenced by having a major role, she saw herself as just a regular member of the cast."

In May, Ella said she like to do theatre because of the audience’s reactions. “I think they will react in a good way if I do a good job,” she predicted.

During the two-week run, she received a standing ovation following each performance.

“I almost cried and I am not a crier,” Fleeger said about watching the crowds stand in applause as she and her castmates sang during bows. “Sometimes, I almost started crying, ‘cause it was very, very exciting.”

She said Matilda is likely to follow her around for some time with people recognizing her as she gets back to doing many of the things she had to put aside in order to do the show. “It’s nice to have some free time,” she said of her life since the show ended. “Right now, I’m getting back into basketball and HOLeY Jeans. In the future, I hope to do more theatre.”