Matilda The Musical (Chicago)

A fantastic show! Great cast of characters, entertaining musical numbers and wonderful costuming and special effects.

If I had seen this same show at home with local actors instead of traveling to Chicago to view it I would have thought it was pretty good, however this was a national touring production and I came away uninspired. The girl that played Matilda obviously had a cold since I'm sure the coughs were not part of the script. I felt sorry for her. Everything seemed a little "off" and I thought the price of the show was way too high. The Theatre itself is gorgeous, but apparently I wasn't the only one who thought the price was high since there were many empty seats.

The actress who played Matilda was amazing. Funny and a great voice. The music was fun and the choreography was also good. A very enjoyable evening.

This was a great experience with my daughter and nine year old granddaughter. My granddaughter is writing a screen play herself and I thought it would be a great introduction to a professional Broadway play.

Growing up, my sister and I loved the movie Matilda. This was even better then the classic film. I was entertained from beginning to end, and amazed by the talent of the whole cast. Upon leaving the theatre I was already trying to figure out a chance to see it a second time. Biggest issue I had was that the theatre made it a bit difficult to hear some songs in the balcony area, but it didn't take away from the wonderful show.

This show was phenomenal! It was pure entertainment beginning to end.

While my daughter loved this show and has been listening to the music for awhile, I wasn't wowed. There was some very creative choreography and staging, but the story is strange and the music forgettable. It's a kids show, and there are talented kids, but still. C+

Ever since I heard their song during the Tony's, I've wanted to watch this Musical. A musical made from a great story and the writer did an amazing job. The songs are very catchy and makes me want to watch the show again. The cast are very talented, I can't believe these kids were able to memorize lines, songs, and dance routines. A lot more than I could do at their age. Definitely go watch it, if you have a chance.

Love this story, but the musical fell far short of expectations. First the story line was not well developed at all. I realize it is not easy to translate the book or movie story line exactly, but they simply missed, or changed too much. Not good. Second the music is very forgettable. Not one song or dance number was memorable. Third there were no outstanding voices in the cast. The Trunchbull character was by the best performance overall, but was not supported by any other really outstanding performances.

This musical was amazing, every actor brought something special to the stage. I loved the tone this show had and what an amazing job they did making it seem so effortless.

This was a first time show for our 11 year old daughter, we were able to purchase front row seats and we truely enjoyed every minute watching these young talented people!!!

My 8 and 10 year olds want to see it again! Their favorite songs are Revolting Children, When I grow Up, and The Smell of Rebellion. Fun evening for the whole family.

Matilda could have been a big success, but the sound mix was horrible. Every child's voice screeched and could not be understood. It's unfortunate, because there were some very clever scenes that were lost trying to decipher the words. Truly disappointing.

Matilda was full of entertainment, we were all laughing out loud! The actors were superb in their roles. I was so impressed with the talent and professionalism of the child actors! My favorites, who really stood out were Matilda, her father, Ms. Trunchbull, and little Bruce Bogtrotter, as they were truly exceptional!

The whole family enjoyed this show. They made some changes to the original story for the musical. Still, the characters are all there, the casting is good and the songs are clever.

Awesome!!! No one should miss it! Vibrant, energetic. It keeps you going and wanting more. Loved it!

Great Musical !!! This is the best musical for families !!!

All the actors screamed their songs couldn't understand them at all. Very hard to follow the play when you couldn't understand what was going on. Need better sound system and children that do not scream their parts. Nothing memorable at all. My friend and myself along with many other people around us left at intermission. What a waste of $140 dollars.

The choreography, music, and acting made this show a great time. Worth every penny of the ticket price! The actors made the villains, the Wormwoods and Ms. Trunchbull horrific yet still fun to watch. A delight.

My Husband, daughter and I went to Chicago to see Matilda the Musical and we loved it!!!! She said it followed the book with extras more than the Disney Movie. She loved it!!!!!!

We had a wonderful time at Matilda the Musical! It was fun and entertaining. The cast did a great job and kept our kids engaged the whole time. It was really good!!

You got quite the bang for your buck! The music and choreography left me in awe! The performers were animated and charismatic (just as I would expect from the pages of Roald Dahl). I did feel the storyline could have been tweaked a bit, but I would be glad to see it again!

I saw the touring company of Matilda the musical and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially loved the kids in the show but everyone was great. It is here for only 2 weeks so hurry and go see it if you live in the Chicago area.

Enjoyed the play and was not disappointed....Great theater for children of all ages. And a great first time theater experience for children.

While I so looked forward to seeing Matilda, the sound for the entire play was a disaster. We sat in the Orchestra area, row L and it was almost impossible to make out the words from the very talented actors. First I thought it might be just me and my wife, but when I asked all the people around me they all said the same thing. We probably missed half of the dialogue while the music was blasting as were the special effects. I can't recommend this play to my Chicago friends if the sound problem continues. By the way, the seats were extremely expensive and no one took the time to listen to my complaint.

Matilda is a must see if you have a pre-teen daughter.

We loved Matilda! A great time for adults and kids. Actors are fabulous! All of the songs are fun and lively!

I had very high expectations of "Matilda: The Musical." Not only were those expectations met above and beyond, the show itself was a positive and pleasurable experience overall. Sarah McKinley Austin portrayed such a strong version of the title role. Her voice packs a punch for her young age. Austin - along with Lily Brooks O'Briant and Savannah Grace Elmer, who alternate "Matilda" as well - is joined with an ensemble of talented actors such as David Abeles (Miss Trunchbull), Cassie Silva (Mrs. Wormwood), and Quinn Mattfeld (Mr. Wordwood). "Matilda: The Musical" proves that "even if you're little, you can do a lot," as said in the show's number, "Naughty." Don't miss out on this show. It will be around for quite some time.

Our family had a great time at Matilda. The sets were fun the singing was great and the humor was over the top. Three generations laughed out loud together. Great night at the theater.

I took my 8 year old daughter to see the show. I don't know who had a better time, me or her! The story was great; there was a lot of heart and humor. We were both amazed at the talent of the children in the production. Sarah McKinley Austin was fantastic as Matilda!

A great performance by many talented actors. The children were delightful, the sets were creative and music wonderful.

Overall I liked this show. My 10 year old has never been to a Broadway play before and she loves Matilda. It was definitely aimed at kids more than adults which I expected but over heard some women at intermission who were disappointed in that. The actors were great but there seemed to be some issues with the sound, sometimes it was really muffled. We were sitting in the dress circle which are decent seats too. Other than that it was great, we enjoyed the sets a lot too.

With those high child voices and British accents, I could not understand a word that was said. One of the critics did mention a new audio system, but it was a loss to me. I am really sorry.

Great characters, engaging music, wonderful use and professional performances by the children in show. The young gal who played "Matilda" was first class throughout and delivered a a performance of difficulty much along the line of those youngsters who carried the role of Billy Elliot in that musical. Sat in the Loge section and will admit that I had occasional difficulty picking up on some lines, but that may well begrudge my age. This show, much like Billy Elliot, is one all young people should allow themselves to see, as part of an introduction to the arts. It's just a personal opinion I feel on their behalf.

Cute, kid-friendly adaptation of one of my favorite children's books (and authors!) and subsequent movie. I was floored by little Sarah Mckinley Austin! How such a youngster can remember/memorize all the words, lyrics and staging truly amazes me! She was breathtaking. Some of the other children however, were a bit over the top and sounded like they were reading a teleprompter or being fed lines: they were just obnoxiously speaking the lines without "acting" - not to criticize a child, but Charlie Kersh as Lavender was not convincing and "took me out of the production" whenever she had lines...I had to throw myself back into the production after she was done! Trunchbull was awesome of course - you'd have to be a terrible performer to screw this role up and David Abeles filled the bra perfectly! The other adults were perfect as well. The music was good but forgettable - nothing that sticks with you afterward; "When I Grow Up" comes close but...; I'm being critical but nonetheless, the play is perfect for kids and kids-at-heart and I would definitely recommend it as well as go see it again!

The choreography was excellent, the music was good. It all would have been much better without the British accent. It was very difficult to understand the dialogue and the lyrics. That being said, my four grandchildren, ages 17 to 7 loved it.

it was great and kids also were fantasic/amazing!! only thing is that the adults and at times the kids, talked so very fast and loud that to be honest I could only understand about 60% of what was being said. from what I heard from people.....SIT CLOSE cuz if balcony can't hear or see anything. would we see it, knowing what we know now? YES, FOR SURE...still was very,, very good just wish they talked slower and not quite as loud but mainly slower!!!

This was very well done once the kids got into the swing of things. The first number was shaky, but afterwards they did fantastic. I like the movie so the storyline felt a bit rushed.

Our family loved the movie version of Matilda. The play version, not so much. It was very difficult to understand any of the word to any of the songs; therefore, hard to follow the play's version of the script. Could be called a creative twist by including the acrobat story, better to stick to the movie plot. Not enough emphasis on Matilda's powers. This play version some how seemed much darker than the movie. 2nd act seemed to drag on & on. Many people in my section left after the 1st act.

The show was amazing. I love how detailed the costumes were. The play had so much character and entertainment. Everyone in the audience were having a great time and enjoying the show. Their was one part were the character included the audience in the show. It was hilarious, I don't want to ruin the part and give away what they did.The character , the kids, on the show were so talented.

The child actors voices are incredible and their acting is impressive. The play was 3 hours long and had an intermission which was a little too long in my opinion. One too many slow songs.

Our seats were terrible. First row of balcony. I thought it would be great for my 8 year old so she didn't have to look over anyone's head. There is a bar placed exactly in your viewing space cannot look under or over. Terrible. It should have been stated when purchasing the tickets. Limited view or something. $250.00 for 2 awful seats. I am not very pleased to say the least.

The play was very entertaining,and the young actors very talented. They have a very good future ahead of them.

My granddaugther and I totally enjoyed the entire cast, choreography and music. We loved the children's performances and would highly recommend this play for all ages.

Thought the casting was poor for the leads and diction was weak, making it often hard to understand the story.

The play was cute as a stand alone (disregarding the book and movie) but was a disappoint otherwise. The music was more rock, loud, and hard to understand.

The cast was wonderful everything was very enjoyable just wish the sound had been clearer The sound quality was below what you would expect Other then that it was great

My 11 year old granddaughter and I went to see Matilda, is was AMAZING!!! After seeing The Little Mermaid at the Shakespeare, The Lion King at the Cadillac and now Matilda at the Oriental all in the past year. My granddaughter told me that MATILDA was her favorite, she thought it was WONDERFUL and wants to go back and see it again when it comes back to Chicago. You won't be disappointed with this one!

The entire cast did a great job with this performance. They listed 3 Matilda's in the playbill, but if all three were used in the same performance, we couldn't tell. The audience was a good mix of adults and children (as was the cast), and I think it is a good show for all ages.

In the end, we described it a s lame. Perhaps teenagers or parents with teenagers can relate, but we didn't.

the actors were super. The lead "Matilda" was outstanding. Good sets. However, it was at least 30 min too long, the background sound was too loud and we had a difficult time hearing/understanding the child performers. Too much time was spent on the nasty principal and not nearly enough time showing off Matilda's special powers.

Me and my wife decided to take a weekend trip to Chicago to see Matilda. We both loved the book and movie however the play was a disappointment. It picked up at the end but that was too late for me. It did appear to get some laughs from the audience but even that was tepid. I was so looking forward to this play and now wish we had picked something else.

Excellent show! Cast was amazing, sets were great, and songs were wonderful. We've been singing the songs ever since. The young actress who played Matilda was absolutely incredible!

Overall, it was a great show with effective choreography, lighting and sets; kudos to all. Some accents were a little awkward and performances were better during the moments when the accents were absent.

I was really excited to see the show as heard great things. I wanted to see in London, but couldn't get tix. So was really happy that it came to Chicago. But the show was just okay. The audio wasn't always clear, had some technical issues. And a lot of the songs were difficult to understand. The actor playing Miss Honey was truly the star of the show, but a lot of the other performances were a lacking or over the top (and not in a good way).

Matilda was in one word AWESOME! I purchased front row seats for my daughter and I and they were fantastic, a bit spoiling for us because we could see everything so well. I was a bit worried she may not be able to see over the orchestra curtain because she is 11, but no issues what so ever. Our seats were fabulous. The little girl playing Matilda was phenomenal. It was one of the most special things we did on our Spring Break in Chicago. Love the Oriental and will be back!

Attended the April 2 matinee performance with our two granddaughters (ages 9 and 11). The show was not up to any Chicago theatre events that we have attended. The actors, the stage sets etc were not up to the standards of paying $750.00 for four tickets. Definitely not recommending to anyone!

When the children were on stage or singing it was a 3-1/2 stars. When the adults were on stage or singing it was 2-1/2 stars. Should have been better but not sorry I saw Matilda.

Matilda just couldn't hold my nor my 17 year old daughter's attention - and she grew up loving the movie! None of Matilda The Musical's actors held the stage very well, but the biggest problem was that the British accents and high-pitched voices of the children and mother characters made the dialog and the singing very difficult to understand. Bored to sleep in some parts. Such a shame as we were looking forward to the show for weeks and was to be the highlight of a Chicago trip. Bummer!

Luckily we were familiar with the story of Matilda or I'm sure that we would have all been lost. Only a few adult actors were understandable. I don't know if it was the sound system or the fact that children have a difficult time enunciating, especially when singing, but we were reading the closed caption sign most of the night to see what was said which is very distracting. The choreography was amazing but I can see why there were adults added to the school children mix. They were obviously more polished. The choreography and the overall set design were the best parts of the show. Other than that I wasn't feeling like we were seeing an award winning Broadway production. When you could understand what was being said and sang it was great, but unfortunately that didn't happen enough.

The young actor who plays Matilda is quite amazing, as is the rest of the cast both young and old. The staging and set design are also quite spectacular, and the musical numbers were very catchy. I did have a slight problem understanding some of the spoken and sung dialog even though the production is wired for sound. I would recommend a sound reinforcement device for those with even mildly poor hearing.

This is a good musical for kids and adults. The young actors and actresses are very talented. It was a good rendition, only straying from the book with some side stories and only one crucial to this version of the story. The only thing that I found strange were some of the musical numbers. They were either not related to the main story (Telly) or too short to really get into (Naughty).

Matilda was amazing! The cast was exceptional! I would go again!

Let me first say, I was more than excited to see this production after seeing a production number on the Tony Awards last year. The talent and the production value(staging) was well done. What was disappointing was with all the work put into this production, the sound suffered terribly. Between the English dialect and the sound not being well done, as a audience member I missed-with many others-a lot of the story line. You could tell the kids were told to enunciate and speak loudly but the louder they spoke and over enunciating made it even worse. It was a shame because the talent was excellent-especially Matilda. I was seated with 4 others in the Center Orchestra 15 rows from the front of the stage and never anticipated that the sound would be an issue. It greatly affected my enjoyment of the show and left disappointed.

We enjoyed this show so much, we just couldn't stop smiling! Truely an all ages show.

For those of you who read the book and loved it, the story represented in the musical will disappoint.

Wow! What a talented group of actors - from young to adult - they all did an amazing job! So entertaining! We don't get to many plays/musicals - so glad we had the opportunity to see this one in Chicago!

I didn't like the score or find the performance very entertaining.

I love the show and saw it in London. If I hadn't seen it before, I would of had no idea of what was going on. The lyrics on some songs were unintelligible. Even dialog had problems. I missed the audience laughter I experienced in London. Can't blame it on the British accents--I saw it in London and understood every word.

The show was fantastic, so much energy from so many kids! Sound was terrible in front row balcony. Couldn't hear 75% of what was being said/sung. Disappointed in the sound, loved the show in spite of it.

I took one of my necies to the play. We both enjoyed the Story of the play.

Really great, glad that I went! The actors and actresses did a great job, the children were amazing!

I was impressed by the performances of the child actors including Bruce, Nigel and Lavender. The show was entertaining and the choreography beautiful. Take a child in your life to see it.

The staging and choreography are excellent. I wish I had heard and learned the songs ahead of seeing the show because it was hard to understand the lyrics, at times. I already ordered the Broadway cast recording. Although some of he comedy is broad and a little over the top, which is not my style, the overall show is very good. Funny and moving.

This was unbelievable !! It was so good! A wonderful store with great performances from cast.. My daughter and I could not get over how unbelievable the children actors performed. I would give this production a 10!!

We did not have any prior knowledge of the story-line of this play. We basically were in town for the weekend and wanted to see a show. The reviews had said that this show won several Tony awards, and so we booked the tickets. My wife and I could not get over how impressive of a performance the actress playing Matilda was. Our daughter is also in acting and believe me we help her at home all the time with script reading and understand memorization, etc.. The actress playing Matilda was awesome!

Great show--certainly not just a kid's show. Really enjoyed the music and the young actors are amazing.