Magical ‘Matilda’
Popejoy hosts Tony-winning musical on its first national tour
Author Roald Dahl left quite a legacy with the books he wrote.
His children books were often told by the point of view of a child.
Of course, there are villains who mistreat children in the stories. But there is always at least one adult who wants to help the child.
He used the formula in “The Witches,” “The BFG,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”
Yet the one that resonates most is the heartwarming story in “Matilda.”
The story follows an extraordinary girl, “Matilda,” who has the gift of telekinesis.
Like many 5-year-olds, Matilda enjoys reading, which takes her away from the obstacles placed in front of her by her parents and her school.
She befriends Miss Honey, who becomes her ally.
The Tony Award-winning musical will set down at Popejoy Hall on Thursday, Jan. 12, for a six performance run.
It is part of the Popejoy Presents Haverland Carter Broadway in New Mexico series.
And it is produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Dodgers for its first national tour.
Paula Brancati plays Miss Honey. She says being part of “Matilda” is a dream come true.
“I grew up with the book,” she says during a recent phone interview from Toronto. “The ‘Matilda’ magic still gets me. It’s quite surreal. I think on paper, I didn’t necessarily think or know that I was right for the role. I’m really happy because I was wrong. I fell in love with the role of Miss Honey.”
Brancati joined the cast at the end of April 2016 and has been on tour for more than seven months and feels a great connection to her character.
“Miss Honey is coming off a time
in entertainment where we see so many incredible arcs for women,” she says. ‘I think that she is the sum of many parts. It’s been refreshing to play her. I’ve been working for 20 years, and this is the first time I haven’t had to think about what I look like at all. It’s about this unconditional love she has with Matilda. It’s not about getting the girl. We are meeting both characters during the most intense days of their lives. Miss Honey is trying to help Matilda to speak out. Matilda is trying to show Miss Honey there’s more to life.”
The cast kicks off its 16-city tour in the Duke City and will feature three actresses rotating in the role of Matilda.
“The children in the cast have a lot of heavy lifting,” she says. “They pull it off night after night. It’s great to see such young talent.”
It will be Brancati’s first time in New Mexico.
“I would love to take a small ‘Breaking Bad’ tour if I have the time,” she says with a laugh. “I’m sure everyone says that. We don’t usually get a lot of time to sightsee.”
Over the course of her career, Brancati has taken on various roles in film, theater and TV.
Her most famous role was in “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” in which she played Jane Vaughn from 2007 to 2010.
With each role, she looks for something that is challenging.
“I feel very grateful to have been given different opportunities,” she says. “In theater, it’s so different, and working as a producer and a writer has opened me up more as an actress. I tend to lean towards roles and projects that are honest. ”
Brancati says Miss Honey has taught her more about herself.
“When I heard ‘My House’ in the musical, I wanted to sing it eight days a week,” she says. “It’s always interesting to learn more about yourself. And this musical has definitely brought out the magic.”