ECS Middle School Presents Roald Dahl’s Matilda JR. – A Magical Musical Adventure in Ellicottville
Ellicottville Central Middle School students take the stage November 5–6 for a spirited production of Matilda JR., celebrating imagination, courage, and creativity.
Middle School Drama Club students rehearsing for the production
ELLICOTTVILLE - Ellicottville’s streets will be filled by the smell of rebellion when the Ellicottville Middle School Drama Club students at Ellicottville Central School present Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. on November 5th and 6th, as announced by Drew Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Music Theatre International. Based on the beloved book, Matilda by Roald Dahl and adapted from the award-winning full-length musical, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. tells the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
“One of my favorite moments early on in the show is when Matilda sings, ‘Even if you are little you can do a lot’. It’s such a powerful reminder for each of us, tall and small, to take ownership in how we can create our reality,” said Cohen. “Through the process of putting on this musical, these students are doing just that - they are joining together and working hard to create this extraordinary event for their community. We think they deserve a standing ovation for all their work.”
The performance will take place two nights, Wednesday and Thursday, November 5hth and 6th inside The Ward of Ellicottville Central School. Tickets are $6 at the door, and the curtain opens at 6:30pm each evening. Those who attend just may receive the biggest hug in the world - one that even might hug all of the air out of them.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. is adapted from the full-length musical which was based on the book by Roald Dahl, and features a book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. The show opened on the West End in 2011 and made its Broadway premiere in 2013. The musical earned seven Olivier Awards, including “Best New Musical,” and five Tony awards, including The Tony for “Best Book of a Musical.”
Matilda, a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers, lives with cruel parents who find her to be a nuisance, a lousy little worm, and a bore. When Matilda enters her first term at school, she captures the attention of Miss Honey, a kind teacher, and the two form a wonderful friendship. Unfortunately, the school is ruled by a tempestuous and mean headmistress named Miss Trunchbull, who hates children and delivers cruel and unjust punishments to all her charges. Matilda is determined to change her story, but will her cleverness and courage be enough to withstand the reign of Miss Trunchbull?
ECS students in grades 6th through 8th involved in this musical include: Emmary Adcock, Kallen Allard, Violet Bly, Liam Daniels, Oliver Daniels, Evelyn Early, Jaelyn Eganski, Lauren Emborsky, Lillian Farnham, James Heli, Ariahna Kelly, Jack Kerns, Jaxon Heli, Mason LaCroix, Quinnley LaCroix, Reagan Pawlowski, Simone Phillips, Mason Pusczc, Emmit Pierce, Aliya Mendell, Kenzie Mendell, Juliet Ross, Paisley Rublee, Theron Rust, Chloe Samborski, Caroline Sun, and Anna Zeher.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. is presented through special arrangement with all authorized materials supplied by Music Theatre International, 423 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019. Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.
MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 professional, community and school theatres in the U.S. and in over 60 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City (mtishows.com), with additional offices in London (MTI Europe: mtishows.co.uk, mtishows.eu), and Melbourne (MTI Australasia: mtishows.com.au).