Wednesday, November 9, 2016

The Story Behind Matilda the Musical


Edward J. Post Company, Inc., president and owner Lisa Post is an avid fan of Broadway musicals. Lisa Post and a group of fellow Broadway enthusiasts recently purchased season tickets to a series of performances in Philadelphia, including Matilda the Musical and Bullets Over Broadway.

The origins of Matilda the Musical, described by Time Magazine as the best show of the year, can be traced back nearly 30 years to the publication of Matilda, a novel by British writer Roald Dahl. In 2012, the book ranked at No. 30 among School Library Journal’s Top 100 children’s novels. A testament to Dahl’s talents as a writer, Matilda was the lowest ranked of four Dahl books on the list. 

In 1996, Matilda was adapted into a film directed by and starring Danny DeVito. A moderate success at the box office, the movie was a hit with critics and remains in heavy rotation on television.

Drawing on Dahl's original story, Matilda the Musical began its official run in the United Kingdom near the end of 2011 and went on to become a major success with audiences and critics. The musical garnered nine nominations at the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards and won a record seven awards, including Best New Musical and Best Actress in a Musical. In recent years, the musical has reached the international stage, including a complete tour of the United States.