Theatre not Theater

Matilda the Miracle

This show has a very special place in my heart. Matilda was the first musical and started my obsession with musicals. On my 10th birthday, my mom brought me to New York. I remember her asking me a few weeks before if I wanted to see Matilda or Mamma Mia on Broadway. At the time I had no idea what Broadway was and thought that it was just a little street performance with maybe 15 people attending. I wonder how my life would have been different if I had decided to go see Mamma Mia. Would I still be the Broadway obsessed nerd I was today?

Fast forward to after the show. I'm not gonna lie, I don't remember at all what I felt like while watching the show. The only thing I remember of the actual show is Christopher Sieber as Ms. Trunchbull waving the yellow ribbon around. I remember the day afterwards, my mom and I were at the airport flying home, and I told her "Mom, remember that song in Matilda with the swings? The one about growing up? Can we buy it on iTunes?" 

So my mom was going to buy the song, but she ended up buying the whole album accidentally. I think that's when my love for this show really started. I listened to the songs constantly, and I even memorized the names of all 50 or so girls who played Matilda. Over the course of 3 years, I saw it 6 times. I was a little-scratch that- VERY obsessive and it was just a show I always always thought about! 

My massive crazy obsession with it fizzled out about the time they announced it would be closing. I did cry a little (fine, a lot) when they announced the closing but I went on to discover other musicals I was passionate about. 

I'm never ever going to forget Matilda, though. I definitely want a revival and would go see it. I guess there really is something special about the first musical you see... Thank you so much Matilda for everything. You've really changed me for the better and turned me into the crazy Bway nerd I am today ;)