HER MISCHIEF BEGINS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 – MATILDA THE MUSICAL

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT are thrilled to present the second show of their 2019-2020 season, Roald Dahl’s MATILDA, THE MUSICAL

From the genius of Roald Dahl comes the Tony Award-winning MATILDA, THE MUSICAL, the story of an extraordinary girl who – armed with a vivid imagination, a sharp mind and a love for books – dares to take a stand against the tyranny of adults who seek to crush her imagination. Watch how she and her classmates save the day!

Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and featuring a gifted young actress, MATILDA, THE MUSICAL is a joyous girl-power romp!

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

MICHAEL MATTHEWS (Director) Selected Credits: Good People (CV REP), Cabaret (Ovation Nomination, Director, Stage Raw Award), End of the Rainbow (Laguna Playhouse, La Mirada Theatre), 12 Angry Men, The Graduate (w/ Melanie Griffith), Bootycandy (LA Premiere), Failure, a Love Story (Ovation Award, Director, LA Premiere), Sons of the Prophet (LA Premiere), Psyche (World Premiere), Peter Pan: The Boy Who Hated Mothers (LA Weekly Nomination, Director), Rabbit Hole (La Mirada Theatre), Funny Girl (Ovation Nomination, Director), Very Still and Hard To See (LA Weekly Nomination, Director, World Premiere), The Color Purple, The Musical (Ovation and LA Weekly Awards, Director), What’s Wrong With Angry? (Ovation Nomination, Director), Take Me Out! (Ovation Nomination, Director, NAACP Award, Director), The Women of Brewster Place: The Musical (Ovation Nomination, Director; NAACP Award, Director), The Bacchae (Ovation Nomination, Director), Beautiful Thing (Ovation Nomination, Director). Michael is the recipient of the 2015 LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Career Achievement in Direction.

KATE DUNN (Choreographer) has had an impressive performing career which began at the prestigious Royal Ballet Company in London where she danced in the works of such seminal choreographers as Sir Kenneth Macmillan, Sir Frederick Ashton, Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine. Kate’s own choreographic work is wide-ranging and creatively inspired. It began in Sydney with a children’s show ID, which premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2001.

More recent commercial choreographic commissions include the film “Paradise Road” for Bruce Beresford, the BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing,” MAC Cosmetics’ “Glamour Days” worldwide campaign launch and “Pearl” for Tiffany’s in New York. Kate’s contemporary dance choreography includes a solo show Into, which was commissioned by the Sydney Festival in 2008, Are you Kathryn Dunn? for CIC at Dance New Amsterdam, Rio at the 2012 NY Musical Theatre Festival, Interstice for Cora Dance Brooklyn and Breakfast at Tiffany’s on Broadway.

JENNIFER LIN (Musical Direction) works as a music director, accompanist, and teacher throughout Southern California. She is the resident music director for “Color and Light Theatre Ensemble.” Recent productions include The Last Five Years (After Hours Theatre Company), Matilda (5-Star Theatricals), XY (NAMT Festival of New Musicals), LIZZIE (Color and Light Theatre Ensemble), Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (Celebration Theatre – Ovation Winner for Best Production of a Musical, Intimate Theatre; Ovation Nominee for Musical Direction), and Hit the Wall (LA LGBT Center). She is currently a musical theatre instructor at USC and Geffen Academy at UCLA.

TIM MINCHIN (Music & Lyrics) is a musician, actor, comedian, writer and director. He’s toured extensively in the US, UK and Australia, performing solo, with bands, and with symphony orchestras. He’s released five DVDs, the most recent recorded with the Heritage Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Screen acting credits include “Robin Hood Origins” (2018), “Secret River” (2015), and “Californication” (Season 6 – 2013). Stage acting credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Sydney Theatre Company) and Jesus Christ Superstar (UK/Australia tours). Tim has written extensively for theatre, and is the composer-lyricist of Matilda, the Musical (with Dennis Kelly) and Groundhog Day, the Musical (with Danny Rubin).

DENNIS KELLY (Book) won the Olivier and the Tony Award for Matilda, The Musical. His other work for the theatre includes Debris, Osama the Hero, After the End, Love and Money, Taking Care of Baby, DNA, Orphans, The Gods Weep, and The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas. He has written the book for the new musical of Pinocchio which opened at the National Theatre at the end of 2017, and in 2018 his new play Girls and Boys opened at the Royal Court.

His plays have been performed worldwide and to date have been translated into nearly forty languages. For television he co-wrote and co-created “Pulling” and wrote and created “Utopia.” For film, he wrote the screenplay for “Black Sea,” directed by Kevin MacDonald. In 2010, DNA became a set text on the GCSE English Literature syllabus.

The Cast for MATILDA, THE MUSICAL features Audrey Cymone as “Matilda,” Michael A. Shepperd as “Miss Trunchbull,” Erica Hanrahan as “Mrs. Wormwood,” Josh Adamson as “Mr. Wormwood,” Nicole Santiago as “Miss Honey,” Erik Hall as “Michael Wormwood,” Constance Jewell Lopez as “Mrs. Phelps,” Danil Chernyy as “Rudolpho” and Brandon Rogers as “The Escapologist.”

The Ensemble features (in alphabetical order): Sloane Adams, Juan Guillen, Veronica Gutierrez, Carly Haig, Rees James, Raegen Nichole Larson, Angeline Mirenda, Adrienne Amanda Morrow, Cienna Cheri Olsen, Daniel Peters, Jay Robinson, Jared Xander E Silva, Aaron Daniel Tapia, Erin Tardibuono and Liz B. Williams.

The Design Team for MATILDA, THE MUSICAL is as follows: Scenic Design by Stephen Gifford; Lighting Design by Steven Young; Sound Design by Josh Bessom; Hair/Wig/Makeup Design by Katie McCoy; Properties Design is by Kevin Williams. The Casting Director is Julia Flores and the Production Stage Manager is Marcedes L. Clanton.

“Smart, sweet, zany and stupendous fun!” – Wall Street Journal

MATILDA THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, October 25, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, October 26 at 8 pm) and runs through Sunday, November 17, 2019 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

Performances are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays at 8 pm;

Saturdays at 2 pm & 8 pm & Sundays at 2 pm.

There will be no performance on Saturday, October 26 at 2 pm. There will be an additional performance on Friday, November 15 at 1 pm. There will be an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, November 16 at 2 pm. Talk-backs with the cast and creative team will be on Wednesday, October 24 and Wednesday, November 7.

Tickets range from $20 – $89 (prices subject to change) and can be purchased at La Mirada Theatre’s website, www.lamiradatheatre.com or by calling the La Mirada Theatre Box Office at (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. Group discounts are available. $15 Student Tickets are available.

For children ages 5 and up. Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.

The Tony-nominated LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (BT McNicholl, Producing Artistic Director) has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the best Broadway-style houses in Southern California.” This beautiful state-of-the-art theatre has been presenting quality productions since 1977, co-producing several national tours. The recipient of Tony, Emmy and Ovation Award nominations, La Mirada Theatre won the 2012-13 L.A. Stage Alliance OVATION AWARD for “Best Season of the Year.” The theatre is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, California, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue. Parking is theatre-adjacent and free. For further information call 562-944-9801 or visit www.lamiradatheatre.com.

McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (MRE), is one of the world’s premier theatrical production companies. Headed by Executive Producers Tom McCoy and Cathy Rigby, MRE has produced over one hundred musicals, plays, and concerts featuring some of the biggest stars in the industry today.

In addition, MRE has launched several Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Broadway, international, and national touring productions including: ASIA: “Dreamgirls” (Japan), “Miss Saigon” (China), “Peter Pan” (China) CANADA: “Peter Pan” (Vancouver) USA: “Seussical the Musical,” and “Annie Get Your Gun,” starring Cathy Rigby; “Jesus Christ Superstar” starring Carl Anderson and Sebastian Bach; “Camelot” starring Michael York and Lou Diamond Phillips, “Happy Days” written by Gary Marshall and Paul Williams. BROADWAY: Frank Wildhorn’s “Jekyll and Hyde” starring American Idol contestant and Tony Award nominee Constantin Maroulis and Grammy Award nominee Deborah Cox. “Peter Pan” starring Cathy Rigby has made four stops on Broadway and received four Tony Award nominations including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical. The A&E TV network premiere of “Peter Pan” received one Emmy Award and four Emmy Award nominations.