KAYSVILLE — One of my favorite books as a young girl was Roald Dahl’s Matilda. As a bookworm myself, it was fun to cast myself as the precocious protagonist who uses her amazing brain to overcome seemingly impossible odds. The musical adaptation, with a book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin has a high-energy score, dark humor, and powerful message of bravery, justice, and the enduring light within children. Matilda: The Musical is the 2025 Kaysville City Musical presented by Hopebox Theatre performed in the Davis High School Auditorium. The production, directed by Amy Turner, is a shining example of community theater done right. While Hopebox typically stages its shows in its blackbox theater, this production made exceptional use of the larger proscenium space of the Davis High stage.
At the center of it all was a truly luminous performance by Nicea Tracy as Matilda. Tracy portrayed the remarkable young heroine with equal parts fierce intelligence and vulnerability. Her clear, expressive voice carried power and emotion in numbers like “Naughty” and the quietly devastating “Quiet.” Tracy had a maturity far beyond her years, not just in her vocal control, but in her ability to embody Matilda’s pain, loneliness, and defiant courage.
Jana Wilhite as Miss Honey provided the perfect emotional counterbalance to the chaos and cruelty surrounding Matilda. Wilhite has a beautiful, clear voice and a warm, sweet presence that captured the gentle strength of Miss Honey. Her performance in “My House” was tender and heartfelt and her chemistry with Tracy was touching.
Playing the imposing Headmistress Agatha Trunchbull was Matty Boyd who gives a showstopping performance. He towers over the children and Miss Honey with a commanding physical presence and razor-sharp comedic timing. Boyd leaned into the campy villainy with gusto. From the terrifyingly gleeful “The Smell of Rebellion” to his booming monologues, Boyd’s Trunchbull was a hilarious, unforgettable tyrant.
As Matilda’s neglectful, narcissistic parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, Cayden Wootton and LaShae Steele were a brilliant pair. Wootton as Mr. Wormwood milked every moment of his disdain for books and love of television with perfectly exaggerated delivery. Steele, meanwhile, lit up the stage as the vivacious Mrs. Wormwood, particularly during “Loud,” showcasing both her comic chops and her dance skills. Together, the two made a delightfully detestable duo. The third wheel in their marriage is Mrs. Wormwood’s ballroom dance partner Rudolpho (Carson Young). Young’s flamboyant energy, body rolls, and Blue Steel stares brought big laughs. Though a smaller role, Young made every moment count and had the audience cracking up.
Another impressive young actor was Jack Putnam as Bruce Bogtrotter. The cake-devouring schoolmate of Matilda, Putnam brought comedy and energy to the role. I was impressed with his vocals during “Revolting Children” as he he belted out his part to rally the other children of Miss Honey’s Class all while standing on a desk wearing his tie as a sweatband. Miss Honey’s Class is made up of a very impressive ensemble of young actors. The ensemble members all had good energy, facial expressions, and commitment to the choreography which elevated the show and gave the production a polished, cohesive feel despite the young age of many cast members.
I was impressed overall with the cast’s strong and consistent British dialects, helping maintain the show’s setting. Special kudos to the young cast members who handled their accents with clarity. However, the Russian accents were much less convincing, but that scene still worked despite this flaw.
Director Amy Turner deserves praise for her vision and use of the Davis High stage. Turner’s interpretation emphasized the theme of light. Turner’s staging decisions took full advantage of the larger auditorium space. There were many places where the lighting and projection design by Tullio Bettolo elevated the storytelling in truly impactful ways. It was fun and whimsical when Bogtrotter’s great burp was a visual cloud of green light moving around the classroom before giving him away to the Trunchbull. A clever play on light and darkness uses blacklight during “School Song,” which reveals hidden ABC letters. Most of all, I really loved “Quiet,” as Matilda sang her inner monologue, beams of light converged on her from all angles, isolating her while the Trunchbull’s chaotic abuse of others played out vignettes in darkness behind her. Also, “Revolting Children” was a dazzling explosion of color and motion through colorful gels synced to the sound design.
The set design by Cole Carter and Director Turner was also impressive. The show opened with five enormous storybooks as a backwall to the scene, and the center book is labeled Matilda. This book then flies up to reveal Matilda herself standing behind it. The rest of the books are wagons that quickly flip around to reveal the inside of Matilda’s home. All of the set pieces move quickly to keep the momentum from scene to scene.
Choreographers Kelsey Turner and Kayley Turner deserve commendation for crafting challenging and dynamic routines, and suited to the energy of the young cast. Numbers like “The Smell of Rebellion” and “Revolting Children” were complex and ambitious. While a few sequences were slightly less polished, it’s important to note the high level of difficulty asked of the youthful cast. What they accomplished overall was incredibly impressive and very energizing to watch.
Hopebox Theatre has long been a beacon of hope to families fighting cancer, and this production continues tradition with another inspiring Wall of Hope recipient. The technical elements of set, lights, projections, sound, and choreography were more expansive in the bigger space, but the emotional core of the story remained the same. Hopebox tells stories with compassion, and this one, about a little girl with a big mind and even bigger heart, was told beautifully. If you’re looking for a show that will make you laugh, cheer, and maybe even tear up a little, don’t miss Hopebox Theatre’s presentation of the 2025 Kaysville City Musical: the radiant and revoltingly good production of Matilda.
