I had the opportunity this past weekend to take in Broadway’s newest creation, better known as Matilda the Musical. Most people know the heartfelt family oriented story from its 1996 movie. The film that starred Mara Wilson as Matilda and Danny Devito and his real-life wife Rhea Perlman as Matilda’s parents filled America’s hearts with joy; not to mention the $60 million it garnered when still in theaters.

In 2011 the musical adaption of Roald Dahl’s imaginative book premiered to ground-breaking reviews in London. The musical took home a record setting seven Laurence Oliver awards. Not only did the four rotating Matildas win London’s highest honor for Best Actress, they took home the Laurence Oliver Award for 2012’s best musical! One year later, the Royal Shakespeare Company transferred the London smash hit to the New York City stage.  The show has had so much hype that it seemed quite implausible to fill all my expectations. Just for perspective, the American version has already gained $20 million in advances sales, now booking through April 2014! The $14 million British invasion musical opened to unbelievably spectacular reviews on April 11, 2013.

The new musical version of the 1996 movie focuses on Matilda’s genius brain, rather than her magical powers which was more what the movie centered around. Although, most of the musical focuses of Matilda’s smarts, there are some magical parts that are beautifully sprinkled throughout. The musical also adds a new dimension to the story with a few new characters and a small addition to Matilda’s imagination which includes an acrobat and escapologist.

Most of the cast was new for New York’s audience, with the exception of Matilda’s heartless head mistress, Miss Trunchbull who is played once again by Bertie Carvel, direct from London where he created the gender-bending super-role. Along with Bertie, Matilda’s dream teacher, Miss Honey (played by Lauren Ward) was also a West End favorite when she entered the role over one year ago.

The scenery is created in an overwhelming matter with a striking resemblance to the childhood board game Scrabble. Some of the scenic pieces are lacking a dimension of imagination and most scenic pieces are wheeled on automatically through magical stage automation which fits perfectly in the musicals message which is anything is possible. Most scenes are set on scenery travelers that blend in so well with all the books and magic.

At the performance I attended, I saw Bailey Ryon, one of the four exceptional girls that shares the role of Matilda. She had a vulnerable demeanor that was so natural to her character. Also, she had a beautiful voice and raw talent that is so unusual these days. Another highlight to this fresh musical was Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey. We all remember Miss Honey as the woman who saves Matilda’s terrible life in the movie. Miss Honey is portrayed even more charmingly in this version. Lauren Ward has a voice that is truly as sweet as honey.

When talking about this magical tale, you cannot leave out the antagonist that wrecks havoc on the entire story. Bertie Carvel has a true idea of what the perfect balance is between evil and witty. Bertie gets all the lines that make the audience laugh and cheer. He has outstanding comedic timing that was recognized with a 2013 Tony Award nomination. Another standout performer for me was Matilda’s goofy, but slightly sensitive mother, Mrs. Wormwood (portrayed by Lesli Margherita). She has the wit and voice for a role beyond this degree. She has fantastic vocal control as demonstrated in the ballroom inspired dance number, “Loud.” I also wanted to give mentions to ensemble members John Arthur Greene (as the Doctor), Heather Tepe and Jack Broderick as Bruce who all added an exceptional touch to the ensemble.

There are definitely some cracks that should be re-looked at before America jumps to conclusions and gives Matilda the award for Best Everything Musical. For example, act one lagged on for a long time and had many family scenes that could have been shortened to keep people’s attention spans satisfied. Also, act one took too much time to explain the family troubles even though the audience understood the troubles in the first scene. Act two was significantly better and was filled with much more energy. If magic and mystery dipped in a perfect helping of sugar sounds like a match made in heaven, then Matilda is the musical for you.

Matilda is currently playing at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre on 45th street 8 times a week!