By Sarah Opdahl

New Fairfield High School’s Rebel Players will soon grace the stage in a production of the beloved musical Matilda, based on the eponymous book by Roald Dahl. The show tells the story of Matilda, a young child and fellow rebel, who taps into powers to better her life and those around her. With powerful songs that stay with you long after exiting and an incredibly talented cast, this show is perfect for all ages and well worth an evening or afternoon spent in the high school’s gorgeous new theater.

Growing up is pondered in the musical and the theme extends to the adults and teens who are working in a much more “grown up” theater. Jessica Smith, a theater professor at Sacred Heart University who moonlights as New Fairfield High School’s Theater Director, says the new building “has changed the experience in almost every way! From the ability to achieve high level lighting and sound, to the more professional looking stage, to simply the more beautiful seating and design, everyone feels the serious ‘step up’ that i t is.” With the squeaky orange seats, loud, crackly heaters, and a constantly on-the-fritz microphone system of the old auditorium a thing of the past, Matilda’s Music Director—and NFHS Choral Director—Andrew Gadwah emphasized, “It allows so many more opportunities for these students to show off their talents and hard work, and to pursue their passions.”

The music throughout Matilda is at times endearing, at others hilarious. There are heaps of standout moments, Smith says “I absolutely love one of our biggest numbers,  ‘Revolting Children.’ It occurs at the moment the kids finally revolt against those who have been keeping them down, and it is just a great song of triumph.” Gadwah says he had to stop playing the piano recently to tell the cast how fantastic they were in performing ‘Bruce,’ for the Act 1 finale. He says that he is also, “continually awed by the principal cast as well – Sarah Bollacke as Matilda singing ‘Quiet,’ Grace Kelly as Ms. Honey singing ‘My House,’ Madison Seiferth channeling her fiercest Trunchbull in ‘The Smell of Rebellion,’ and so many more. Every single one of them does an amazing job.”

“This show is what I call a ‘beast,’” Smith said, going on to say, “It’s a large-scale musical, with a lot of moving pieces, many set locations, and literal magic to achieve.” Smith was excited to provide students the opportunity to “take the reins and figure out how to bring this to life at the high school level. It’s been incredible, actually, to be with them as they help figure things out, design magic elements, build, paint, and come together to deliver the story.” Physical space is always an issue, even in the new building, and Smith said “We’ve had to create large set pieces, and moveable things like see-saws, etc, and we just simply struggle to store them all. I like to say it’s a lot of ‘stage Jenga.’” Producer Angela Sbano was excited to relay, “We have been welcomed into the woodshop room which helped tremendously with building the set!”

With this being the third and largest production in the new theater, the tech crew students have hit their stride with the upgraded technology for lights and sound. Smith said, “The systems we have now can actually do the things they design, bringing their ideas to life. I’m proud of them and very impressed.” Gadwah noted, with this being the first high school musical in the new theater, there was a bit of right-sizing that needed to happen, including a down-to-the wire purchase of additional microphone systems, for which “the payoff is going to be incredible.”

Serving as mentors to these students, Smith and Gadwah have worked closely with them since before the holidays on the show, with a heavy emphasis on music first, followed by scene blocking and chore ography. Gadwah applauds the dedication of this year’s actors, “Students eagerly practice their singing, dancing, and dialogue whenever they get the chance.”  Even before daily rehearsals, Smith greets students throughout the day as they fit in time to work on set pieces and props during their study hall or at lunch. She is enjoying another year of directing a show featuring her daughter, April Smith, a senior at NFHS. “I watch her with great pride as a parent of course, and somehow as a colleague, because I truly understand her love for theater and the dedication it takes to be involved in it. And as it happens, she’s a hilarious character actor, so it’s just plain fun to watch her perform,” Smith said.

The show will be an emotional one for many students, as a large group of seniors who were theater kids throughout middle and high school will be moving on in the coming months. Gadwah believes the students realize, “Putting on a show like this is always an incredible amount of work, for everyone involved. What I try to teach my students, and what I hope they get out of this experience, is the value in investing that time and effort into something like this.” Similarly, Smith is excited about the memories they have made, “This is a long process, and show weekend becomes a great culmination of all the work, the group bonding, the funny moments, and the accomplishment.” To the adults in the audience, she thinks the message that “our kids are more than we imagine them to be” will resonate.

Matilda will be performed on Thursday, Mar 21, Friday, Mar 22 & Saturday, Mar 23 at 7:00 ; and Saturday, Mar 23 & Sunday, Mar 24 at 2:00 p.m.. Tickets are $20 adults; $10 students & seniors. Tickets are available at RebelPlayers.BookTix.com or at the door. Large groups can order tickets from Sbano at sbano.angela@newfairfieldschools.org.

Gadwah excitedly said, “You don’t wan t to miss out on this production! We’ve gone all-out to showcase the maximum potential of every aspect of our new theater. The students are ready, the stage is set – and ‘Matilda’ is a show the whole family can enjoy!” Smith agrees, saying, “Matilda author Roald Dahl said ‘Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.’ You better believe our very own New Fairfield Rebels Theater will change the world too!”