On a beautiful Vancouver night, MomMomOnTheGo and crew, ventured down to Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park to take in the Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) performance of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical.
Picture this…an outdoor stage set amongst a treed park setting. Wonderful summer weather. Comfortable outdoor seating. Show time starts at 8 pm when it is still light out and as the show progresses, night skies slowly enter in. On the stage, a cast brings you the story of Matilda, an award winning stage sensation.
Set in a small English village, Matilda, a brilliant little girl, is an avid reader with a lively imagination. But to her self-absorbed parents and tyrannical headmistress, she’s nothing more than a nuisance and a troublemaker.
Through the support of her kind teacher, Ms. Honey, and the strength of her whimsical storytelling abilities, Matilda uses her newfound magical powers to ‘fight for the right to be a little bit naughty.’
Featuring toe-tapping songs, outstanding dance numbers, and true theatre magic, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is a fast-paced adventure perfect for the whole family.
Quoted from: TUTS.ca
For the TUTS performance of Matilda The Musical, the audience was comprised of predominantly families with younger children. If bringing your children, please note the Audience Guidance: Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is recommended for children 6 and up due to darker themes, exaggerated bullying and some language.
It was no surprised that the Matilda performance had an audience of families and young admirers, as Matilda is a classic that is often a well known story to kids. There have been a number of Matilda movies and various theatre performances of Matilda.
With exaggerated story lines, Matilda brings laughter to its audience, both young and young at heart. The young cast brought a warming performance. Siggi Kaldestad who played Matilda Wormwood provided a wonderful performance and representation of the character. I enjoyed each time Matilda was on stage.
In looking around the audience during the show, I could see the young eyes glued to the stage. The energy from the young theatre goers could be felt at intermission and was undoubtedly driven by their excitement of watching the performers just like them up on stage, bringing them a story they love.
The TUTS performance of Matilda the Musical runs for approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes, including one 15-minutes intermission. With the younger crowd, there were certainly a number of needed washroom breaks so make sure you take your crew to the washroom before the performance starts. There are porta potties onsite but they are not open during the show. Don’t worry though, there is a full washroom facility just across in the Stanley Park Pavilion that you have access to the entire time that you are there for the show.
There are seat cushions and programs available onsite for a donation. You can provide your donation by way of cash or debit/credit card. Make sure to get there when early, between when doors open at 7 pm or seating begins at 730 pm if you want to get a cushion as there are limited quantities.
There is the Garden Café at Theatre Under the Stars which has a number of savoury options as well as snacks, and drinks.
Parking is available within Stanley Park close to the Theatre Under the Stars location and I recommend purchasing your ticket until 11 pm. The parking was just over $15 for the entire time we were there for the performance.
Make sure to dress in layers as although it was warm out when the performance began, I found myself in a sweatshirt and covered with a blanket as the evening progressed. If you forget any of these items, there is a memorabilia store onsite that you can purchase TUTS sweatshirts and blankets, as well as other items to remember your night.
To find out more about Theatre Under the Stars and their current performances, make sure to check them out here:
ABOUT TUTS
Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is a not for profit society that entertains families through popular musical theatre shows while providing a vibrant outlet and training ground to develop amateur performers and technicians both young and old. TUTS values an atmosphere of inclusion and mentorship in order to build strong character and to promote positive values.
In 1940, Theatre Under the Stars started when a group of local theatre people formed to produce professional quality musicals during the summer. Since then, TUTS has been a Lower Mainland tradition, delighting generations of locals and tourists alike under the stars in the pastoral outdoor setting of historic Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. TUTS provides performers and technical staff an opportunity to work in a real world theatrical venue alongside seasoned professionals.
Our productions are delivered by over 200 volunteers drawn from the community, requiring a broad variety of skills from board members to ushers to technical crew to cast and musicians.
Theatre Under the Stars acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional and unceded lands of the Coast Salish First Nations, including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Quoted from: TUTS.ca
Disclosure: MomMomOnTheGo is often provided product, tickets, or compensation for the purpose of conducting reviews. As always, MomMomOnTheGo only supports companies, products, and services that she loves.