Easy Street, Moritz and a Mother’s Day of ‘Matilda’

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

“Matilda” will march on to the Powers Auditorium stage this Mother’s Day weekend in what will be its Mahoning Valley premiere.

The hit Broadway musical – winner of five Tony Awards – is being done by Easy Street Productions, which has had its sights set on it for some time. Performances will be Friday, Saturday and May 12.

Easy Street is known for its professional-quality musicals, and “Matilda” is a natural for the family-friendly troupe. When the rights to “Matilda” became available on the local level late last year, Easy Street was the first company in Ohio to get them.

“Matilda” is an adaptation of the darkly comic Roald Dahl children’s book. It was made into a 1996 movie starring Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman that has become a staple DVD in many households.

The cast calls for a cadre of evil adults and a couple dozen charismatic kids, including one super-powered Matilda.

Easy Street’s run will include another first.

Michael J. Moritz Jr. will conduct the orchestra and serve as one of the pianists in the Powers run, marking his debut with Easy Street.

Moritz is a Youngstown native who has been living in New York for several years, where he is a Broadway producer, music director and album producer. Before that, he was a mainstay in Mahoning Valley theaters, serving as music director of the Youngstown Playhouse for 10 years.

It’s quite a get for another reason, as well: Moritz was an associate producer of the Grammy-nomninated album of “Matilda.”

Easy Street co-founder Todd Hancock, who is directing “Matilda,” said landing Moritz began with a chance meeting.

“I just happened to run into him around Christmas, right before ‘Miracle on East Street,’” said Hancock. “I told him we were going to do ‘Matilda’ and he said he wanted to be part of it.”

Moritz’ schedule is usually full but by some minor miracle, there was an opening for this week.

“This is a huge thing for us,” said Hancock. “He has so much experience on this show and on all of his shows.”

Moritz, by the way, along with fellow Youngstown native and theater veteran Joey Monda, is a producer for the Broadway musical “Hades-town,” which garnered 14 Tony Award nominations last week. “Hadestown” led all nominees in number of nominations, which includes Best Musical.

Moritz also has producer credits for “Big Fish,” “A Night with Janis Joplin” and the Tony-winning “Beautiful – the Carole King Musical.”

As for “Matilda,” Moritz said the musical is part of Broadway’s new school.

“A vast majority of the new shows take a modern approach to tech, stagecraft and orchestration,” he said. “Audiences have grown used to tons of orchestration and the full sound.

“‘Matilda’ is a real undertaking for Easy Street,” continued Moritz. “It’s not easy to do. It’s difficult, it’s huge. There is tons of dance work, tons of singing, and the orchestration underscores the vast majority of scene work. There is a lot of melodramatic music playing underneath the action. It is very complicated.”

Moritz will play piano and lead an ensemble that includes 12 other musicians, including his former instructor, Rick Blackson, who will also play piano.

Moritz said he is thrilled to be able to come home and take part in the show.

“In New York, I get to do so many things every week, producing, working in the studio and sometimes concerts,” he said. “But the one thing I don’t get to do much of lately is theatrical, and that’s where I cut my teeth – music directing theater at the Youngstown Playhouse. That’s what made me the versatile musician I’ve grown to be.

“But life pulls you in many directions. It was kismet that [Hancock] was interested in me and that I was able to come home.”

While many people have seen the movie version of “Matilda,” far fewer have seen the stage musical, and it’s a whole different animal.

Being in the first group of regional theaters to stage “Matilda” is an honor but it comes with a downside, said Hancock: there is no one to lean on for technical help or to rent costumes or scenery.

“We’re doing it from scratch,” said Hancock, who scoured websites and stores to put together the school uniforms for the 25 young people in the cast.

Still, Hancock called the musical a perfect fit for Easy Street, which is noted for working with talented young people.

“There are not a lot of shows out there like this one that feature kids, other than ‘Annie,’ and that one has only eight to 10 kids,” said Hancock. “‘Matilda’ is like ‘Annie’ on steroids.”

The cast includes Brendan Boyle and Colleen Chance as Matilda’s despicable parents.

The indomitable Maureen Collins, co-founder of Easy Street and youth theater instructor, plays the mean schoolmaster Miss Trunchbull.

The musical will feature 25 children with 11-year-old AnnaSophia Viccari in the title role. Natalie Kovacs will portray Miss Honey, Matilda’s teacher; Brandy Johanntges plays kindly librarian Mrs. Phelps, and Vincent Sylvester plays Rudolpho, the dance instructor.

Rounding out the adult ensemble are Stacy Anderson, Wil Arnim, Randall Brammer, Jessica Joerndt, Nicholas Locke, Alan McCreary, Hannah Rosser and Stephanie Scheckelhoff.

Playing Matilda’s classmates, ranging in age from 8 to 15, are Zoe Anderson, Lydia Andres, Caleb Bordonoro, Mia Bordonaro, Lily Cappuzzello, Corena Carolyne, Daniel Chiaberta, Lena Dill, Jordyn Freetage, Lillian Gerst, Hannah Harnutovsky, Elizabeth Jadue, Caleb MacKay, Kelsey Mickey, Finn O’Hara, Eliza Primous, Kaden Primous, Adrianna Quinlan, Genevieve Quinlan, Julia Ragozzino, Marie Ragozzino, Morgan Spearman, Aubrey Vernon and Georgie Zordich.

Megan Cleland is the choreographer, and Don Yallech is the Easy Street band music director.