The musical will be showing on Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available $25 in advance or $30 at the door for adults, with a $5 discount for youth ages 13 to 18 and children 12 and under can get a ticket for $5.

“Matilda the Musical” is an adaptation of the 1988 children’s novel by British author Roald Dahl. There have been two movie adaptations, one in 1996 and one in 2022, and the musical that is being brought to State Street Theater debuted on Broadway in 2013.

“When we were going through shows and I mentioned Matilda, a lot of people don’t know it,” director Landon Hudson said. “A lot more kids know it from the book. The Netflix movie came out a few years ago, so it’s relatively familiar with the younger community.

“But I think the show really encapsulates this child-like joy that a lot of the adults will remember what it’s like to be a child .The show lets some of the adults experience that again and examine the feeling of growing up too fast and remember how quickly time goes by.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Matilda, played by Vivian Owens (left) and Miss Trunchbull, played by Callie McConnell (right) act in a rehearsal of a scene at State Street Theater.

Dahl also authored works such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, both of which have musical and movie adaptations of their own. Dahl’s ability to capture certain aspects of childhood have made his books popular subjects to bring to the stage.

“I’ve been really excited to bring that book to life,” Hudson said. “I think people knew about the book, but we have a full two-and-a-half-hour show here, so I think taking that book that is so believed to so many kids for over two decades now is really awesome to let people know about the musical.”

“Matilda the Musical” is about a little girl, Matilda, with astonishing wit and intelligence who must contend with unloving parents and a tyrannical headmistress who hates children.

“State Street traditionally does one musical a year,” Hudson said. “It should be as all-ages as it can be, and Matilda is the perfect show for it. I would say more than The Music Man, which I also got to direct, this show is very child focused. Our cast is 39 and I’d say 21 of them are children. The kids really do drive the show. The dance numbers are almost all kids. This is definitely a show that is going to blow people away with the talent of the young people in the community.”

Hudson said one of the biggest challenges of bringing “Matilda the Musical” to life is the setting, with actors having to adopt British accents and learn certain aspects of 20th century England.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Miss Trunchbull, sings while the cast of “Matilda the Musical” dane during a rehearsal of a song at State Street Theater.

“It’s been really fun to work on those accents, correct some of those accents, but also explore a completely different character than people have played before,” Hudson said. “I think the show is a really great opportunity to go big or go home.

“I think this is my style of directing for sure, but we use the entire theater, the isles, the balcony, the whole place is turned into the show. I think people are going to come for an experience rather than a ticket to a show.”

The cast ranges from ages 7 to 72, with Matilda being played by 11-year-old Vivian Owens. She said Matilda will be an interesting experience for those who watch it.

“It will be covered in books, so interesting to look at,” she said. “When you walk in, the curtains are going to be closed, but the second the curtains open, you’re going to be like, ‘OK, I understand why I came.’ And at the end you’re going to come out with your eyes tearing up. You should come because there’s a lot of good songs.”

The books will come from donations from the community, and for every book donated, that person gets a raffle ticket. Those tickets will be drawn during intermissions for giveaways and prizes, then the books will be donated again after the musical is over.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey The cast of “Matilda the Musical” surround Bruce, played by Sammy Mendez, during the rehearsal of a song at State Street Theater.

Owens, a Mankato resident, has been involved in multiple productions across three theaters. She said that working at State Street Theater has been a great experience for her.

“It’s fun to meet all the new people,” she said. “The directors are really nice, and the kids are friendly. The stage is a lot bigger than a lot of the stages that I’ve performed on.”

Those familiar with the Matilda story will know that Matilda develops some fantastical powers over the course of the play. Hudson said that the production features some projections and special effects to make those powers come to life.

“We have some really awesome projections that we’ve gotten, and we’re really blessed that we have some transitions on the screen that will make some of the magic happen,” Hudson said. “We also have some experience with some special effects and some secret things like that. I’m excited to show off some of that stuff and have people ask, ‘How did you do that,’ and the cast doesn’t even know some of that stuff too.”

Overall, Hudson said that the show offers a new experience and a new take on a familiar book.

“I think if you are wanting to come see a show that you don’t know anything about, the less you know the better,” he said. “It’s three hours of people who have been working for three months on the show. It’s so hilarious, it’s honestly pretty insane what the actors get to do in the show. If you are needing something to do in July that you can bring the whole family to that is right here in the community and is pretty cost-effective for three people to go to a show, Matilda’s a great choice.”