Matilda the Musical is at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts this week. I had the opportunity to sit down with David Abeles, playing the evil Miss Trenchbull and Jennifer Blood, playing the sweet Miss Honey.
CINDY KANGAS: Let's start by chatting a little bit about your childhood. Did you have an interest in music or theater as kids?
DAVID ABELES: Yes, I grew up doing Community Theater. I was always doing shows and musicals, you know, singing and dancing or putting on shows for my family. I come from a very artistic family. My brother and sister are both professional actors in New York. My mom is a singer, my dad plays piano. I got into acting very late. My first real show was in college. Then I got the bug and went to drama school. My first acting class was as a grad student in film school.
KANGAS: As kids did you have people you looked up to, that inspired what you wanted to do as adults?
JENNIFER BLOOD: Not so much, not on a big scale. My parents did Community Theater with my grandparents, so they were my idols. There were also a few local actors who were just a little bit older than me. I don't remember having a favorite movie star.
ABELES: For me, it was musicians. I remember going through a phase of really idolizing Mozart. You know, I watched his success at a young age and felt pressure to write a symphony by age eight.
KANGAS: Tell me about your college years.
BLOOD: I did a lot of music in college, a lot of choral singing. I was a piano major for some time. I played in bands and wrote songs. A friend of mine began auditioning for shows and invited me along. I got hooked. I did a production my senior year of Tom Stoppard's Travesties, which made me want to become an actor. I did a decent amount of College Theater in New York, because it allowed me to start auditioning for summer stock jobs.
KANGAS: What brought you to Broadway?
BLOOD: Broadway is the dream when you start doing this, especially if you love musical theater. I have an agent that helps me with attending open calls.
ABELES: I went to drama school in London, so I thought I was going to stay there and work. Visas became an issue, so I returned to New York. I've had several agents and agencies that have helped me be a part of two Broadway shows over the last nine years. They help me keep track of auditions for regional shows tours like Matilda. It's been a ride that will hopefully continue.
KANGAS: Matilda means so much to children, especially fans of Roald Dahl books. How are people responding to the Broadway interpretation?
BLOOD: We’ve seen really different reactions in different cities and age groups. Adults get something different from it than the kids. In some cities, especially with kids, you'll hear them talking in the audience during the show. I can kind of get a feel for how they're feeling about it then. One of my favorite audience moments was during the show when Matilda stands up to the evil Miss Trunchbull and everyone is kind of shocked. I heard a little voice in the audience say “you go Matilda!” I don't remember which city it was, but I was so moved.
KANGAS: How did you create your interpretation of the mannerisms and styling of your character?
ABELES: I replaced another actor in this role. There were a few I'd seen perform it previously. Every person, every male actor, who’s played Miss Trenchbull has had a very different approach, so I took mine. It was very nice, because yes I felt like I could bring what I wanted to this character. The costume is such a huge part of this character. The fat suit, the makeup, the hair, it’s all a transformative thing that happens when I’m inside of her and seeing her staring back at me in the mirror. It's hard to have her physical mannerisms without all the elements there, but they are, I find myself doing things that are bigger and weird. It's a really fun thing to be able to explore.
BLOOD: You know, I’ve been with this show since the beginning and they definitely encourage us to explore and find ourselves, at the same time giving very specific direction. It's been interesting for me to watch. There are three actresses that play Matilda at any given time; they split the role. They direct the Matildas so specifically, but each child is totally different. Their personality is in the role and I feed off their energy and chemistry.
KANGAS: How do you stay energized for the show? Do you have pre-show rituals?
ABELES: It's very traditional in theater to have rituals and everybody's got their own they do. It takes me about 45 minutes to get fully dressed and in character. During that time, I usually like throwing on music. Sometimes the music gets me riled up.
BLOOD: I do a little stretching and warming up. Before every show, I try to think about the audience and myself and what I want to work on for that specific day.
KANGAS: Do you get an adrenaline rush on stage?
ABELES: I think that's the challenge of doing a show over 400 times. I’ve done it about 150 times. I’ve had long runs of shows before. The challenge is always to keep the integrity of the work you've done and making it feel fresh like it's the first time it's happening. Often you may not get that first night rush. It's a challenge every day and there are things that happen. An audience may react or new moments pop up that refocus our energy.
KANGAS: How long did it take to learn your lines and show choreography?
BLOOD: In the city, when we were first rehearsing for tour. We started rehearsal at the end of March and performances began mid-May. That's a good amount of time. When you're coming into a show, you usually get two or three weeks
ABELES: I'm used to having three weeks, sometimes even less. I had a long five weeks for Matilda, but the character has a lot involved. I have some gymnastics to do and that took training and conditioning. There are so many elements and so many actors. It's a grand production.
KANGAS: What are the blessings and challenges of having a cast with so many children?
BLOOD: I think the kids are great. People ask how the kids learn the lines. They have so much energy. They could go to Disneyland in the morning and still be back to do the show will full energy at night.
ABELES: I've been really inspired by the kids. They love it so much. It’s cool do watch them do something so big like this for the first time.
KANGAS: Do you feel pressure to be a role model to them?
ABELES: To a certain degree. It's important in any production as a principal actor. Having come up through productions and ensembles, I’ve learned how a leading actor should carry him or herself. Hopefully that's the best of what you strive to be.
KANGAS: Tell me about your wardrobe.
BLOOD: In the opening number, I’m a different character you may not recognize. I'm covered in lots of scarves. I have an outfit that has lots of shades of pink.
ABELES: I, on the other hand, have to be really absurd, severe and intimidating. The design incredible. The first outfit is an imposing, severe brown coat with an enormous brown belt and men's shoes that covers an enormous fat suit which accentuates certain muscularity. My second outfit is a secret for the audience to see. I wear a wig the whole show. It takes a lot to turn me into it a horrifying woman.
KANGAS: Let’s look ahead to the future. Are you hoping to stay with the show for a while? Are you hoping to do more Broadway? Would you make the jump to television?
BLOOD: Yes to all things. Any actor is going to tell you that they may want to try to do more. We've done some and we're hoping to do more.
ABELES: More Broadway and off-Broadway, different pieces or characters. I've been lucky to originate several things. It’s a rewarding experience to start something and see it through.
KANGAS: Any other little tidbits you want to share?
ABELES: Every show in history will say to bring the whole family, but this is actually a show where you can. It is not just a children's show. It’s a universal theme for all ages. Local families here a will be able to enjoy it. We're very happy and proud of it.
For more information on how you can see Matilda the Musical at Wharton Center, click here.
