10 Fun Facts You Might Not Know About “Matilda The Musical”
From November 10 – 15, Hershey, PA is one of only four places in the world where you can see and experience TIME Magazine’s #1 Show of the Year, “Matilda The Musical.” The other three locations are Australia, London and New York.
Winner of 50 international awards including four Tony Awards and a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards including Best Musical, “Matilda The Musical” is based on the beloved novel by best-selling author Roald Dahl who wrote such classics as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox. It is the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams of a better life. Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda dares to take a stand and change her destiny.
We’ve compiled a list of 10 fun things you might not know about this hit musical:
- At 4ft 5in tall, Matilda Wormwood is the smallest leading lady on Broadway.
- The sound effect of the Crunchem Hall School bell played at the start of the production is a recording of the actual hand bell used by RSC front of house staff in Stratford-upon-Avon, where “Matilda The Musical” debuted in 2010.
- The production uses 8,320 balloons a year.
- The blackboard moves 15.5 miles over the course of a year at a top speed of 1.5mph.
- There are 3,780 paper airplanes flown into the auditorium each year.
- The sound effect of the crying baby in the song ‘Miracle’ is a recording of sound designer Simon Baker’s youngest son.
- Miss Honey and Matilda enjoy cup of real hot tea on stage complete with milk and a biscuit at each performance during the song "My House."
- The production goes through over 100 tubs of chocolate frosting each year.
- Quentin Blake, who is widely known for illustrating Roald Dahl’s books, designed the Crunchem Hall School badge that features on the children’s blazers.
- Around 28,000 pieces of confetti are used per performance, which equates to almost 12 million pieces a year.
We hope you’ll join us for a “revolting” good time! For information and tickets, please visit our website. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for ongoing updates, news and events.