The first time I saw a Hebron Theatre musical, I couldn’t believe it was a high school production. 

Almost 14, I watched in amazement as people, only a few years older than me, captivated audience members with their interpretation of “Chicago.” I had come from middle school plays and musicals — a small stage, little technical elements and decent acting; I was completely unprepared for the world of high school theater.

Since then, Hebron Theatre has had its ups and downs with its shows. Walking into the dress rehearsal of “Matilda,” I didn’t know if it would live up to its predecessors. 

Luckily, the show hit every mark. 

Following a young, highly-intelligent little girl, “Matilda” teaches the audience about overcoming one’s fears through sweet and hilarious scenes. Junior Lucy Ward captured the audience’s hearts in an amazing portrayal of the title character, making me root for her as she learned of her telekinesis abilities and stood up for her friends. 

The cast came together to make this an enjoyable musical, whether they had 10 lines or 100. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face every time juniors Grant Feather (Nigel) and Riley Unterbug (Lavender) came onto the stage. Playing Matilda’s father, Mr. Wormwood, senior Max Turman was too funny for words. He stole the show with his improv genius and amusingly-extra scenes. 

As opposed to the simple structure of last year’s technical elements, “Matilda” is bold and vibrant. The set, while accompanying some stand-still pieces, has many moving elements that bring the different settings to life. The moving lights and the multicolored washes only add to the sense of surrealness that comes with this children’s show, highlighting the difference between Matilda and the characters in the stories she told. 

Musical director Nathan Ratliff proved why 2022’s “Legally Blonde” won best music direction with his contribution to “Matilda.” The pit — though a little loud — never missed a beat, excellently breezing through the songs and providing musical backing to the dialogue scenes. Each solo and ensemble-sung scene brings the right emotions every time, most notably in Miss Hunny (senior Sydney Carroll) and the escapologist’s (junior Diego Sierra) duet during “My House.” 

The only issue I saw with the show was the pacing. With so many stories going on at once — all of which accumulate into one intricate ending — certain scenes felt like they dragged on or served little purpose. However, the show picks up during the second act, and left me on the edge of my seat as all the stories collided into one. 

An absolutely thrilling performance of one of Broadway’s classics, Hebron Theatre’s “Matilda” is the perfect mix of comedy and heartfelt scenes that is well worth the watch.