The curtain came down on the school year as 44 students from across the city took to the stage for a blockbuster children’s theater performance of Matilda the Musical June 13 at the Nannie J. Lee Center.

Presented by Momentum Collective Inc. in partnership with the City of Alexandria's Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, Matilda starred elementary and middle school youth under the direction of Jason Ellis.

Superheroes Captain America, the Black Widow and Flash of the nonprofit Heroes For Heroes at the June 13 performance of Matilda at the Nannie J. Lee Center. 

 

“We chose Matilda for the education and literacy tie-in being that it is the end of the school year,” said Ellis, the founder and executive director of Momentum Collective. “This is also why we provided free books through a partnership with American Federation of Teachers and InspireLit. We want to encourage summer reading. I also chose the production because of the fun music and its overall message of standing up against bullies and injustice.”

Matilda is a classic children’s novel by Roald Dahl. It tells the story of a young girl named Matilda Wormwood, who is exceptionally intelligent and has a love for reading. Despite her extraordinary abilities, she faces challenges from her neglectful parents and the cruel headmistress of her school, Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda discovers she has telekinetic powers and uses them to stand up to the bullies in her life. With the help of her kind teacher, Miss Honey, Matilda finds a way to change her situation for the better. The story is celebrated for its themes of intelligence, courage, and the power of education.

The production starred Madeline Medema in the titular role of Matilda with the cast of over 40 young performers between the ages of 8 and 13 shepherded by the production team of Ellis as director, Dr. Charnika Hayes as acting coach, Merissa Driscoll as vocal coach, Rosslyn Burrs as choreographer and Daniel Hatcher as stage manager.

“We initially rehearsed three days a week and bumped that up to five days as we got closer to the show,” Ellis said. “We rehearsed in two recreation centers and also space made available to us by the Housing Authority. We will do an adult show of Memphis in the fall followed by a children's production of Wonka Junior. All the kids live in Alexandria and the Housing Authority and the Recreation Department were strong community partners for us.”

For the last several years, Ellis and Momentum Collective have been working with a number of organizations within the city to leverage resources in order to continue to provide a host of supports and services to youth, at no cost.

A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Ellis is an established playwright, director and choreographer and has produced several original musicals in partnership with the Alexandria Redevelopment Housing Authority.

He is a 2018 Alexandria Living Legend recipient for his work as a social-commentary playwright and an Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 40-under-40 awardee. In 2019, he was recognized by DC Black Theater Festival for directing the best staged reading and by the Little Theater of Alexandria for best choreographer.

Proceeds from the production will be used to support the expansion of free afterschool arts education programs across the city.

In addition to audience members receiving free books, Superheroes Captain America, the Black Widow and Flash of the nonprofit Heroes For Heroes were on hand to interact with children in the audience.

“Our mission is to help children battle adversity,” said Heroes For Heroes DC co-founder Andrew Byrne. “It ties into the story of Matilda so we are here to help out and support the community.”

To learn more about Momentum Collective, visit www.momentumcinc.org.