Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) | Album Review
- Monday, May 22, 2023
The tender finale points to the message of the whole story being about the power of love and having someone standing by your side
The tender finale points to the message of the whole story being about the power of love and having someone standing by your side
The entire cast matches the orchestra every step of the way, delivering a trove of performances that feel newly definitive.
Kimberly Akimbo is the most charmingly upbeat cast recording you’re likely to hear this year
It’s an album buzzing with attitude, built on well-crafted songs
Billy Crystal can actually sing, even if his is not a voice you’d necessarily want to hear in concert
The numbers blend together – not helped by interchangeable song titles
The narrative and characterisation are admirably clear, and there’s tension without it being too scary
Most interesting for 42nd Street fanatics, there’s the little-heard ‘I Know Now’, a lament for Dorothy and Billy which didn’t even appear on the original cast recording
The indisputably wonderful part of this flawed enterprise is the music: The Drifters, in all their various incarnations, have a fantastic back catalogue
The distinctiveness of Michael R Jackson’s writing comes through loud and clear