Civic Theatre of Allentown opens ‘Matilda the Musical’ for 12-show run

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Civic Theatre of Allentown opens Roald Dahl’s “Matilda the Musical” Friday at its 19th Street Theatre, with about two-thirds of opening-weekend seats already gone.

Civic’s online seat map showed 959 of 1,452 seats for the first three performances unavailable Thursday night. Saturday’s pay-what-you-can show was the fullest of the run, with 369 of 484 seats gone. Every performance still had seats, with a quarter to half of each show’s seats gone for the last two weekends.

The run follows weeks of buildup. The cast previewed several numbers at the West Park Civic Association’s Art in the Park on Sept. 12, and Civic has since posted videos introducing its leads.

A Sept. 24 reel of Neriah Cofield, one of two young actors sharing the title role, had about 14,400 views by Thursday, the most of any Civic Instagram reel since May. A reel of Jarrod Yuskauskas as headmistress Ms. Trunchbull has drawn about 18,000 views across Instagram and Facebook.

Hyatt Place and Hyatt House Allentown Lehigh Valley promoted the show to visitors on Facebook, and volunteer John Mortensen posted a video of himself framing and hanging a swing door for the set. Civic said on Instagram that “all 12 performances are filling up fast.”

The musical, with a book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, won four Tony Awards in 2013, including best book. The four girls who shared the title role on Broadway received a special Tony Honor.

Cofield and Helena Putney alternate as Matilda at Civic, with Putney playing opening night and Cofield on Saturday. Andrea Robles plays Ms. Honey and Maxwell McCurdy plays Mr. Wormwood, with kid, teen and adult ensembles.

William Sanders, in his 28th season as Civic’s artistic director, directs, with Nick Conti on music direction. Mackenzie Lewis choreographs and plays Mrs. Wormwood.

Civic calls the production “a wildly imaginative, wickedly funny, and heartwarming musical adventure for the whole family.” Its ticket site recommends it for ages 8 and up.

Civic Theatre was founded in 1927 and has performed at the 19th Street Theatre in Allentown’s West End since 1957.

Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 3 p.m. After opening weekend, performances run Oct. 16-18 and Oct. 22-25, with two shows on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, students, and military, and $13 for children 13 and under, plus a $4 fee per ticket, according to Civic’s show page. They cost $5 more on the day of the show. Seats for Saturday’s pay-what-you-can show are priced from $10 to $35.

Civic points theatergoers to street parking on Liberty and Allen streets, the Allentown Fairgrounds through Gate 8, and the Wells Fargo lot at 522 N. 19th St. when the bank is closed. It asks patrons not to park in the Udder Bar and Sleepy Cat Urban Winery lots.

Groups of eight or more get a discount on regular-price performances by booking through the box office, which is open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, and until curtain on performance days. Saturday, and until curtain on performance days.

Tickets: Buy online, call 610-433-8903, or visit the box office at 527 N. 19th St., Allentown.