Behind the Curtain: A Personal Look Into Auditions for Matilda

By Diana Padilla

From Monday September 11th to Thursday September 14th, auditions were held for this year’s school musical, Matilda. There are different types of auditions when it comes to musical theatre because there are many different elements of performing. These consisted of singing, dancing, and callbacks for those who might be considered for lead roles. My name is Diana, and I was one of many who auditioned for the musical. I have auditioned for many musicals before, so I felt pretty prepared for this audition. This was my first time auditioning for El Diamante’s musical, and I was very excited. 

Day One: Singing 

The very first kind of audition that we did was a singing audition. Each of us went up one by one and sang the chorus to “Naughty,” which Matilda sings as she mischievously replaces her dishonest father’s hair tonic with her egotistical mother’s hair dye. This song is one of my favorite songs in the show, so it was very fun to sing. The atmosphere of the room during the audition was much more laid back and easy-going compared to other musicals I have auditioned for, so this was a very nice change of pace. The directors were very considerate, and they were understanding when it came to pre-audition jitters. I think that I did well, and I was satisfied with my performance. I felt very lucky, because after the audition had ended, I was told that I had received a callback. 

Day Two: Dancing

For our dance audition, we learned a simple routine to the song “Revolting Children,” which is the song that the students sing when they all rebel against Ms. Trunchbull, their cruel principal who used to be an olympic hammer thrower (often referred to as “The Trunchbull”). This song is probably, if not, the most iconic song from this particular show. The vocals and music are an explosion of emotion and energy. Therefore, the choreography should match that same energy. Dancing is not especially my strong suit, but the dance was pretty simple in terms of movement, so I was able to have fun with it and focus on the excitement and energy put into the song. 

Day Three: Callbacks

I felt pretty confident in my initial singing audition. I had prepared for about a week, and I tried to think everything out and create a gameplan. However, for my callback I was a nervous wreck. Instead of a week everyone had two days to prepare. A callback is like a round 2 of singing with possibly acting as well. Typically, the directors might have you in mind for a certain role(s). I was asked to sing and read for Mrs. Wormwood, Matilda’s mother. Matilda is a comfortable character for me, I feel like I am similar to her so it is easy for me to act/sing as her. However, Mrs. Wormwood is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. She does not treat Matilda fairly, and she only cares about money, looks, and dancing competitions. I sang her song “Loud” and I read a few lines for her as well. I was very nervous going into it, but I tried to power through it and do the best that I could. In the end, I think that I did pretty good for how nervous I was. I did my best, and I think that it was enough. Now, everyone who auditioned had nothing left to do but wait. 

Day Four: The Cast List

Waiting for the cast list to come out is one of the most excruciating things about auditioning for a musical. Luckily, it came out the day after callbacks. On the downside, we had to wait all of the school day until it would be posted on the door after school. All day the cast list was all I could think about, I was dying to know! The second that the 3:30 period bell rang, a few friends and I dashed straight to the drama room to see who had been casted. And, I got a lead! I will be playing Lavender, Matilda’s school friend that puts the newt into Ms. Trunchbull’s water. Not only this, but I am also the Matilda understudy. I am very excited and thankful to be a part of this cast, and I can’t wait for the performance. 

El Diamante’s production of Matilda will be performing at L.J. Williams in January 2024.