The Broadway North Youth Company opened its fall production of Matilda JR this week with something it has never tried before.
For the first time in the program’s history, the show features two separate casts, each performing its own full run at the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts.
Director Kayleigh Skomoroski said the decision came after the program saw a long waitlist and high demand from families.
“We had such a high demand and interest and long wait list that we were looking at ways to try and solve that problem,” Skomorowski said. “We thought, ‘why don’t we just let them all in? If we have enough kids to be able to do two, then let’s open the floodgates and give everybody the chance.’”
The production is split into two casts, Cast B and N. Cast B and Cast N each have their own Matilda, Trunchbull, Miss Honey, and full ensembles. Both casts follow the same staging and choreography, but each group brings its own character interpretations to the show.
Skomorowski, a music educator and dancer, said building a strong creative team was central to shaping the production. She worked closely with music director Brock Skomorowski, who is also her husband, and choreographer Stephanie Lokinger, along with a full team of stage and technical staff.
“Bringing in people that you know can work well with and who will have your back was an important part of that,” she said.
The company had its dress rehearsal on Thursday night, followed by a school matinee Friday morning. Skomorowski said seeing the young performers in front of a live audience helped them settle into their roles.
“It is nice to finally be able to share that with an audience,” she said. “To have the kids finally have a live audience and have someone react to their work is a big moment.”
Balancing two casts brought challenges, but Skomorowski said careful planning helped maintain consistency while still allowing each cast to build its own identity.
“All of our tech can remain the same between casts, but their individual artistry still comes through,” she said. “They have all approached their own way of bringing those characters to life.”
The production also includes a little kid chorus and a big kid chorus, along with junior performers who attend separate rehearsals. Skomoroski said the younger group rehearsed on Saturday mornings, while afternoons focused on scenes without them.
For the director, some of the most emotional moments come when the entire stage fills with more than 60 young performers working together.
“Anytime when you have 60 kids on stage all at once, united in one intention and so engaged in their storytelling, it is powerful,” she said. “It is emotional, especially in a storyline about the power of children.”
The double cast system also helped with stamina and vocal health.
“In the past years, kids were doing back-to-back shows, and there was a lot more asked of them,” Skomorowski said. “This year with the two casts, being able to balance rest and performance has helped. To go through tech week with most of your kids healthy and not dealing with vocal fatigue is a really good sign.”
Skomorowski said audiences will see the commitment the children bring to difficult material.
“Putting on a show is a hard thing,” she said. “Learning to sing and dance and memorize your lines is hard even as adults. When you give that task to a 12-year-old and they rise to the challenge, it is incredible to see them take that on and do it at such a high level.”
She believes expanding the program to include every child who registered opens the door to more growth in future seasons.
“Any kid in our community that wants to experience musical theatre now has that opportunity,” she said. “Removing that barrier is a big plus for our community and for the program.”
Working with young performers continues to inspire her as an artist.
“Kids have not yet become aware of how other people perceive them,” she said. “There is less hesitation and more willingness to take risks. Working without that barrier is exciting and fun.”
Skomorowski hopes audiences will consider attending both versions of the show.
“It is the same show, but the interpretation from the principals is distinct,” she said. “It is a unique opportunity to see two different takes. Even our Trunchbulls are very different. I encourage people to catch both casts if they can.”
Matilda JR runs through December 6, with performances split between Cast B and Cast N.
