Local West Chester area student Eddie Sims, told us about preparing for his role as Nigel in Walnut Street Theatre's Matilda the Musical, his favorite song from the show and enjoying the audience's reaction to it all.
Tell us about your upcoming role at Walnut Street Theatre.
I am playing Nigel in Matilda the Musical. Nigel is one of Matilda's friends and one of the kids at a school with a mean and horrible headmistress. Matilda helps him get out of trouble!
What have you enjoyed about preparing for and rehearsing for this role?
I enjoyed being with all of the other actors and making new friends. Now that the show is running, my favorite thing is hearing the reactions from the audience.
What is your favorite part of Matilda the Musical?
My favorite part is the song Revolting Children when all of the kids revolt against the Trunchbull. The song is high energy and it's fun to perform.
What do you think kids will love about Matilda the Musical?
I think that they will like that a lot of the actors in this show are kids that are around their same age and that they can relate to being kids in school. The kids will like the songs and singing and dancing. A lot of the songs stick in your head afterward!
How did you get interested in acting?
At first, I did not have much interest in acting. Then, my sister Louise started doing musicals at Limelight Performing Arts Center. I saw how much fun it was so I decided to do a show there. I enjoyed it so I started doing it more and more. My sister was in The Wizard of Oz at the Walnut two years ago so this time I decided to audition and this is where I ended up.
Do you get nervous when you perform? How do you handle it?
I get nervous mostly on the first show. I shake out my nerves before I go onstage and once I am on stage, my nerves go away and I enjoy it.
What do you recommend for local kids that want to get involved in acting / singing?
I recommend to find a local theatre company that does shows with kids or just start by taking a class. After getting some experience you can branch off to audition at other theaters. You can probably also get involved at school.
Thank you, Eddie! We hope you enjoy the rest of your experience in Matilda the Musical. Local families, if you have not seen it it's fantastic (Eddie is right, the Revolting Children number is so fun to watch!). The show runs now through January 6, 2019. For tickets, visit http://walnutstreettheatre.org/
