"Even If You're Little, You Can Do A Lot" ~ Matilda
Broadways biggest little hero needs one of Jenni Bicks toughest books! Matilda the Musical is a Tony Award winning broadway show based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl.
Matilda originated in London and was an instant success, winning a record-breaking 7 Olivier Awards including Best Musical. In 2012, when the show announced it was coming to Broadway, we were challenged with finding just the right book for the Children’s Music Director, Deborah Abramson.
“In London the kids are always carrying notebooks to write down their notes from rehearsals and such, and I've been harboring this idea that I want to give them each a personalized notebook on the first day of rehearsal. I had done some vague internet searching, and all my searches kept leading me to your company!”
The requirements were that the notebook be a “Matilda” navy blue color, a good price, and of course durable - as the cast consists of children ranging in age from 8 to 14 years old.
Deborah had a journal in mind, but wanted our opinion too. In the end, we decided the Blue Ciak Sketchbook was the perfect gift for the stars of the show.
Once we found the right notebook, it was time to decide on the design. Deborah pictured a silhouette of Matilda, the musical’s logo, each cast members name, and a line reading “Original Broadway Cast”. She worked one-on-one with our design team to finalize all the details. The result was a Blind Embossing on each of the sketchbooks.
We knew this was going to be an important gift, not only for Deborah, but for the kids as well. “The process of taking so much care with this order has really been an act of cementing my emotional commitment to caring for all these kids in this incredible journey they're embarking on, and I'm so proud that I have this tangible way to give them to remember it, this keepsake they can have to remember the experience for the rest of their lives.”
Since 2012, every young star in Matilda has received a custom notebook on their first day. As of today, 59 performers have their very own, well loved, Matilda notebook.
“The books are really really beautiful, and I'm always so proud to give them to the kids on their first day at Matilda— extremely sophisticated but also kid-friendly.”
"The kids treasure these so much, and I believe they will treasure them well into their old age."
"The little bookmark is extremely helpful. And the elastic band is also great for keeping a pencil handy as the kids carry their books everywhere. And I can definitely attest that they are water-resistant and crush-proof, since the kids aged 8-14 have often baptized them in water by accident, and since they get abused a lot, and somehow they always survive."
"As for the notebooks themselves, After a while, the books become a reflection of the children themselves. They each have their own way of treasuring it."
"There is one Matilda who refuses to throw away that plastic wrapping that the book came in, and who for the first several months would not allow her book to ever touch the floor. Then there is another Matilda, an original Broadway Matilda, who made lots of drawings on her book, and who listed the names of all the children in the cast, and then, when she met the girls who were preparing to "replace" her group, she wrote their names down too, as new friends."
Matilda the Musical runs weekly, Tuesday through Sunday at the Shubert Theater in New York City.
For tickets and more information on the show:
http://us.matildathemusical.com/
Follow them online @
https://www.facebook.com/MatildaOnBroadway
https://www.instagram.com/matildabroadway/