(BERKELEY HEIGHTS) -- Wharton Players brings the timeless story to life in Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR., November 20–22, 2026, at the Wharton Black Box Theater in Berkeley Heights. All performances are sold out.
Featuring an extraordinary young girl with a vivid imagination, a sharp mind, and the courage to stand up for what is right, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. is a lively musical filled with clever kids, unforgettable characters, and plenty of humor. The heartwarming production celebrates friendship, courage, and the power of believing in yourself. All three performances have sold out, reflecting strong audience interest in Wharton Arts' youth musical theater programming.
The production is co-directed by Alena Rose, who also serves as Music Director, and Nia Jackson, who also serves as Choreographer.
Wharton Players is the flagship musical theater program of Wharton Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives through music education. Through its musical theater programming, Wharton Arts provides young performers with opportunities to develop their artistic skills, build confidence, and experience the collaboration and creativity of live theater.
Performances take place Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21 at 7:00pm, and Sunday, November 22 at 2:00pm at the Wharton Black Box Theater in Berkeley Heights. All performances are sold out. For more information, visit WhartonArts.org.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Wharton Arts’ mission is to offer accessible, high quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities.
Wharton Arts is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving nearly 2,000 students through a range of classes and ensembles. The 5 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, an auditioned choral ensemble program for students in grades 3–12, encourage a love and appreciation of choral music while nurturing personal growth and creative development. The 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve over 500 students in grades 3–12 by audition, inspire young people to achieve musical excellence through high-level ensemble training and performance opportunities.
Based in Paterson, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of Wharton Arts that uses music education as a vehicle for social action by empowering and inspiring young people to achieve their full potential through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing. From Pathways classes for young children to Lifelong Learning programs for adults, the Wharton Performing Arts School has a robust musical theater and drama program and offers both private and group classes for instruments and voice for all ages and all abilities. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and that performing arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton Arts offers need-based scholarships.
Wharton Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 12 counties. All of Wharton Arts’ extraordinary teaching artists, faculty members, and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.
