Naughty (from the Netflix movie Matilda The Musical): Piano Vocal

Minchin's songwriting here captures Matilda's defiance with a melody that's instantly memorable yet musically substantial. The piano part sits at an accessible level for accompaniment while the vocal line gives singers room to shape character and attitude, making this rewarding for both the performer discovering the role and the accompanist supporting them.

Defiant and clever. Matilda stakes her claim in this number with humor and backbone, backed by a piano part that's rhythmically propulsive and almost conversational in its delivery. It's a moment of pure agency wrapped in theatrical flair.

Piano students developing performance skills through contemporary musical theater, vocalists preparing audition material or working through the Matilda score, and accompanists building their Broadway repertoire. This piece works for singers at the intermediate level and above who want to explore character-driven contemporary songwriting.

• Anchor the rhythmic security in the piano part; it's what keeps the vocal line free to land on character-driven inflections and timing shifts.
• Lean into the story between phrases. This song needs attitude, not just accuracy. Find moments where the vocal can slightly sit behind or push ahead of the beat for dramatic effect.
• Balance vocal projection with the piano's texture. The accompaniment is active and colorful, so the voice should cut through without forcing; let the song's inherent energy do the work.

Include this as part of a musical theater recital or Broadway cabaret focused on strong female characters, or use it as a solo audition piece for young singers exploring contemporary musical repertoire. It also works beautifully in a program celebrating film and television adaptations of beloved stories.

• Balancing rhythmic precision with character-driven phrasing in contemporary musical theater
• Reading and accompanying active, syncopated piano figures that support rather than double the vocal line
• Sustaining vocal projection and attitude over an energetic accompaniment
• Interpreting contemporary songwriting that prioritizes storytelling alongside technical musicality