ShenanArts Announces THE SECRET GARDEN Opening 3/12

ShenanArts is pleased to announce its production of The Secret Garden. Directed by Hank Fitzgerald, with music direction by Anne Wick Manes, this Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic book by Frances Hodgson Burnett opens March 12 at the Stage 4 theatre and will play 8 performances from March 12-15 & 19-22, 2009. The Secret Garden premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on April 25, 1991 and ran for two years, closing after 709 performances. The production garnered the 1991 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical (Marsha Norman), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Daisy Eagan - the youngest person ever to win a Tony Award), and Best Scenic Design (Heidi Landesman).

"I am so excited to be bringing The Secret Garden to Shenanarts. It's a haunting, moving story with some of the most beautiful music I've heard, "said director Hank Fitzgerald, "I've been lucky to have such a talented cast to work with. They've really brought the story to life."

The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox (Rachel Vest and Gwynne Wood), a lonely little girl who is sent to live with her uncle Archibald (Hank Fitzgerald) in Yorkshire after being orphaned by a cholera epidemic in India. Still grieving over the loss of his beloved wife Lily (Shae Armstrong) who died ten years earlier during childbirth and distraught over the condition of his bedridden son, Colin (Derek Rubush), Archibald casts a dark shadow over the manor until Mary discovers a secret garden that had once belonged to Lily. By nursing this garden back to life Mary restores life to her grieving uncle and his sick son.

The 25-member cast also features the talents of Alex Sheets (Dr. Neville Craven), Elizabeth Brandon (Martha), Jake Frank (Dickon), Liz Leone (Rose Lennox), Jarod Kearney (Albert Lennox), Linda Witt (Mrs. Medlock), and David Witt (Ben Weatherstaff). Rounding out the cast are Morgan McDowell, Llyn Walker, Aaron Crosby, Robert J. Rhodes, Matthew Johnson, Kate Carson, Kelly McFarland, Matthew Riley, Alex Johnson, Hannah Woodrum, Ned Greene, Gillian Steger, and Emma Houseknecht.

Tickets for The Secret Garden are $16 for reserved, $12 for general admission, and $8 for students. Performances are March 12-15 & 19-22, Thurs.-Sat. at 7:30pm, Sun. at 3pm. For tickets: Call (540) 248-1868. Advance tickets are available until noon on the day of the show. Stage 4 is located at the intersection of Route 11 and Hwy 612 in Verona, VA.

ShenanArts is a non-profit theatre that was organized in 1981. Their mission continues to be using theatre to build bridges within our community by producing plays for all generations: Youth-Growing Stages, Teen-Teen Theatre, and Multi-Generational Shows as well as adult-oriented plays. For more information, visit www.shenanarts.org.

The Secret Garden
Presented by ShenanArts
March12-15 & 19-22, 2009
Music by Lucy Simon
Book and Lyrics by Marsha Norman
Adapted from the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Venue: Stage 4
Intersection of Route 11 and Hwy 612 in Verona, VA

Tickets: $8-$12-$16
Box Office: (540) 248-1868
Online: www.shenanarts.org

ShenanArts
Stage4 Theatre
www.shenanarts.org
540-248-1868
P.O. 1
Verona, VA 24482