Review: THE SECRET GARDEN at Center Stage - Simply Spectacular

Let me start by saying I just love THE SECRET GARDEN. I saw the original Broadway Cast which featured 11 year old Daisy Eagan as Mary Lenox. Eagan won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1991 (the youngest ever to win the award). The cast included such luminaries as Mandy Patinkin, Robert Westenberg, Rebecca Luker, Allison Fraser, and John Cameron Mitchell (yes...from HEDWING AND THE ANGRY INCH) as "Dickon". It did not win "Best Musical". The competition included ONCE ON THIS ISLAND and MISS SAIGON. None of these three great musicals won. Which show did? Would you believe THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES?

So when I heard that Center Stage Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah would be bringing this musical to Baltimore, I was thrilled. And I was not disappointed.

THE SECRET GARDEN is a co-production with the Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati where it opened to rave reviews on September 10, 2015. These rave reviews were certainly well justified.

To be honest, I was a little skeptical. This musical (which could be compared to an operetta) requires fabulous voices and a superb orchestra. The music by Lucy Simon (the sister of folk-singer Carly) with Book and Lyrics by Marsha Norman is based on the famous children's novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett written in 1910. The story takes place in a 110 room mansion (think "Downton Abbey") which was based on the huge Maytham Hall in Kent, England, which Burnett actually leased for 10 years and featured a "secret" garden which she modeled for her novel.

The story concerns young 10 year old Mary Lennox (Caitlin Cohn) who survived a cholera outbreak in 1906 India but lost her two parents, Captain Albert Lennox (Dan Beckmann) and Rose Lennox (Jessica Van Kipp) and her two Indian servants Ayah (Anita Vasan) and Fakir (Vishal Vaidya).

She is told that she will travel to England to be under the care of her Uncle Archibald Craven (Kevin Earley) who is a hunchback, and is still grieving for his wife Lily Craven (Brandi Burkhardt) after 10 years. He lives in the mansion with his doctor brother Neville (Adam Monley) who cares for Archibald's invalid 10 year old son Colin (Anthony Frederickson) who is kept secluded in a wing in the mansion due to an apparent illness.

Mary is cared for by chambermaid Martha (Charlotte Maltby) who at first seems the only character with a lovely personality and actually smiles. Her brother Dickon (Cameron Bartell) carries a big stick and acts as a conjurer and loves nature. He also talks to his favorite bird, a Robin. The bird is a puppet held on a stick by Ayah and sings via the assistance of the flutes in the orchestra pit. It is the bird who leads Mary to the secret garden which has been closed since the death of her Aunt Lily.

The evening certainly has a dark premise. There are the ghosts of those who died...the quartet of the dead from India as well as the dead Lily who all act sort of like a Greek chorus throughout the evening. There is grief, loneliness, sadness, secrecy, depression, ghosts but addresses friendship, love, strength, and hope at the same time.

It is little Mary who turns the house upside down with her love of nature, who pines for a "bit of earth" to plant seeds, rescues little Colin from his bed, finds and replenishes the abandoned "secret garden" and convinces her Uncle Archibald that there is life after the death of his lovely wife Lily.

The creativity of THE SECRET GARDEN starts with Director Dodge who has helmed a magnificent and clever production which utilizes puppetry (the world-renowned Puppet Kitchen Productions, Inc), imagery (Set Design by Narelle Sissions), light (brilliant lighting by Matthew Richards), and great sound (David Bullard) to move the story forward. Kate Glasheen, Dialect Coach, brings Yorkshire to Baltimore.

Kudos to Casting Director Stephanie Klapper who has assembled an amazing group of actors whose voices bring goose-bumps. Caitlin Cohn just sparkles every moment she's on stage. Brandi Burkhardt is mesmerizing as Lily. Kevin Early excels as Archibald Craven. Adam Monley's voice is powerful and has a superb duet with Early. Charlotte Maltby is a joy to watch as Martha and likewise Cameron Bartell as Dickon. And then there's Anthony Frederickson as little Colin. What a future he has ahead of him. Others in the ensemble who excel are Carolyn Connolly, Timothy McDevitt, Gayton Scott, Michael Yeshion, and Talia Noelle Zoll.

Dodge should be commended for the diversity in the cast. While the Broadway cast had none, Dodge has chosen two actors of Indian background to sing and dance (Choreography by Dodge), Viahl Vaidya and Anita Vasan). She also uses Dathan B. Williams (African-American) to portray the gardener Ben Weatherstaff.

But it's the music that makes THE SECRET GARDEN so memorable. Music Director Sariva Goetz did the wonderful Orchestral Arranging from the large 33 piece orchestra on the CD to 7 talented musicians including Michael Sebastian (Associate Music/Director, Conductor, Keyboardist), Bob Boguslaw (Keyboard), Anthony Valerio (French Horn), Chris Hofer (Bass), Matthew Belzer (Reed 1), Keith Daudelin (Reed 2) and Greg Herron (Percussion and the all-important Timpani). I did miss not having any strings. There's got to be a way to recognize these musicians hidden under the stage. How about a photo on stage at the curtain call or even in the lobby?

The question I get asked often concerns whether THE SECRET GARDEN is suitable for children. That depends. I would say generally it is fine for those over the age of 10 but some younger children will still enjoy it if they are prepared in advance.

I recommend you buy the CD in advance and follow the lyrics which sometimes are hard to distinguish with the casts' strong Yorkshire accents. I wish Center Stage would follow local theaters like Signature, Arena Stage, and Olney Theatre Center who sell CDs and DVDs in their lobbies. Center Stage does sell the book for $7 at the bar.

You have the opportunity to see Original Cast members Daisy Eagan and Rebecca Luker in a SECRET GARDEN benefit January 11, 2016 and January 17, 2016 in New York City at the Lortel Theatre located at 121 Christopher Street...visit friendsintheater.com or call 212-352-3101. Tickets start at $45.

THE SECRET GARDEN, not to be missed, continues until November 29, 2015. For tickets, call 410-332-0033 or visit www.centerstage.org.

Also at Center Stage in the Head Theatre is X'S AND O'S, a celebration of football. It runs until December 20, 2015.

THIS AND THAT

DVR Alert:

FIRST YOU DREAM: THE MUSIC OF KANDER AND EBB...a concert tribute recorded at Signature Theatre directed by Eric Schaeffer (Nov. 20 on PBS).

On Saturday night, Nov. 21, the film WEST SIDE STORY (coming to the Signature Theatre on December 8, 2015 and running to January 24, 2016) on WETA at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday night, Nov. 28, JOSH GROBAN: STAGES: Josh Groban sings Broadway tunes at 10 p.m. on PBS.

CBS THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

CBS will feature Broadway shows during its telecast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which will broadcast from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In addition to performances from JERSEY BOYS and BEAUTIFUL, it will feature appearances by Wayne Brady (KINKY BOOTS), George Takei (ALLEGIANCE), and Renee Elise Goldsberry (HAMILTON).

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE ON NBC

Happy to report the shows on NBC during Macy's Parade:

SCHOOL OF ROCK

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

KING AND I

ON YOUR FEET

SOMETHING ROTTEN

THE WIZ LIVE! (on NBC Dec. 3 at 8 p.m.)

FINDING NEVERLAND

Did you notice the Volvo commercial which features the wonderful song "Feeling Good" from THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT, THE SMELL OF THE CROWD?

cgshubow@broadwayworld.com

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