The Broadway musical version of The Secret Garden will be taking root on the Shuswap Theatre stage.
Based on the well-loved book by Francis Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden is a bittersweet story of grief and loss, both in childhood and adulthood, and the redemption made possible by a determined little girl and a secret garden.
Set in 1905, Mary Lennox is a 10-year-old English girl whose entire family is wiped out by a cholera epidemic in India.
Mary is sent to her Uncle Archibald’s gloomy estate on the moors of Yorkshire.
Archie is still grieving the death of his beloved wife, Mary’s aunt, 10 years earlier.
A colourful cast of characters populate this moving story and the music, written by the recently deceased Lucy Simon (sister of Carly Simon), is multi-layered and very beautiful. The script and lyrics for The Secret Garden were masterfully written by Marsha Norman.
Shuswap Theatre is pleased to welcome back as director Liz Hobbs, who recently returned from working on a play in the New York area. Shuswap residents last saw Hobbs’ work when she directed Romeo and Juliet in 2017. She is delighted to be returning to Shuswap Theatre.
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The Secret Garden opens Friday, Nov. 18, and plays to Dec. 4. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. On Thursday, Nov. 25, there is a Pay What You Can performance, with no advance tickets, admission by cash only at the door.
On Sunday, Nov. 27, a relaxed performance will take place in which some of the usual expectations of audience members are relaxed for folks with special needs.
The content of this performance, however, will be relatively unchanged and all are welcome. An extra Sunday matinee has been added due to the expected popularity of this show.
The show is generally suitable for 10 years and older.
Tickets may be purchased online at shuswaptheatre.com, or at Wild Craft Mercantile, 121 Shuswap St. NW.
For more information or to buy tickets, visit shuswaptheatre.com.
–Submitted