Today, Sunday February 7, 2016, is your last opportunity to see and hear this production of The Secret Garden. This is one of my very favorite musicals. I wish Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon had collaborated on much more. Their translation of this wonderful classic story into a stage musical is just magical. The words are poetic and the music -- at turns -- stirring, comic, ethereal, and majestic.
Please support bringing these kinds of classics to our community theater stage. Two of my friends who attended last evening reported being brought to tears. Now it IS community theater. You will not find perfection. At least not from ol' Ben Weatherstaff, the gruff but tender-hearted gardener that I get to inhabit one more time. But these players have volunteered a huge percentage of their waking hours outside of work and school for many weeks to bring you this show. Our stage crew, sound and light crew, production staff, and nine piece orchestra are focused on making sure you hear and see every note and every word intended (and as little unintended as possible!).
As a father iI will shamelessly brag that it is a very special privilege for me to share a stage again with one of my two talented daughters. Lillian IS a Yorkshire housemaid from her first entrance to final curtain. You Downton fans will recognise the type. "Martha"'s heart is as big as Lillian's and her voice will resound with humor and comfort (A Fine White Horse") in the first act, and with passionate encouragement for distraught "Mary" in the second ("Hold On")
This is not a show often attempted in community theater. The music is absolutely wonderful, but also difficult. Several of the characters must portray tortured souls, while trying to preserve the spark of humanity. I hope you will see an orphaned little girl and her frightened and emotionally abandoned cousin find new purpose and new life in a garden reborn from their friendship and the love of their Yorkshire servants. And two depressed, sad, selfish, angry brothers brought back from the brink of insanity by the love reborn in that garden.
Y'all come!
Andrew Bressette Really well put Terrell,
Victoria Stanz Abernathy You got wonderful reviews from our special visitor, Rachel Craw, this afternoon who loved to the point of tears during the whole performance last evening. I probably could drive after dark now if I had a trusted vehicle, but I was with you all in spirit. Bravissimo to you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment