Ahmanson's Broadway-Aimed THE SECRET GARDEN - Reviews & News Thread- Page 2

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 2/19/23 at 11:12am

jacobsnchz14 said: "Anyone plan on seeing the show this week?"

sorry not this week, but March 12th. i venture to the Ahmanson...i am very excited to finally see this musical!

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 2/19/23 at 11:26am

"This show fits neatly in the pantheon of nice but forgettable “classic book musicals” cut from a very Wildhorn cloth."

What an odd thing to say.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 2/19/23 at 11:41am

I wouldn't phrase it the same way, but a good many people find The Secret Garden score compelling and the book quite hum-hum, a hallmark of many Wildhorn shows.

[BETTY22]

Posted: 2/19/23 at 12:38pm

Tonight is first preview - BEST OF LUCK!

[henrike]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 3:22am

I had the opportunity to catch this tonight.To keep it simple, I can say that it's not gonna be a hit.

Despite it being a first preview, the performance was quite polished, however.

I'm only casually familiar with The Secret Garden and I absolutely adore many of the gorgeous songs by Lucy Simon. I purchased tickets wanting to hear Sierra Boggess' Lily and it didn't disappoint. The biggest applause of the evening from the audience, however, was "Lily's Eyes" and "Hold On". The orchestra sounded a bit thin, and the program only listed about a dozen musicians.

The cast was all quite good, if not generic. Derrick Davis as Archibald had a terrific voice.

I'm not too much of an expert with The Secret Garden to know if there were any book revisions.

Having said that, the book is just awful. I'm sorry to say it, but it's *so* boring. I kinda see the themes that the musical adaptation is trying to explore, but it didn't succeed in moving me emotionally. There were quite a few kids present in the audience, and I'm sure they were bored to tears/didn't understand what was happening with the uninspired, bare staging.

The scenic design was regional theatre-esque in that it seemed like the designer had to work with limited budget (a unit set, if you can call it that, featuring that swirly vortex thing, with beds/tables rolled in from the wings. The rose garden reveal was... uhm lol). And having seen Chaplin (which was another mediocre show), I'm just not sure of Warren Carlyle's ability to bring something potentially beautiful to a dud material like this.

 

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And can someone please fix the damn rose petal confetti? Random pieces kept falling on the stage every few minutes when it wasn't supposed to (I think). Highly distracting. And when the rose petals did rain on stage at the finale, it wasn't the magical moment the audience was anticipating it to be. It was more like "oh gawd, it's finally falling" since they teased it so much throughout the show.

Since this is a first preview with a possible Broadway run, I shouldn't be too harsh. There are many good elements budding from the ground that could potentially make it a beautiful show. But without some DRASTIC book revision, it's just not a good show. And it will not make any money on Broadway. The design seemed quite cheap enough to build, so maybe Roundabout can pick it up for a limited run?

Updated On: 2/20/23 at 03:22 AM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 1:59pm

As a huge fan of the original Bway production back in ‘92 I went into this revival with an open heart and high hopes. 
 

First the good news: the cast is absolutely terrific! Emily Jewel Holder’s Mary Lennox held the audience in the palm of her hand all evening — when she actually gets to express joy in Act 2, it’s like the sun comes out. More pure joy comes from Julia Lester’s Martha and John-Michael Lyles’ Dickon. The grownups? Well they sing wonderfully, but boy are their roles relentlessly one-note. 
 

The music making throughout is lovely, and those hardworking 11 pit musicians still managed to deliver every nuance of the score. Close your eyes and you’ll hear an utterly satisfying SECRET GARDEN. 

And that’s really my main complaint with this production: when you open your eyes you’re forced to make sense of too-large an ensemble crammed onto too small a playing space, performing elaborate choreography amidst beds and dressers and tables and chairs, against a backdrop of black, black and more black.  I’ve been an enormous fan of designer Jason Sherwood ever since his gorgeous designs for the TV presentation of RENT. But he sadly lets us down here. That spiral helix of grey chicken wire is a lousy literal metaphor to stare at for 2 1/2 hours, backed by a flying potato chip which I think he meant as a sun/moon but for me a potato chip it remained. Oy. 
 

Veterans Ann Hould-Ward and Ken Billington get us a lot further towards a proper Secret Garden with their fine costumes and lighting. But whose idea was it to stick a dancer in a Cholera costume and have her claim the lives of Mary’s family not just once but twice in case we didn’t get it the first time?

Sorry to sound so negative about a home-grown production of a rarely produced show. It’s really an evening full of many delights. And for those without memories of the OBC original, it can be a great introduction to a gorgeous score. The definitive revival may have to wait a while longer. 

Updated On: 2/20/23 at 01:59 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 4:24pm

Is this still the original Broadway version with ghosts and creepy children and Mary channeling/possessed by the dead fakir and a hunchback with a gun in his mouth, or is it the later revision that cuts the Gothic elements and focuses on the children instead?

There are few revisions I hate more than the “let’s not be spooky” revision to Secret Garden.

[Moreski93]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 5:34pm

What’s the merch situation like?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 5:51pm

darquegk said: "Is this still the original Broadway version with ghosts and creepy children and Mary channeling/possessed by the dead fakir and a hunchback with a gun in his mouth, or is it the later revision that cuts the Gothic elements and focuses on the children instead?

There are few revisions I hate more than the “let’s not be spooky” revision to Secret Garden."

WTF are you talking about?

[henrike]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 6:13pm

Someone in a Tree2 said: "But whose idea was it to stick a dancer in a Cholera costume and have her claim the lives of Mary’s family not just once but twice in case we didn’t get it the first time?"

Totally agree with your sentiment. It also made me think of The Book of Mormon when the Ugandans are enacting "**** go down the stomach, **** come out the butt" with the red fabric.

 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 10:06pm

JSquared2 said: "darquegk said: "Is this still the original Broadway version with ghosts and creepy children and Mary channeling/possessed by the dead fakir and a hunchback with a gun in his mouth, or is it the later revision that cuts the Gothic elements and focuses on the children instead?

There are few revisions I hate more than the “let’s not be spooky” revision to Secret Garden."
WTF are you talking about?
"

I think they are referring to the Australian premiere (or was it London?) which revised the material to make it less dark. From what I remember it was not received well and didn’t run very long.

Anyway, I have loved the show since the 1990’s and have directed it at the high school level so I know it pretty well. The score is wonderful, but the show can be boring at times. I think they were going for a Les Miz-Annie hybrid and the result is alternately plodding and heartwarming with random supernatural elements occasionally thrown in. I don’t think any director can “fix” it. It’s a flawed work, but still worth reviving despite its issues.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 2/20/23 at 10:25pm

To answer an above question, there is certainly no gun in any mouth in this version. I would say that yes, the kids’ story takes center stage here and the adults’ story s significantly less developed, but can’t remember how different this is from the ‘91 original. 
One noticeable change they have made to this production is moving the Act 2 opener “The Girl I’m Meant to Be” back to early Act 1 when Mary sings it to the robin to explain why she wants to enter the garden. Nice enough I guess, but I miss the fantasy scene that used to open Act 2 to accompany that wistful tune. 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/21/23 at 5:29am

The Australian production followed the Broadway script.  What people are talking about is the RSC production in London in 2001, by the RSC which I believe sold very well for a limited run (and got good reviews there.)  Judging by what I've read about it and the cast album, I like it far less (I saw and loved the original tour when I was 12, with Douglas Sills as Neville and Roger Bart as Dickon!) but the intended goal was to return to something closer to the book.  So yes, less Gothic elements, less (any?) ghosts, and focusing more on the kids.  I think though they still kept the Neville/Archibald are brothers and were rivals for Lily plot which isn't in the novel but I have no idea how you can remove from the musical.

However, more recently there was another revised version and I wondered if this production followed that?  From Wiki: "Washington, D.C.'s Shakespeare Theatre Company, in collaboration with Seattle, Washington's 5th Avenue Theatre, presented the musical from November 15, 2016, to January 8, 2017, directed by David Armstrong.[14] Michael Kahn (Artistic Director at the time) noted that this production is "an active reworking" of the musical.[14] Daisy Eagan returned to the show as the chambermaid Martha, with Anya Rothman as Mary, Michael Xavier as Archibald Craven, and Josh Young as Dr. Neville Craven.[14][15] The production has revisions that include new songs, deletions (including the songs "Round-Shouldered Man", "Quartet", "Race You to the Top of the Morning" and re-arranging. Overall, it condenses and streamlines the story to a shorter running time, with Norman and Simon's involvement. The production was performed at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle from April 14 to May 6, 2017, and at the Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, Texas, October 10–22. That January, Playbill wrote about plans for this production to go to Broadway, but the production's timeline was canceled."

A friend who saw a preview of this current production didn't mention any cuts but did say the opening was revised and streamlined it seemed to him, as well as some other details (Neville doesn't slap Mary but is stopped before, and other relatively minor changes--he said Rose in the flashbacks has been softened for example...)

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/21/23 at 11:30am

The musical has always been two souls fighting for one body (like the scene in the original where Mary channels the spirits of her dead friends and family and goes Linda Blair on the new governess). Half of it wants to be a gentle and heartwarming children’s story (like the original novel), and half of it wants to be a dark and creepy Gothic melodrama (nothing like the novel at all). The Broadway script even has hints of a murder or Munchausen by proxy plot, which is left mostly unaddressed and was probably cut altogether with fragments remaining.

From all comments here, it seems that producers prefer the lighter side of the coin. But I wonder if audiences feel the same- after all, it’s “Lily’s Eyes,” not “Hold On,” that defines the show’s place in theatrical pop culture.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 2/21/23 at 2:53pm

All the songs Eric mentions as being cut in the 5th Ave version are most definitely all present in the current Ahmanson show. The Munchausen by Proxy plot is also definitely present-- my husband burst out laughing at the baldness of the villainy at Sunday's preview. 

Oddly, they still sing at length about Archie being a hunchback but nothing in his posture or costuming supports that character trait.

The ghosts are in no way minimized in this production. They fill the stage nearly from the first scene to the last, reenacting the death of Mary's family, rolling furniture on and offstage, carrying candelabras in lieu of actual scenery, etc., buttressing Mary and Dickon's magic spells, and of course singing and dancing in ravishing harmonies throughout the evening. They are the heart and soul of the show.

Updated On: 2/21/23 at 02:53 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/21/23 at 4:05pm

Excellent! Sounds like the show’s heart is still there. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/21/23 at 9:39pm

[mikey2573]

Posted: 2/21/23 at 10:30pm

The recent Fifth Avenue production mentioned in this thread, with Daisy Eagan as Martha, is on Youtube. 

The original production was beautifully directed by Susan H. Schulman, who was able to find comedic moments that were not in the script, while still making the show incredibly moving.  I've always found TSG to be very problematic, because if you don't "read between the lines" of the script, and if you don't find moments of levity, you will end up with a very somber, gloomy evening in the theater.  The funny moments are there in Mary's hauty arrogant attitude, which is just a facade to protect her from being hurt.  Also, Martha's "simple" yet wise way with words, and of course the arguments and tantrums between Mary and Colin can be very funny.  It is so important to look for these moments to give the audience a chance to laugh in an otherwise very serious show. The set design of the original production by Heidi Landesman (now Ettinger) was breathtaking.  I still remember the final set of the garden in full bloom always getting applause (I saw the original many times). 

Also, to correct a previous poster, Dr. Craven never slapped Mary in the original production; he pulled his hand away at the very last moment.  The reason most people believe the slap happened in the original production is because it clearly IS present on the cast recording.  You can hear him hit her.  But this was just done for the recording; he did not actually slap Mary in the theater. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/21/23 at 10:47pm

Is Race you to the Top of the Morning still in?

[Blindbutlerdeafmaid]

Posted: 2/22/23 at 3:15am

Race You To The Top of the Morning was cut and only a few things have been moved around. 

According to the program, tonight was: 

Act 1:

Opening

There's A Girl

The House Upon the Hill
I
Heard Someone Crying

If I Had a Fine White Horse

A Girl in the Valley

It's a Maze

Winter's on the Wing

Show Me the Key

The Girl I Mean to Be

A Bit of Earth

Storm 1

Lily's Eyes

Storm II

Round-Shouldered Man

Final Storm

Act 2:

Wick

Disappear

Come To My Garden

Come Spirit, Come Charm

A Bit of Earth (Reprise)

Disappear (Reprise)

Hold On

Letter Song

Where In the World

How Could I Ever Know

Finale

Like most things: if you go wanting to hate it, you absolutely will and you will find much to… let’s say… discuss.

But, if you're a child of the cast albums and tv performances like I am or just want to be swept away in a professional performance of the material, you will find much to love in its many stunning choices, performances, and writing.

The audience tonight (certainly downstairs) was in the show’s hand: they gave entrance applause to Sierra Boggess at the top of the show, enthusiastically lauded the powerhouse numbers you’d expect them to, gave exit applause to Mrs. Winthrop’s exit, and ultimately extended an extremely enthusiastic standing ovation right into the curtain call.

I found the cast to be uniformly exceptional, especially two kids who have quite a lot of heavy lifting to do and, by the second act, the show starts to breath in a way that allows you to just fall madly head over heals for the characters as, even in a house that is rather large, the eyes of core leads just radiate. Julia Lester and John-Michael Lyles bring a joy to the piece that is absolutely infectious. Aaron Lazar makes gives you a solidly arced performance that makes you love, despise, and ultimately understand the character’s choices. Derick Davis brings a singer’s singer skill set to the role that really made it one of the best sung shows I’ve seen in a very long time. Sierra Boggess hits everything exactly how you want her to and makes you love her the way the community loved Rebecca Luker in this: her placement of every line nailed exactly what I hoped for from her and the duet between her and Reese Levine was absolutely breathtaking. There was one short duet by Randi De Marco (I believe, in the white hat?) and Kyla Jordan Stone that I was just over the moon for and was thrilled that there were no compromises made in the casting of people who could give the show the sound that fans of the material come to it for. Emily Jewel Hoder rarely leaves the stage and delivers a Mary that is profoundly professional for someone that young and who joined the production late. 

I’m not associated with this production in any way, and if I have any bias it’s that I hope you get to experience the joy I did in surrendering to professional theater crafted by some of the world’s leading theatrical artists.

I thought I was going to miss Heidi Ettinger’s iconic design and much has been discussed about the set, but once you’re through the opening, where it succeeds the most is giving room for the gorgeous lighting, costumes, and choreography. I thought the cone of downlight through the spiral became a spectacular look that highlighted the strength of the idea tremendously. 



We’ll certainly be back later in the run when it’s frozen and settled.

To the discussion about the RSC / Broadway production: it has more in common with the Broadway than the RSC production. (I’m a HUGE fan of the RSC opening but didn’t find anything deficient about returning to the original Broadway opening idea in this one.) Craven doesn't strike her and not doing so isn't the weaker choice. There are no gunshots.

Updated On: 2/22/23 at 03:15 AM

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/22/23 at 7:46am

I saw the first preview last Sunday and Race You To the Top of the Morning was definitely still in it. Did you see last night's second preview and they cut it? The entire original score seemed to be there, some songs moved to different spots and some numbers with new lyrics however.

The show ran very smoothly for a first preview. No one went up on lines and I'm sure the actors' characterizations will deepen with the run, but already the entire ensemble (except for Derrick Davis who has a glorious voice but overacts all over the place) are doing great work. Emily Jewel Hoder is a very good Mary, though her super-declarative Matilda style delivery lacked some of the subtlety of Daisy Eagan's. Julie Lester fulfills her Little Red promise as Martha, her "Hold On" bringing down the house. The boy who plays Colin will only get better and Sierra Boggess and Aaron Lazar are as wonderful as you would expect them to be. John-Michael Lyles is a delightful and uniquely sung Dickon.

I had some problems with the direction and design, but some of it I loved. But what struck me (again) was the score. The Secret Garden was the last great romantic musical, the last musical with every number, ballad or uptune to be steeped in a glorious type of melody we never hear anymore. I found myself crying at many numbers, not because they were sad, but because I had forgotten how beautiful they were. And that Lucy Simon just missed this glorious-voiced production. I don't know if it has a life after the Ahmanson, but I am so, so glad I got to see it. Updated On: 2/22/23 at 07:46 AM

[bholtzinger544]

Posted: 2/22/23 at 9:21am

Did they take out Quartet, I didn't see it listed here? A shame if they did, I always found it one of my favorite songs in the show.

[Blindbutlerdeafmaid]

Posted: 2/22/23 at 1:26pm

bholtzinger544 said: "Did they take out Quartet, I didn't see it listed here? A shame if they did, I always found it one of my favorite songs in the show."

My song list was taken from the program which seems to have a reduced naming convention than the cast album and even the printed score. Perhaps someone that sees the show tonight or over the next few days can watch specifically for this, but my recollection is that the beginning piece of the Quartet is used, but that the actual Quartet has been cut. I have a memory of Archibald describing the dream (albeit a bit differently than I remember the writing), Craven singing his "Why won't he say what he wants" section, and the Lily and Rose dialog. But the Lily/Rose dialog is just a cross and I'm fairly certain it didn't progress into the argument (which I always found to be a bit cheesy anyway). Listening to the Quartet this morning, there's certainly story in the sung part of the Lily /Rose argument that is gone, but I don't remember where the show went from the cross or where exactly it sits. I'm sorry. (If no one adds to this by the time I go back, I'll surely update this.) 

Owen22: Race You To The Top of the Morning was still listed, but definitely cut (at least last night. So permanent or experiment, I don't know?). It's always been a highlight of the score for me, but I didn't miss it in the context of how Act 2 has been streamlined and didn't even realize it until I was typing out the song list above. But it was 100% not there last night. I share many of the same thoughts you do/did and I do look forward to seeing how several of the performance grow between now and when I go back. I, too, am extremely glad I went and do look forward to seeing it again before it closes.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 2/22/23 at 3:08pm

"The Secret Garden was the last great romantic musical (emphasis added), the last musical with every number, ballad or uptune to be steeped in a glorious type of melody we never hear anymore."

Hmm. A bit debatable I think.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 2/22/23 at 8:29pm

I have tickets in about a month, excited/scared to see how this turns out. 

Ya Know, Race You to the Top is a beautiful, beautiful song, but boy howdy does it make the reunion between Archie and Colin at the end of the show work better if Archie cannot bring himself to be around his son until the very end of the show.