Posted: 11/15/16 at 9:38pm
With Daisy Eagan as Martha, performances for The Secret Garden begin tonight at D.C.'s Shakespeare Theatre Company's Sidney Harman Hall, scheduled to run through December 31. Is anybody planning on going? Would love to hear how the production is.
Posted: 11/15/16 at 11:03pm
I went tonight; it was good! I'll respond more tomorrow.
Posted: 11/15/16 at 11:13pm
Going in about a month. Really looking forward to it!
Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:47am
I'm not trying to be snarky or facetious when I say this...has Eagan played a lot of major roles in shows that aren't Secret Garden?
Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:02am
I'm curious to learn more about the concept for this production. The director in the promotional film mentions that this is a 'streamlined' version, though I hope its not the same approach the RSC took a dozen years back. It removed the ghosts (and added a chorus line of dancing and singing cooks and gardeners) which essentially turned the piece into not very grand children's theatre. I hope this stays truer to the original concept.
Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:30am
Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "I'm not trying to be snarky or facetious when I say this...has Eagan played a lot of major roles in shows that aren't Secret Garden?
She took a rather large break from acting, and kind of started from scratch. She has not had a lot of high-profile assignments as an adult - her biggest roles to date were in the broadway company of James Joyce's the Dead and a supporting role in The Wild Party in LA, both over ten years ago.
"
Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:44am
QueenAlice said: "I'm curious to learn more about the concept for this production. The director in the promotional film mentions that this is a 'streamlined' version, though I hope its not the same approach the RSC took a dozen years back. It removed the ghosts (and added a chorus line of dancing and singing cooks and gardeners) which essentially turned the piece into not very grand children's theatre. I hope this stays truer to the original concept."
They kept the ghosts. I believe they cut "Round-Shouldered Man" and "Race You to the Top of the Morning" and made "Quartet" a solo, if I recall correctly. They also moved some of the songs around a little, I think.
My very unsophisticated take on it- the pacing was good, the set was good, the lighting was really well done. The girl playing Mary seemed a little too stylized with mannerisms that seemed more 21st century, but she had a very nice voice. I wish Colin sang more, because that kid had a beautiful voice! My friends and I sat in the 3rd row, almost dead center, and from what we could see, it looked like they had given Daisy Eagan freckles, which we didn't care for. We thought the actor playing Neville had the strongest voice.
I thought it was great and a very enjoyable performance. From what I could tell, the mezz was very sparsely populated, which is a shame.
Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:44am
I love Act 1 of Secret Garden, but don't care much for Act 2. The first act sets it up as Gothic melodrama, with ghosts, a sinister doctor, family secrets... and then the second act's tale of love and redemption essentially jettisons all the extremely effective atmosphere-building of Act 1. I get that it's the story of the garden, and not of the haunted Victorian mansion, but Act 1 feels so much like "Lost Hearts" or some other M. R. James or Henry James piece, it's always a little disappointing when Act 2 comes around.
Posted: 11/16/16 at 4:17pm
Really looking forward to seeing this next weekend. Sadly, it must not be selling well as discount tix are available all over the place. Hoping to fit Carousel in too...if rush or a discount comes through!
Posted: 11/21/16 at 1:46pm
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Daisy-Eagans-Return-to-THE-SECRET-GARDEN-at-Shakespeare-Theatre-Company-20161121
The production looks glorious. Looking forward to catching this one.
Posted: 11/21/16 at 3:08pm
I saw the show on Saturday and I thought it was pretty good! Great cast, for the most part, and really enjoyed Eagan.
Posted: 11/21/16 at 3:44pm
Sorry to hear they have cut "Round-Shouldered Man"--such a pretty song if you have a kid who can handle it.
Posted: 1/20/17 at 3:11am
I've always been of the opinion that "Round Shouldered Man", while a lovely song, makes approximately zero sense from Colin's emotional standpoint at that point of the show - he's lashing out and bratty and screaming in fear, and then "here's a lovely song about my dreams".
I'll miss "Race you" but as a song it definitely smacks of "Mandy needs another number" rather than reveal anything particularly deep about Archie's character. I suppose the idea that he secretely visits Colin speaks to Archie's deep love for the boy but it does kind of deaden the impact of that ending scene where they actually talk for the first time.
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
