Can’t keep such excellence a secret: ‘The Secret Garden’ at Theo
The Company. Photo by Time Stops Photography.
As an archetype for humanity in literature, no metaphor serves authors as perfectly as the garden. Plant. Tend. Feed. Nurture. Watch for growth. Accept sickness or death. Rinse and repeat.
Hauntingly, tenderly, emotionally, this theme is brilliantly brought to stage at Evanston’s intimate Theo in its production of The Secret Garden. This deep, often heartbreaking, ultimately redemptive, yet seldomly produced tale explores solitude, innocence, grief and the simultaneous existence of the physical and spiritual. Its operatic score is gorgeously sung by a cast as talented as patrons will find on any stage this season.
Director Christopher Pazdernik delivers a gorgeous, riveting rendition of librettist Marsha Norman’s and composer Lucy Simon's musical Garden based on the classic children’s novel published in 1911 by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Set in the early 1900s, the story revolves around an 11-year-old English orphan, Mary Lennox, who is sent from her home in India when cholera takes the lives of her parents and Ayah (nanny). She arrives at her uncle's Yorkshire, England estate, forced to live with relatives whom she has never met and are dealing with grief of their own. As Mary's personality blossoms, she and Dickon, a young gardener, take risks to bring new life to her dead aunt's secret and neglected garden and to Mary's ill cousin and grieving uncle.
The 1991 Broadway production of Garden musical was generally well received, garnering a clutch of Tony nods and even a few wins. But a Broadway theatre by definition certainly cannot match the tender intimacy that is Theo’s hallmark, along with its signature casting of young up-and-comers.
They are held up by the lovely, simple music of the three-person orchestra led by Carolyn Brady, the understatedly elegant stone set of Rose Johnson and the best theatrical lighting this reviewer has seen at Theo, courtesy of Levi J. Wilkins. So, too, costuming by Lucy Elkin is period-perfect while establishing appropriate elegance to the ethereal.
The on-stage talent parade begins with feisty Joryhebel Ginorio as Mary, whose personification doesn’t dwell on the forlorn, instead quickly catapulting her piece of the story to the hopeful. Ginorio’s voice is terrific, and she gets plenty of showcase moments.
The youthful lead is well supported by the rest of her vocally superb castmates. The gorgeous Brennan Martinez could easily step into most operatic female lead roles in American musical theatre. Her portrayal of omniscient Lily, Mary's aunt, focuses on her role as loving wife to her grieving husband for whom life’s responsibilities are simply too much. Heartachingly performed by Will Koski, Archibald Craven features the strongest character arc in the story, culminating with his realistically grateful, hopeful outlook at show’s end.
Vocal highlights begin with Martinez’s hauntingly beautiful, "Come to My Garden,” while the Koski/Ginorio duet, "A Bit of Earth," provides a distinct musical memory. But perhaps the best songs in an overall well-balanced songbook belong to the young gardener, Dickon. Lincoln J. Skoien makes the most of this role in a splendid performance. He moves the story with whimsy and wit, and his renditions of both "Winter's on the Wing" and "Wick" (with Ginorio) are among the show's true hits.
Then there's the impeccable ensemble. Fifteen is a large cast for this small space (88 max), and each member helps fill the room, sometimes just inches away from patrons, with glorious harmonies magnificently sung. "The House Upon the Hill" and "Come Spirit, Come Charm" are but two brilliant examples. Dakota Hughes as maid Martha (“If I had a Fine White Horse”), Kailey Azure Green as Mary’s sickly cousin Colin (“Round Shouldered Man” with Ginorio) and Bill Chamberlain as Ben the gardener offer memorable performances.
So, too, does Maliha Sayed as Ayah, the spirit of Mary’s Indian nanny. Not only are Sayed’s characterization and vocals impeccable, but serving the production as cultural consultant ensures the proper treatment of its Indian themes. As she explains in the program:
“Theo has made it a point of importance for us to address the cultural themes of this show with the greatest care possible. In the original production, the Hindi song lyrics were not properly translated, so we received permission to use a more accurate translation. Our choreography draws influence from mudras—hand gestures used in Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies, as well as Indian dance—the meanings of which were studied by our choreographers and myself in an attempt to create a proper physical representation of our story. A story of melding cultures brought together through a shared desire to heal and grow.
“The details and circumstances of one’s identity matter, and we are proud to bring audiences a version of this story that takes South and East Asian cultures into profound consideration. A story where a woman like the Ayah/Amah is humanized, not caricatured. Where the love, culture, and practices passed down to Mary are not simply mystic, but also tangible ways for her to ground herself and others back to a bit of earth.”
Good on Theo’s artistic team for committing this fine company to these kinds of standards.
Nature will always be symbolic of human emotions and relationships, ranging from birth to death and all the messiness in between. As its extension, the garden, too, metaphorically touches much of what makes us human. And so in this holiday season, Theo’s Secret Garden may just be the perfect musical to remind us that without the caring and nurturing of one another, life is mired in the ugliness of weeds lacking hope or grace. Don’t keep it a secret.
The Secret Garden runs through Jan. 5 at 721 Howard St., Evanston. For tickets or more information, please call (773) 939-4101 or visit theo-u.com.
For more reviews on this or other shows, please visit theatreinchicago.com.