On a bulletin board in the music wing of Monroe-Woodbury High School, posters displaying the potential spring musicals were ripped off day by day, including “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Titanic,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Mean Girls,” “The Prom,” “Something Rotten!” “Chicago,” “Mamma Mia!” “RENT,” “Into The Woods,” “Anything Goes,” “Spring Awakening,” “The Secret Garden,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “Curtains,” and “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
The final two choices were “The Secret Garden” and “Titanic,” however on Sept. 30, it was finally revealed that this year’s spring musical would be “The Secret Garden”, a musical adaptation of the classic 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, with music by Lucy Simon and lyrics by Marsha Norman.
Dr. Crone, the choral teacher and director of music, said he is “looking forward to working on ‘The Secret Garden’ with a lot of our talented students.”
He added that he hasn’t had time to even process the selection yet. This will be Dr. Crone’s final year in the school before retirement.
The musical’s general director Mr. Kaplan is excited to introduce the musical, calling it a “hidden gem of the musical theatre canon”, assuring everyone as he describes it: ‘” The Secret Garden’ is a dark, atmospheric, at times creepy, and ultimately uplifting story of how we deal with grief, and the power of hope to spring eternal.”
For actors, Mr. Kaplan said that the musical “features a large cast of diverse characters, a chance to explore heavier emotions and themes on stage, and a gorgeous classical score for singers to sink their teeth into.”
For the crew and design team, he talked of the “dark, gothic manor, ghostly characters, and eponymous secret garden.”
He’s not alone in his excitement. Jillian Calub, senior and drama club member, spoke on her personal thoughts on the musical, which is one of her favorites ever.
“I absolutely love ‘The Secret Garden.’ It has a seriousness that’s similar to ‘Les Misérables,’” she said, smiling, “but a comical undertone that appears when watching the show.”
She echoed the director’s feelings as she said, “The music by itself is also incredibly beautiful.”
