November 9, 2010 | Arts

'The Secret Garden' Tells Story of Perseverance

Family musical to be performed at Cahn Auditorium from Nov. 12 to 21

By Judy Moore

Child actor Will Higgins portrays Colin Craven -- and Northwestern students Carly Robinson (Mary Lennox) and Aldi Aldaheff (Martha) appear in the Theatre and Interpretation Center at Northwestern University’s “The Secret Garden.” The musical runs from Nov. 12 to 21 at Cahn Auditorium. Photo by Spencer Neiman.

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of “The Secret Garden” will enchant audiences of all ages when it is presented by the Theatre and Interpretation Center (TIC) at Northwestern University.

Performances will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13; 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14; 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18; 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson Street, on Northwestern University's Evanston campus.

Post-show discussions with members of the cast and creative team of “The Secret Garden” will follow the Nov. 14 Sunday matinee and the Nov. 18 Thursday evening performances.

Originally published as a children’s novel in 1911, “The Secret Garden” opened as a musical on Broadway in 1991. With music by Lucy Simon, book by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman and direction by Northwestern theatre department chair Rives Collins, “The Secret Garden” tells the story of Mary Lennox, a young and ill-tempered orphan sent to live with her uncle in a gloomy haunted English manor. Through the discovery of a hidden key, a neglected cousin and a dormant garden, Mary awakens her own spirit as well as spirits that had long been afraid to live and love.

Director Rives Collins was drawn to “The Secret Garden” because it honors the complexity of childhood and deals with characters at a crossroads.

“This is not only a tale about a neglected garden, it also is about three neglected people lost in the past who find their futures,” said Collins.

The family musical will feature a cast of 24 Northwestern students, one child performer and an 18-piece orchestra.

“The Secret Garden” has a running time of two hours and 15 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

Single ticket prices for “The Secret Garden” are $25 for the general public; $22 for seniors 65 and older, Northwestern faculty and staff and area educators and administrators; and $10 for full-time students with IDs. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.

For tickets or information about subscriptions for the 2010-11 Mainstage season, contact the TIC Box Office at (847) 491-7282 or visit www.tic.northwestern.edu.