A BROADWAY MUSICAL HIT FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The Secret Garden
Music by Lucy Simon
Lyrics & Book by Marsha Norman
Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Directed by Robert Kelley
Lucie Stern Theatre
November 30—December 31, 2011
Winner of 3 Tony Awards
In this enchanting Broadway hit, the delightful novel springs to life in a soaring musical about the healing power of love. This holiday treat weaves mystery, magic, and a melodic score into the quest of an orphaned English girl to revive a once glorious Victorian garden. In the process, she rekindles lost hopes and weary spirits, dispelling the ghosts of a troubled past with an indomitable joy of life.
“Elegant, entrancing…The best American musical of the season.” TIME magazine
PLEASE NOTE: The performance start times on December 24 have been changed to 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Student Matinees sponsored in part by Bank of America.
BLOSSOMING FROM A GOTHIC TRADITION
After losing her parents in a tragic cholera outbreak, a young girl suddenly finds herself living in an eerie mansion, complete with locked doors, a hidden garden, mysterious crying sounds, and dark family secrets. Though at its core The Secret Garden is a celebration of regeneration and life, many elements of the story come straight out of the gothic literary tradition.
In 1795, Horace Walpole wrote The Castle of Otranto, considered by many scholars to be the first gothic novel. The book established a literary trend that thrived through the 1830s, and has lived on to influence writers (and eventually filmmakers) for the past two centuries, including Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Hallmarks of the genre include: a forbidding, isolated setting such as a ruined castle, monastery, or mansion; archetypical characters such as an abandoned, lonely heroine, a recluse, a tyrant, the ghost of a deceased spouse, and others; eerie noises in the dark; and a physical barrier keeping the protagonist from something to which she should have access. Closely related to romanticism, gothic literature emphasizes strong emotions, especially fear.
In gothic novels, environment plays a very big part. Traditionally, the setting exudes a feeling of foreboding, directly influencing the characters. This is certainly the case in The Secret Garden; prior to Mary Lennox’s arrival, the inhabitants of Misselthwaite Manor all seem to have succumbed to the mansion’s melancholy. Initially, the dark mood envelops Mary as well, until she sets out to alter the environment herself.
A typical narrative arc in gothic literature follows the protagonist on a quest to penetrate a physical barrier, allowing her access to some key truth. Again, The Secret Garden stays true to form. Mary’s exploration of the grounds and ultimate discoveries set the wheels in motion for a radical transformation of the entire household.
Indeed, The Secret Garden appears to possess all the makings of a classic gothic thriller. But instead of descending into the macabre, the story breaks from its gothic inspiration and blossoms into a beloved family classic. Like the withered garden Mary tends, the spirits, relationships, and potential of the characters gradually grow and bloom in the brightening light of a Yorkshire spring. To counterbalance the gloomy mystery of its gothic roots, both novel and musical discover a festive, spiritual magic, first in Mary’s exotic past, then in the good will of newfound friendship, and finally in the irresistible, redemptive force of nature itself.
– Katie Dai
