Casting Update!

Hello Everyone! 
I'm happy to report that we're finally pushing ahead with rehearsals for The Secret Garden on Monday! We've spent the past week recruiting actors to fill out our cast following the low turn-out at open auditions and are now feeling more optimistic about the production moving forward. THAT SAID, WE ARE STILL IN NEED OF ADULTS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS WHO CAN LEND THEIR SINGING TALENTS!  We have a small handful of roles yet to be cast and we have room in the chorus for folks who are willing to help but are reluctant to take on anything more than background singing. You are all valued and needed in this production! Please Facebook message or e-mail me at katiewojtalewicz@gmail.com if you're willing to volunteer! I'm happy to address any questions about scheduling conflicts or explain the roles we need.
Thanks!
Katie

It's Not Too Late!

We've still got some parts to fill for The Secret Garden before we can begin rehearsing.  If you missed try-outs earlier in the week but might be interested, contact me at katiewojtalewicz@gmail.com or through our Facebook page to set up a time to audition in the coming week.  I'm also happy to answer any questions you may have before committing.  As long as you're available during the week of performances, we're prepared to work around scheduling conflicts.  It's a great show, but we can't put it on without you!

Why The Secret Garden?

When I was around ten, my parents gave me a beautiful illustrated edition of The Secret Garden. I had always loved reading, but most of the books I'd devoured up until that point had "Babysitter's Club" in the title and were forgotten almost as quickly as I had finished them. There was something different with The Secret Garden. To this day, it remains one of the only novels I've returned back to again and again. In the years that followed, I would faithfully dig it out at the end of the long winter, hungry to revisit the awakening garden and remind myself of the promise of spring. Interestingly, when I ask people if they've read The Secret Garden, I usually get one of two answers--either they've never heard of it or it's one of their favorite books from childhood. I'd love to hear what the book meant to you in the comments section below!

Though it was written in 1911 and read by generations of kids by the time it got to me (my own mother read the book as a child after her mother recommended it to her), The Secret Garden enjoyed a renaissance in 1987 when the copyright expired and publishers released multiple editions of the book, introducing many new readers for the first time. This resurgence led to several film adaptations, as well as the Broadway musical in 1991. By 1992, The Secret Garden was playing at the Ordway in St. Paul and my parents brought me to see it just in time for my 13th birthday. I was immediately smitten. To this day, I have only met one other person (aside from my parents) who has seen the musical version of The Secret Garden. Most people have no idea it even exists in this form.  Despite winning several Tony awards, it simply fell out of public consciousness after a few years and seems to have become as much a "secret" as its namesake. Lucky for you, that's about to change! In an effort to introduce you to a few of the beautiful, haunting songs from The Secret Garden, below is a video clip taken from the 1991 Tony Awards. Introduced by none other than Julie Andrews, the following offers a glimpse into the Broadway production. In the coming days, check back for more discussion of both the novel and the musical itself.  Enjoy!