The Secret Garden

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

The Secret Garden

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  10w, 12m, 1girl(s), 1boy(s) plus ensemble

Music and Lyrics by Marsha Norman
Music by Lucy Simon

Adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The enchanting, Tony Award-winning musical based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel is a compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

Image: 2023 Center Theatre Group Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

The Secret Garden

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    10w, 12m, 1girl(s), 1boy(s) plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Theatre for Young Audiences, Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! Three 1991 Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical
    Nominee: Seven 1991 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score
    Winner! Three 1991 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Book and Orchestrations
    Nominee: Thirteen 1991 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Music and Lyrics

The Secret Garden
Also Available
The Secret Garden: Spring Version

Details

Summary

This enchanting classic of children's literature is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of 'Night Mother. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his disabled son Colin. The estate's many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the "Dreamers," spirits from Mary's past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden's compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

Also Available: Spring Version – Perfect for Young Performers!

History

The Secret Garden opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on April 25, 1991. Directed by Susan H. Schulman, the production featured Daisy Eagan, Alison Fraser, Rebecca Luker, John Cameron Mitchell, Mandy Patinkin and Robert Westenberg. The musical played for a total of 709 performances, closing on January 3, 1993.

Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period 1900-1910
  • Setting Colonial India and Misselthwaite Manor in North Yorkshire, England. 1906.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“Elegant, entrancing... The best American musical of the Broadway season.” – Time

“A splendid, intelligent musical... It's all you can hope for in children's theatre. But the best surprise is that this show is the most adult new musical of the season.” – USA Today

“A many-splendored children's fable that neither cloys or loses grip on its unique spell.” – Newsday

“Revels in theatrical imagination [and] achieves the irresistible appeal that moves audiences to standing ovations.” – Christian Science Monitor

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

27 Plays & Musicals for Book Lovers
by Annette Storckman
August 2, 2019

Videos

  • The Secret Garden Tony Awards 1991 youtube thumbnail

    The Secret Garden Tony Awards 1991

  • Where In The World/How Could I Ever Know youtube thumbnail

    Where In The World/How Could I Ever Know

  • Farmers Alley Theatre Production youtube thumbnail

    Farmers Alley Theatre Production

  • Theatre Calgary: The Secret Garden youtube thumbnail

    Theatre Calgary: The Secret Garden

Photos

  • The Secret Garden

    Image: 2023 Center Theatre Group Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

  • The Secret Garden

    Image: 2023 Center Theatre Group Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

  • The Secret Garden

    Image: 2015 Court Theatre Production (Michael Brosilow)

  • The Secret Garden

    Image: 2011 Theatreworks Silicon Valley Production (Mark Kitaoka)

Music

Music Samples

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Vocal DemandsDifficult
  • Orchestra Size X-Large
  • Chorus Size Small

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

    PLEASE BE ADVISED: There are multiple versions of this title. Before you proceed, please double-check to ensure that you are applying for the version you want. We will not be able to refund rental or shipping fees if you pay for the wrong version. If you’re not sure which version best suits your needs, you may purchase a perusal for each available version.

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Authors

Marsha Norman

Marsha Norman

Marsha Norman, award-winning playwright, won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize, Blackburn Prize, Hull-Warriner and Drama Desk Awards for her play 'Night, Mother. In 1992 she won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for her book for the Broadway musical The Secret Garden. She also wrote ...

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Lucy Simon

Lucy Simon

When Lucy Simon was in grade school, a class assignment was to memorize a poem and recite it in class. The only way she could do it was to put it to a melody. The poem she chose was “Wynken Blynken and Nod” by Eugene Field. It is the first song she ever wrote. Several years ...

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Author

Frances Hodgson Burnett

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