Hershey Area Playhouse Kicks Off 2018 Season With THE SECRET GARDEN

Kicking off its 2018 season, Hershey Area Playhouse is proud to present The Secret Garden, a musical based off of the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett with script and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon.

When young Mary Lennox loses her parents to a cholera outbreak in India, she is sent to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, who lives in an imposing, secluded manor on the British heath. Archibald has become a recluse since the death of his beloved Lily after their birth of their son, once again hiding away from life and leaving the responsibility for most things on the shoulders of his brother, Dr. Neville Craven. Inside the haunting house upon the hill, Mary finds a reclusive, long-suffering collection of souls, alive and not.

Nominated for 6 Tony Awards and winning three, including Best Book of a Musical, the show focuses on Mary's new journey now that she finds herself without her parents and living with an uncle with his own memories and demons to battle. As she discovers her Aunt Lily's hidden garden Mary is determined to revive the beauty that once was. Surrounded by spirits from the past, who both warn and welcome her, Mary begins to peel away the layers of sadness that cover the house, the garden, and herself.

"This has been an ambitious show to take on as for my first time as a director," director Jilly Harris said about the show. "But this cast is amazing and has brought to life a story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I couldn't be more proud of what we have put together."

Bringing this popular children's book turned musical to life, the cast members of The Secret Garden include: Stephi Bauden as Mrs. Winthrop/Dreamer; Noah Chetlen as Colin Craven; Nina Cline as Rose Lennox; Katie Copeland as Photographer/Dreamer; Maddie Copeland as Dreamer; Natalie DeSantis as Lily Craven; Susan DiNovis as Claire Holmes; Michael Dziurzynski as Lieutenant Wright; Carly Evans as Dreamer; Shawn Gable as Dr. Neville Craven; Amanda Heineman as Alice; Madeline Horney as Dreamer; Phil Jurus as Ben Weatherstaff; Riley Keenan as Mary Lennox; Sadie Kosoff as Dreamer; Madison Rae Lenhart as Ayah; Kaylor Long as Major Holmes; Moses Mariscal as Fakir; Jude K. Petersen as Dreamer; James Riley as Major Shelley; Amelia Ritrievi as Jane/Dreamer; Valerie Lynn Schrader as Mrs. Medlock/Dreamer; Joshua Schwartz as Lieutenant Shaw; Sage Snyder as Dreamer; Evelin Stayner as Martha; Robyn Thompson as Mrs. Shelley; Andrew Vinton as Archibald Craven; Ian Wallace as Dickon; Audrey Wierzbicki as Nurse/Dreamer; and Travis Allen Zimmerman as Captain Albert Lennox.

In addition to Harris, production staff members for The Secret Garden include: Wendy Lubell, producer; Larissa Curcio, vocal music director; Robyn Swayne, sound designer & choreographer; Becky Jenkins, stage manager; Patt Roth, assistant stage manager; David Ebright, lighting designer; Paul Michel, set design and construction; Lindy Mack, pit conductor; Lisa Harris, costumer; Tabitha Borges, properties mistress; Mike Toth, lighting tech; and Beth Dunham, mentor director.

Experience the powerful and haunting songs of The Secret Garden, running Feb. 8-11 and Feb. 15-18, 2018. Thursday through Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $23 for teens/adults and $20 for those ages 12 and under. Tickets are available by visiting www.HersheyAreaPlayhouse.com or by calling the Playhouse's box office at 717-533-8525.