A new version of the 1991 musical The Secret Garden, reimagined by co-creators Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon, will play Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre February 19–March 26, 2023, as part of the 2022-23 season. Opening is set for February 26.
Tony winner Warren Carlyle (After Midnight) will direct and choreograph the production with music direction by Rob Berman. Casting and additional creative team members will be announced at a later date.
Carlyle has been attached to the property for several years. In 2018 it was announced that he would helm a Broadway revival during the 2018-19 season that did not come to fruition. However, a 2018 workshop of the reimagined version, directed by Carlyle, streamed in April 2021 to benefit The Dramatists Guild Foundation and The Actors Fund. The stream was dedicated to the late Rebecca Luker, the musical's original Lily.
Carlyle said in a statement, “We couldn’t be more excited to share this new vision of The Secret Garden with you. My hope is that audiences will join young Mary Lennox in her extraordinary journey to find her new family. Accompanied by one of the most hauntingly beautiful Broadway scores I have ever heard, The Secret Garden promises to be an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages.”
Norman added, “I am thrilled to have Warren Carlyle directing this new production of The Secret Garden. He’s the real wizard of dance and has translated all the magic in the original novel into moments of pure joy on the stage. Audiences will cheer for Mary as she recovers from her own grief, finds her new family, and helps them come back to life in a garden they’ve been forbidden to enter. People of all ages will feel this healing power as all the characters here find their faith in family and gardening are restored. I’m so excited to see this new production of The Secret Garden at the Ahmanson Theatre, and I hope to see you there.”
Simon stated, “It was a thrill to bring The Secret Garden to the Broadway stage, and we are even more excited for this new production that Los Angeles will see first. Experience the mystery, the tale of a reawakened family, and hear some of Broadway’s most talented singers and musicians bring the score to life.”
Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett and featuring a book and lyrics by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Norman and music by Grammy winner and Tony nominee Simon, The Secret Garden was first produced on Broadway in 1991. The musical received six Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, winning for Best Book of a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Daisy Eagan), and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.
Tickets to Ahmanson productions are now on sale by subscription only. Visit CenterTheatreGroup.org.
