I went for the first time to the Hale Center Theatre in Gilbert and saw The Secret Garden. I particularly wanted to see this musical because I wrote a 10-minute play awhile back and one of my characters favorite books as a child was The Secret Garden. The funny thing is that I had never heard of this book before writing my play. I just Googled cult classic books, and this one came up on the list. The theme of the book just fit my play best. My play was about three woman who were all dealing with the loss of their mothers very differently. The character who loved The Secret Garden as a child was the one who was receiving messages and signs from her departed mother. So when I saw Hale Theatre was doing The Secret Garden, I knew I had to see it.
I got a DVD of the movie last week at the library and watched it before seeing this musical. I actually liked the musical version much better. The musical version was more woo-woo, which suits me better.
The production at the Hale Theatre was outstanding. The acting, singing, costumes...everything was top notch. Another magical day seeing LIVE theater. And yes, I was crying at the end.
