The Secret Garden

When young Mary Lennox is orphaned by a cholera outbreak in India, she is sent to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, at the remote Misselthwaite Manor. Mary finds a house weighed down by grief and filled with locked rooms, whispered secrets, and memories that refuse to fade. Archibald remains haunted by the death of his beloved wife, Lily, and has withdrawn not only from the world, but from his sickly son Colin, who has been hidden away and convinced that he will never survive childhood.

Guided by the warmth of chambermaid Martha, the energy of her nature-loving brother Dickon, and the lingering spirits of those who once inhabited the manor, Mary discovers the key to a long-abandoned garden—a key that once belonged to Lily. As Mary, Dickon, and Colin secretly restore it, the garden begins to awaken—and so do the people whose lives have been frozen by sorrow. But before the family can be healed, Archibald—who has slipped away to Paris—must find the courage to return home and confront the loss from which he has spent years running.

Lucy Simon’s sweeping, richly orchestrated music and Marsha Norman’s poetic book and lyrics transform Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved novel into a musical about grief, forgiveness, memory, and renewal. The score includes “The House Upon the Hill,” “The Girl I Mean to Be,” “Winter’s on the Wing,” “A Bit of Earth,” “Hold On,” “Come Spirit, Come Charm,” “Lily’s Eyes,” and “How Could I Ever Know?” Haunting, mysterious, and ultimately life-affirming, The Secret Garden adds to the 2027 season a deeply moving storyline.