The WTAMU theater department brought The Secret Garden back to life on Feb. 3. The musical, directed by professor of theater Royal Brantley, is an adaption of the classic children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
The main character, Mary Lennox, is orphaned by a cholera outbreak in India. She moves to Yorkshire and is put under the guardianship of her uncle, Archibald Craven, a melancholy man who has some ghosts of his own.
The acting of most of the cast was certainly commendable. Each character, from Mary down to the “ghosts” that inhabit almost every scene, were portrayed with zeal. The standout of the night was Dickon, played by Brandon Wilhelm, a senior musical theatre major. Although he had fewer musical numbers than some other cast members, Wilhelm had enormous stage presence and stole the show. However, Wilhelm acknowledged that the musical was challenging for him.
“The most difficult thing about musicals is actually getting the acting down and becoming the character,” he said.
Brantley also admitted that there is some difficulty when it comes to directing musicals.
“Once the show opens, it’s out of your control,” said Brantley. “It’s up to the cast and crew [after that].”
Despite the worry, Friday’s performance went off almost without a hitch. There were many opportunities for mishaps, due to the constant moving of sets for each scene, but the cast was able to pull it off.
The set designs took the musical to another level. They were simple in comparison to past shows because of the number of transitions, but they still made an impact. The use of lighting and large pieces such as chandeliers set up the story well.
The Secret Garden is a long musical, clocking in at about two and a half hours. The script is witty, yet there were many touching moments throughout. By the end of the performance, a few audience members were in tears.
The Secret Garden is a charming and captivating musical, and it is certainly one of the best performances that the Branding Iron Theater has put on. Students still have a chance to catch the musical in action. The Secret Garden will be showing in the Branding Iron Theater, Feb. 9 – 12 at 7:30 p.m.
