Hedgehog & Feather Celebrates Spring with 'The Secret Garden'

When recently orphaned Mary Lennox (Edison School 8^th grader Emmanuelle Nadeau) is sent to England to live with her uncle Archibald Craven (Ty Jacobs of Millburn), Mary discovers a garden, locked and neglected, and wonders how she can find the key to get into it. 

The story that follows is one of renewal and awakening, a perfect tale for this year’s long-anticipated spring, and a theatrical treat for Mother’s Day weekend.

Show director Sara Hedgepeth explains how this show came to be. “The first I knew of 'The Secret Garden' was as an adult seeing the original Broadway version soon after opening night. I was totally enchanted with the story, the actors, the set (it looked like a toy theatre) and the music. The music really grabbed me.  

"So Julie Fetter (my Hedgehog & Feather Theatre Company co-founder) and I have always kept 'The Secret Garden' in our ‘vault’ of shows we wanted to do. The planets aligned this year in so many ways, and the 'Garden' came out of the vault. The publishers came out with The Spring Version in 2010 and we knew it was the right show for us. It's a bit trimmer than the original but every bit as good. Our forte is doing smaller ‘chamber’ musicals and plays. Our venues are not big and we love the immediacy and intimacy of doing works in these spaces.”

In addition to Nadeau, the cast boasts a number of Westfielders, including Marlo Avidon, Ken Bigelow, Lisa Black, Eve Crandall, Jean Donohue, Andrew Kapadia, JD Kelly, Max Kleiman-Lynch, Danielle Levitt, Greta McLaughlin, Noelle Mesbah, Mary Kate Miller, Megan Mulrooney, Tony Peer, Lisa Simon, Matthew Siroty, Bonnie Stewart and Sydney Stewart. Additional cast members include Krista Donough of Livingston, Kaitlyn Franck of Basking Ridge, Sara Kudron of Cranford, Mike Marcus of Springfield, Joel Redmount of Scotch Plains, Nathaniel Redmount of Scotch Plains, Matt Ryan of Berkeley Heights, and Christopher Slavik of Weehawken.

The Secret Garden will be presented by Westfield’s Hedgehog & Feather Theater Company Mother’s Day weekend. Shows are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10, and at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, at Westminster Hall at the Presbyterian Church of Westfield, 140 Mountain Avenue. Tickets are $15 for seniors and children under 12, and $20 general admission. Seating is limited; tickets may be available at the door, but advance purchase is recommended.  Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/358396.