English Rose

The Secret Garden, a musical inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's Edwardian novel, features uptight Brits opening up like neglected flowers. Despite how pleasant that sounds, don’t show up at Arizona Broadway Theatre expecting a staging of Nancy Friday’s compilation of women’s sexual fantasies, My Secret Garden -- you’ll be disappointed,...

By Julie Peterson

April 24, 2014

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The Secret Garden, a musical inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's Edwardian novel, features uptight Brits opening up like neglected flowers. Despite how pleasant that sounds, don’t show up at Arizona Broadway Theatre expecting a staging of Nancy Friday’s compilation of women’s sexual fantasies, My Secret Garden -- you’ll be disappointed, perhaps in more ways than one.

What won’t disappoint is the Tony-winning libretto. And though it features skilled child actors playing the pivotal child characters, this Garden has plenty of adult pros in a cast of dozens, will entertain the whole family, and promotes the hipster/foodie/apocalyptic value of caring for plants in the fresh air. For reals.

Prices vary with availability but start at $41 to $65 at www.azbroadway.org or 623-776-8400. On Thursday, April 24, optional meals begin at noon and 5:30 p.m., with showtimes following at 2 and 7:30, at 7701 West Paradise Lane in Peoria; performances continue through Sunday, May 11.

Wed., April 16, 5:30 p.m.; Thu., April 17, 5:30 p.m.; Fri., April 18, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., April 19, 12 & 5:30 p.m.; Sun., April 20, noon; Tue., April 22, 5:30 p.m.; Wed., April 23, 5:30 p.m.; Thu., April 24, 12 & 5:30 p.m.; Fri., April 25, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., April 26, 12 & 5:30 p.m.; Sun., April 27, 12 & 5:30 p.m.; Tue., April 29, 5:30 p.m.; Wed., April 30, 5:30 p.m.; Thu., May 1, 12 & 5:30 p.m.; Fri., May 2, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., May 3, 12 & 5:30 p.m.; Sun., May 4, noon; Tue., May 6, 5:30 p.m.; Wed., May 7, 5:30 p.m.; Thu., May 8, 5:30 p.m.; Fri., May 9, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., May 10, 12 & 5:30 p.m.; Sun., May 11, 12 & 5:30 p.m., 2014

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Julie has written for the Night & Day events calendar section since 2005. As a student at Arizona State, she received the Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout Creative Writing Award and the Theatre Medallion of Merit.

Contact: Julie Peterson