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Are you ready for the year’s most moving piece of theater in Chicago? The Secret Garden directed by Christopher Pazdernik at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre is a thoughtful serenade, asking questions about love and loss that will hit home with audiences of all ages. Based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this timeless story has earned multiple film, television, and stage adaptations. The original Broadway production premiered in 1991, featuring a book and lyrics by Marsha Norman ('Night Mother) and music by Lucy Simon that feels like a spiritual cousin of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. Performing the show in 2024, the classically trained singers at Theo Ubique have voices that could easily fill a concert hall or Broadway theater. However, the sound production at Theo's small cabaret theater is so accomplished that a whisper is heard as clearly as the powerful ensemble singing in chorus (sound design by Matthew R. Chase, audio engineering by Morgan Dudaryk).
The story of The Secret Garden begins in the early 20th century when 11-year-old Mary Lennox loses both her parents and her Ayah (or caretaker) to a cholera epidemic sweeping India. Mary is sent to England to live with the man who married her late aunt Lily—her uncle, Archibald Craven—and she finds his large estate haunted by her family members' absence. As Mary explores her new home, she befriends the house staff and discovers Lily's garden, locked away ever since her passing. When Mary encounters her ill cousin, Colin, who is being kept in bed by his uncle—Archibald's brother, Dr. Neville Craven—Mary becomes determined to remedy Colin's illness and mend her uncle Archie's broken heart.
The set is left intentionally bare, with only a chandelier, armchair, bookcase, stone wall, trunk, and ovular platform centerstage almost like the center of a music box (scenic design by Rose Johnson). The production’s ethereal costumes put us in the correct time and place, as the women glide in ghostly white dresses and the men don smart suits of the early-1900s style (costume design by Lucy Elkin). Accompanying the singers is a talented ensemble of musicians: Ben Heppner on percussion, Kimberly Lawson on violin, and music director Carolyn Brady on piano. Brady utilizes the singers' and musicians' incredible range, as they embody the wind howling across the moor and bring the ghostly mansion to life. The choreography is seamless as the cast weaves through the audience’s cafe-style seating and waltzes between the worlds of the living and the dead. There are also cross-cultural aspects to the choreography that bring the show even deeper into the world of its period, featuring Indian styles of hand movement and jigs reminiscent of Irish and Scottish dance (choreography by Nich O'Neil).
Joryhebel Ginorio is perfectly cast as Mary Lennox, a master pouter with the strong alto needed for Mary’s stubborn solos. Cast opposite is Kailey Azure Green as Colin Craven, an ideal match to go toe-to-toe with Ginorio during their cousinly squabbles. The groundskeepers and house staff are a joyful band, bolstering young Mary and Colin and stepping into the spotlight in turns. Dakota Hughes is hilarious as Martha Sowerby, boasting a strong Yorkshire accent and powerful voice that combine for equal humor and heart (dialect coaching by Justin Duggan). Bill Chamberlain plays Ben Weatherstaff, Lincoln J Skoien is Dickon Sowerby, and Kathleen Puls Andrade is Mrs. Medlock. The ghostly ensemble of Mary's late mother Rose, father Albert, aunt Lily, and caretaker Ayah provides eerie melodies throughout the show and completes the picture of a mansion haunted by missing loved ones. (Rachel Guth is Rose Lennox, Nicholas Ian is Captain Albert Lennox, Brennan Martinez is Lily Craven, and Maliha Sayed is Ayah). Jeffrey Charles is appropriately stern as Dr. Neville Craven, Colin's uncle/doctor and Archibald's jealous brother. And Will Koski is astonishing and complex as Lord Archibald Craven, the grieving widower and beating heart of this ghost story.
Production highlights include the duet between Charles as Dr. Neville Craven and Koski as Archibald Craven. “Lily’s Eyes” weaves two solos together, as each brother reflects on lost love, missed chances, and the tragedy of living in the past. The most dramatically moving moments in the show come from Koski's Archibald, especially in his tour-de-force performance of “Race You to the Top of the Mountain.” Playing the ghost of Lily Craven, Brennan Martinez’s clear soprano is also a heartbreaking complement to Koski’s warm baritone.
At one point in the story, Mary asks what we do with our dead—her uncle Archibald responds that we bury them and put away their things. What we do beyond these steps is an enduring mystery that this story hopes to bring to light. The manor's gardens represent growth, death, and the mazes we navigate throughout our lives. And the characters learn that alongside grief we can also plant new seeds. Unlike some plants, however, human beings rarely thrive on neglect, and the members of this household must care for one another if they hope to grow up strong. Naturally, there were audible sniffles in the audience throughout the show, and an emotional crowd stood to greet the performers at curtain. The Secret Garden at Theo Ubique is a can't-miss production, and Will Koski is an undeniable star.
This production runs through December 22 at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre at 721 Howard Street in Evanston. Purchase tickets at https://theo-u.com/acrossthepond/.
Warning: During a few numbers including thunderstorm sequences, photosensitive audiences can expect potentially triggering flashing lights.
For more information on this and other plays, see theatreinchicago.com.
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