Theater review: Teddy Maldonado’s performance never wavers in Good Company’s beautifully sung ‘The Secret Garden’
By Heather Parish
‘The Secret Garden” is one of the children’s stories I revisit in some form annually. As a book-loving child, it was at the top of my re-read list along with “Little Women” and “Anne of Green Gables.” While the 1991 Broadway musical takes some dramatic liberties, it is one of my favorite adaptations of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic. It turns a children’s book into a sweeping story of rejuvenation for both adults and their children.
Happily, Good Company Players offers a beautifully sung and elegantly staged production of the family-friendly classic. (It plays through Nov. 10 at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater.)
Soaring vocals
The first thing to be said about any production of “The Secret Garden” is that the vocals are the show’s core feature. This production does not disappoint. The ensemble (coached by Judith Dickison) offers an impressive sound and range given how few performers appear onstage.
As Mary Lennox, Eliot Bonetto (who alternates the role with Daniella Sarkisian) has a full, clear voice that conveys both the excitement and trepidation of a young girl experiencing a new world. From “I Heard Someone Crying” to “The
Girl I Mean to Be” Bonetto’s vocal performance is a delight. Jamie Parmer (who alternates the role with Roman Alvarado) also delivers strong vocal acting on “Round Shouldered Man.” Haleigh Cook’s Martha and Thomas Hayes’ Dickon deliver earthy robustness in songs like “Winters on the Wing” and “Hold On.” They also inject a streak of Yorkshire humor into the action to lighten the load. And as Lily, Jenna Erickson (who alternates the role with Kaitlin Dean) delivers a beautifully rendered performance, her voice filling the space with an otherworldly longing in “How Could I Ever Know.”
This GCP production, however, is carried squarely on Teddy Maldonado’s shoulders as Archibald Craven, the tortured, lonely lord of the manor. Maldonado’s voice is astoundingly akin to Mandy Patinkin’s performance on the show’s original Broadway cast recording. From the tenderness of “A Bit of Earth,” through the tempestuousness of “Where in the World,” Maldonado never wavers in his fully realized performance of this role. Credit must also be given to R.L. Preheim, who, as Dr. Craven, also delivers accomplished vocals, often in duet with Maldonado, and provides a supporting foil that adds complexity to the story.
Elegant staging
Director Elizabeth Fiester’s staging is elegant (I’m using the term in its scientific sense) and solves problems in pleasingly simple ways. Burnett’s story may not seem like it on the surface, but it is filled with metaphorical ghosts. Playwright Marsha Norman (“‘Night, Mother,” “The Color Purple,” “Bridges of Madison County”) brings those ghosts forward onto the stage. The judicious use of a scrim to delineate past vs. present and rolling scrollwork panels help shift the action from churning emotion to external action at pivotal moments. The staging is at its best when Fiester uses the placement and movement of the ensemble to highlight a character’s emotional state. Paired with Steve Souza’s choreography, the direction achieves much with only a few flourishes.
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The musical is mostly sung-through with acting scenes being very short and to the point, which helps in this production. While the vocals are worth the price of admission, the scene work loses some steam and the action slows at times. But as soon as the music cues up and the voices lift, the show is off and running again.
Darker themes
As for taking the family, the show does lean heavily into themes of loss and neglect, so it may be best for young folks ages 10 and up. One of the things that the show does well is dramatize the tension between grief and renewal and how difficult that process can be. The musical interweaves tensions between the past and present of a family (the Cravens and the Lennoxes), but also of the English class system (the Yorkshire working class) and British colonialism (through the interwoven influence of India). It could be a conversation starter among families but in the gentlest of ways.
Whether you go for the beautiful singing, because of an interest in literature, or for a family night out, there is something here for anyone to take away.
John
Actually, was wondering if there was review of the Fresno Philharmonic (09/28 or 29) concert.
(Sorry if wrong place for this. Didn’t find proper link.)