“The Secret Garden” at the Opera House Players a lyrical musical

EAST WINDSOR — Tucked away in the little hamlet of Broad Brook is a bit of Broadway in the Opera House Players lyrical production of “The Secret Garden.”
While the supporting cast is important in any show, the success of this musical rests squarely on the small shoulders of the actress playing the lead role — a little girl named Mary Lennox.
A daunting burden for some, but not so for Hollis Long who plays 10-year-old Mary. Long, who has an impressive resume for one so young, belts out her numbers with pizzazz and supreme confidence of a little pro.
The show written and with lyrics by Marsha Norman, is faithfully based on the beloved English novel, “The Secret Garden,” by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Set in the Victorian England and India during British rule, it follows the life of Mary, whose father and mother die suddenly from a cholera epidemic in India. She is sent back to England to live with her deceased Aunt Lily’s husband, her Uncle Archibald Craven.
Craven, played with heart by the excellent Carl Calhoun, is a hunchback who has lost all interest in life, and hands the day to day management of his estate to his bitter brother, Dr. Neville Craven, played by the stoic and stolid Keith Johnson.
Both Calhoun and Johnson have strong and melodic voices, as does Erica Romeo who plays the ghost of Mary’s mother, Rose, and Melissa Dupont who plays Lily.
In fact, the singing is the thing in this show, and everyone is impressive. There are an assortment of duets, trios, and quartets, along with the solo performances, and they are all topnotch.
The secret garden is a walled off garden that has been neglected since Rose died. It is up to Mary to bring it back to life, and make a choice between embracing life and the future, or wallowing in the past with the dreams of the dead.
Director Sharon FitzHenry makes sure her cast wastes no time between the numerous scenes, giving this show its zippy pace.
The set designed by FitzHenry and master carpenter George Fields is okay, but feels cramped. It would be nice to have a real bed for Craven’s sickly son, Colin, played by Kenny Bell III, he of the angelic soprano voice, rather than a bench.
The 3-person orchestra led by musical director Bill Martin, along with husband and wife team Peter and Abby Thomson, are fantastic. They seem like many more than just three, and never overpower the vocalists.
The elegant costumes, designed by Moonyean Field and Solveig Pflueger are detailed and pretty, and Mary’s dresses and that lovely pink overcoat are precious.
Dead people dominate the stage in this show, from Mary’s parents to her aunt and sundry others, but it is life that wins out in the end.
As Dickon the country lad, played by the fine Scott Gilbert, says of the secret garden, “a lot of this is looks dead is just biding it’s time,” and “the strongest roses thrive on being neglected.”
Come to Broadway — I mean Broad Brook — and embrace life at the Opera House Players’ production of “The Secret Garden,” running through May 23.

THE SECRET GARDEN

Three Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: 107 Main Street, Broad Brook
Production: Book and lyrics by Marsha Norman. Music by Lucy Simon. Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Directed by Sharon FitzHenry. Musical direction by Bill Martin. Set design by FitzHenry and George Fields. Lighting design by FitzHenry. Costume designers Moonyean Field and Solveig Pflueger.
Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through May 23.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $16. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Hollis Long … Mary Lennox
Carl Calhoun … Archibald Craven
Keith Johnson … Dr. Neville Craven
Kenny Bell III … Colin Craven
Amy Facey … Martha
Scott Gilbert … Dickon
Steven Dombeck … Ben Weatherstaff
Melissa Dupont … Lily
Erica Romeo … Rose
Roger Gove Jr. … Capt. Albert Lennox
Marge Stepansky … Mrs. Medlock
Reva Kleppel … Ayah
Gary Rhone … Fakir
Christopher Berrien … Maj. Holmes
Susan Howland … Claire Holmes
Lyndsay Robyn … Alice
Andrew Hall … Lt. Wright
Dallas Hosmer … Lt. Shaw
Elsa Berrien … Indian servant
Khara C. Hoyer, Erin Maloney,
Moonyean Field … Friends at Rose’s party