Berkshire on Stage

The Secret Garden, Mac-Haydn’s third musical of the 2026 summer season is in full bloom. John Saunders beautifully directs this outstanding cast bringing back last season’s Annie, Wild Handel, to, yet again, play a suffering orphan who can light up the stage and win the hearts of the audience.

Originally performed on Broadway in 1991 and based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a reading of this play was originally performed at Skidmore College in 1989 and produced by Capital Repertory Theater. The book and lyrics written by Marsha Norman and the music by Lucy Simon, went on to win a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical in 1991.

The story focuses on Mary Lennox (Wild Handel, Berkshire Theater Critics 2025 Award winner), a sickly English girl raised in India and a survivor of the cholera epidemic in the early 1900s. She is left orphaned and sent to live with her uncle whom she has never met in a manor in the moors of Yorkshire. Uncle Archibald Craven (Kevin Egan), a young man with a spinal deformity, is grieving his wife who died ten years earlier. He has no interest in meeting or engaging with Mary. His brother, Dr. Neville Craven (Logan Pavia) lives in the manor and is left to care for Mary as well as for Archibald’s son, Colin (Colin Czornobil). The manor is thought to be haunted with ghosts, and, indeed, the chorus, dressed in white, surrounds and enters the stage bringing us back to the early lives of Archibald and his wife Lily (Elizabeth D’Aiuto), as well as the Indian culture and Hindi chants in which Mary was raised. 

Ultimately, we discover that Archibald has a son who was born soon after pregnant Lily had an accident which led to her death. Fearing Colin will suffer from the same spinal issue as his dad, Colin has been kept in bed his whole life, treated by Neville, and convinced he will die. Mary happens upon Colin in his room yet is forbidden to see him. However, Colin and Mary are both delighted to find a cousin and a friendship which naturally strengthens Colin’s health and his willingness to leave his bed. At the same time, Mary learns of a garden on the grounds, a topiary maze that has been overgrown and untended since Lily’s death, and longs to enter this garden, hoping to bring it back to life.

Martha (Nina Laing), a young chambermaid, encourages Mary to play outside and find this garden. Dickon (Hudson Brown), Martha’s mystical brother, teaches her about planting seeds and talking to the animals and birds, leading Mary to ask Archibald for a bit of earth. Archibald grants her wish and is moved by her request. 

We learn through a powerful song, Lily’s Eyes’, that not only does Mary resemble Archibald’s deceased wife, but Neville was also in love with Lily when Archibald married her. Both Neville and Archibald grieve Lily, while Neville may be manipulating Archibald to leave him the manor and keep Colin bedridden.

While Simon’s musical score is haunting and rich, there are few show-stopping numbers. Rather, the performers all have incredible ranges and convey their lyrics with intensity, while harmonizing perfectly. The story and conflicts are told and sung in an operatic way, most notably with ‘Quartet’ highlighting Lily and her sister Rose, with Archibald and Neville.

A charming number, ‘Fine White Horse,’ as sung to Mary by Martha, lifts Mary’s gloomy spirits. Laing injects her character with joy and spirit. Singing about the changing season, Dickon, wins us over with ‘Winter’s On the Wing.’ Lily and Colin both sing of the garden’s mysteries in ‘Come To My Garden.’ Spiritual charms are evident as characters from Mary’s present and past life in India sing to Colin, ‘Come Spirit, Come Charm,’ in the hopes of bringing him healing energy.

After Lily writes to Archibald begging him to return to the manor, we hear a beautiful song of reunion, ‘How Could I Ever Know.’

Everyone in this wonderful cast sings with soaring voices, accompanied by a talented band under the music supervision of Connor Crotzer Scartascini. Seeing Lily played by the late Rebecca Luker on Broadway, I find D’Auito beautifully honors her memory. Similarly, Egan has a tenor voice reminiscent of Many Patinkin playing Archibald in the original. And, it will be little surprise to see Wild on Broadway one day. She is every bit as talented as Tony award winning Daisy Egan.

Choreographer, Anthony Michael Velez creates an ensemble dancing together and separately, always in character and fascinating to experience as they move.

Costume Designer, Bethany Marx dresses everyone in perfect period clothing, both in India and the United Kingdom, leaving the whole cast in a floral garden pattern at the musical’s conclusion.

Scenic Designer, Alivia Cross creates garden walls along a black backdrop with portable props. The mood feels dark and I find myself wanting to experience more daylight and less perpetual gloom. Lighting and sound are produced effectively by Andrew Gmoser and George LaChance.

Mac-Haydn’s Secret Garden has a healthy crop of talent of earthly theatrical delights on full display. While the story wraps up precipitously, with all characters in a better place, we feel satisfied with the music and drama we experience. Come to the garden. Take part in the dreams. Feel the spirituality. Bathe in this fine production.

The Mac-Haydn Theatre presents “The Secret Garden” script and lyrics by Marsha Norman, music by Lucy Simon, based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, directed by John Saunders, musical direction by Conor Crotzer Scartascini, choreographed by Anthony Michael Velez. CAST: Elizabeth D’Aiuto as Lily, Kevin Egan as Archibald Craven, Logan Pavia as Dr. Neville Craven, Wild Handel as Mary Lennox, Kitty Baker as Mrs. Medlock, Hudson Brown as Dickon, Colin Czornobil as Colin Craven, Nia Laing as Martha, Kevin Weldon as Ben Weatherstaff, Jacob Atkins as Albert Lennox, Tzintil Cerda as Ayah, Jessica Cerreta as Rose Lennox, Michael Daly as Major Holmes, Aubrey Dunbar as Fakir, Will Forrest as Lieutenant Shaw, Jack Gemmell as Major Shelley, Grace Maudlin as Claire Holmes, Bella Pavia as Alice, and Law Peachy-Williams as Lieutenant Wright. CREATIVE TEAM: Scenic Designer Alivia Cross, Costume Designer Bethany Marx, Lighting Designer Andrew Gmoser, Sound Designer George LaChance, Assistant Music Director Ethan Swanson, Props Design Chloe Wiederhorn, Hair & Make-up Design Summer McCormack, Technical Director Cody Kane, Production Supervisor Eoghan Hartley.

The Mac-Haydn Theatre is located at 1925 State Route 203 in Chatham, NY. The box-Office is open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–1 pm, Call (518) 392-9292, or email boxoffice@machaydntheatre.org Tickets for all performances: $55 Buy Tickets