Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Whaples (who shares her role with Maya Hlava) shows us a girl whose real sadness cannot scupper her resilience and Lindley's tortured Archibald goes far deeper inside the man's head than any of the many others I have seen. All the gardeners are just as warm as can be. Ledo does not have the kind of voice that can turn “Hold On” into a power ballad, but she acts the spirit of the song beautifully, as does McGrath, every inch a Dickon to the tips of his ginger mop of hair, and Jones, every ounce a Ben."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The emotionally heated 1991 musical based on Burnett’s story – with book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon – is a sophisticated beauty. And Court Theatre’s revival of the show, with exquisite direction by Charles Newell, masterful musical direction by Doug Peck, and a bravura ensemble that grabs hold of its characters’ anguish, determination and quirkiness with unflinching honesty, is nothing short of a masterpiece."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Charles Newell's small-scale staging, spare with moments of thrilling lushness, benefits greatly from music director Doug Peck, who did his own orchestrations for the five-piece band (which includes a flutist, Suzanne Gillen, who also embodies an onstage character of sorts). Peck smartly brings some influence from Mary's Indian upbringing into the mix; there was no sitar or oud in the Broadway production, but it works quite well to bring new light to Simon's rich score-if you can make it through Aubrey McGrath's "Wick," that lilting hymn of harvesting and heartening, without tearing up a little, your heart is stonier than mine. With verdant performances all around, this Garden deserves to grow year-round."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...No question, the Court-iers give their all and some more. And they do it despite gloomy and monochromatic set pieces that defy the love of nature that pulses through this book as much as it surges in another contemporary work-Kenneth Grahame's similarly pantheistic The Wind in the Willows. The other drawback: The ghosts feel intrusively present here, robbing the living of a certain independence in their efforts at self-reformation. But the transcendence of Burnett's original inspiration-a paean to the power of second chances in life despite the loss-glows in most of these 130 minutes."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...When director Charles Newell and music director Doug Peck collaborate on a musical, magic happens! With impeccable casting and fine staging together with brilliant orchestrations, these skilled artists create fabulous musicals. They move musicals into artful storytelling. The Secret Garden is a seldom produced gem that is tough to cast and a challenge to stage but Newell and Peck were sure up to that task as they deliver a truthful, emotionally deep experience from the British Edwardian source material. Court Theatre’s The Secret Garden is one of 2015’s best productions! The lush score filled with haunting operetta style ballads and English folk melodies, The Secret Garden is a beautiful heart-warming musical filled with charm and wholesomeness."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...The outstanding set designed by John Culbert is Craven's brick mansion, and not much like a garden at all. Only at the end of the production do we get a botanic visual, when petals rain down from the sky, signaling that spring has arrived with new beginnings for all. This ending-the petals, the transformations, the good feelings-may be a bit over the top, but the audience can't help but laugh out loud with the characters in elated bemusement or just plain cheerfulness. The story is a dark one, but the show is nothing but bliss."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The Court Theatre closes its 60th season with “the Secret Garden”; the classic Tony Award winning musical based on the beloved children’s book of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett, with music by Lucy Simon. Directed with aplomb by Charles Newell, with fabulous orchestrations by Doug Peck, this production fills the theater with every feeling and emotion that makes “The Secret Garden” so special. “This is a story, that, at its heart, suggests that the human spirit when broken can be healed, even in the midst of devastating pain and loss; that the power of love, understanding, and beauty is a force that can overcome all of life’s challenges. It is this belief that continues to inspire and provide hope.”"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This production by the Court Theatre is a timeless tale about the power of love. Simon and Norman have taken a few liberties with the original novel, but their story, with its haunting musical score, still tells about a little girl who survives unimaginable odds to not only help those around her, and still become “The Girl I Mean to Be.” Mary Lennox and her family and friends will certainly haunt the hearts and souls of all who visit this intimate Secret Garden."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...“The Secret Garden” will be most enjoyed by spectators with a taste of high octane romanticism. The show wallows in characters with deep, deep feelings. It may be a bit morbid for some audiences and the story a little confusion with the mingling of the living and the dead. But who won’t be touched by the triumph of a cluster of nice people who emerge from the dark of their oppressive feelings into the light of healthy emotions and hope instead of despair for the future? The creative staging and wonderful singing in the Court revival make a strong case for the show being one of the major musicals of our time."
