The Secret Garden Premieres at Palm Springs Art Museum in Immersive Musical Production

Musical Theatre University and Palm Springs Art Museum, in association with Neon Noir (Jesse Singer, founder), present an immersive and atmospheric musical production of The Secret Garden — six performances only — from March 22-31, 2024 at Palm Springs Art Museum (101 Museum Drive).

The Secret Garden will be a truly unique theatrical exploration presented after hours within Palm Springs Art Museum’s galleries and gardens. Directed by David Green, founder and executive director of Musical Theatre University (MTU). The Secret Garden features a cast of 20 students from the Palm Springs Unified School District, selected by MTU via conservatory audition.

“We are delighted to take audiences on our multi-sensory musical journey throughout the museum’s galleries and garden spaces for an intimate ‘night at the museum’ experience — a first for Palm Springs Art Museum and Musical Theatre University.”

Celebrated chef Gabriel Woo will curate a bespoke menu and specialty drinks inspired by settings and elements of The Secret Garden, offered during the show’s two intermissions (included in the price of all tickets). Additionally, as part of the VIP experience ticket, Palm Springs Art Museum will host an intimate pre-show cocktail reception in the Meyerman Sculpture Garden — 75 minutes before each performance.

CAST
The cast of The Secret Garden features Sofia Lanza (as Lily Craven),Torie Mendoza (as Mary Lennox), Kevin McMahon* (as Archibald Craven), Alisha Bates (as Martha), Brent Schindele* (as Dr. Neville Craven), Ben Van Dijk (as Dickon), Elijanna Kennedy (as Rose Lennox), Elijah Sweeney Bousquet (as Captain Albert Lennox), Brayden Gravdahl (as Colin Craven), Fabrizio Ibanez (as Ben Weatherstaff), Elizabeth Eldar (as Mrs. Medlock), Maverick Carpio (as Major Holmes), Alondra Meza (as Ayah), McKenzey Kenan (as Mrs. Winthrop), Payton Hoy (as Alice), Ruben Regalado (as Lieutenant Shaw), Percy Goodwin-Knight (as Lieutenant Wright), Madeline Klein (as Claire). The ensemble features Addison Clark, Sasha Kaye, Danica Rodriguez, Lyla Stanley, and Chanel Ward.
 
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) participating in The Secret Gardenare current faculty of Musical Theatre University as Artists In Residence, and their participation is a required teaching assignment, with special permission granted by AEA.

Doors open at 5:45 PM for VIP ticketing and 6:45 PM for general admission; all six nightly performances begin at 7 PM. Total running time is two and a half hours (incl. one 10-minute and one 25-minute intermission). Recommended for ages 10+. For more information on VIP or general admission tickets and pre-show experience, visit psmuseum.org/events/secret-garden.

About “THE SECRET GARDEN”
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Victorian classic, The Secret Garden, blossoms anew in this enchanting musical by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman and Grammy Award winner Lucy Simon. When young Mary Lennox loses her parents to a cholera outbreak in India, she is sent to live with her hermit uncle, Archibald Craven, and his bedridden son, Colin. In the haunting house upon the hill, Mary discovers her Aunt Lily’s hidden, overgrown garden and is determined to revive its beauty. Surrounded by spirits from the past, Mary begins to peel away the layers of sadness that cover the house and the garden, showing the power that “one small girl” can have when she “wants things to grow.”

Performance Dates / March 22, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 2024

Performance Time / 7 pm

Prices: $91 - General Admission / $159 VIP