THE SECRET GARDEN
December 6-24, 2017
Gateway Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, San Francisco 94111
Wednesday-Thursday 7:00; Friday 8:00; Saturday 6:00; Sunday 3:00
Family Matinee Saturday, December 16 at 1:00 PM
ADDED PERFORMANCE! Saturday, December 23 at 1:00 PM
Book & Lyrics by Marsha Norman
Music by Lucy Simon
Based on the Novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Director Dyan McBride
Choreographer Robyn Tribuzi
Music Director Lauren Mayer
Scenic Designer/Artist Brian Watson
Costume Designer Rebecca Valentino
Lighting Designer David Lam
Stage Manager Alicia Lerner*
Assistant Stage Manager Lauren Howry
Based on the classic English children’s novel, a beautiful and haunting story comes to life in this 1991 musical, featuring a Tony-winning score and book by an all-female creative team. In the late 19th century, 11-year-old Mary Lennox is orphaned in India and comes to Yorkshire to live with her reclusive uncle and invalid cousin. There she discovers a mysterious and seemingly enchanted garden, and all three come to know forgiveness, renewal and hope. The Secret Garden is a wonderful show for the whole family to enjoy at the holiday season!
THE SECRET GARDEN runs about two hours and fifteen minutes, including one intermission.
PHOTOS
Click on photos for full-size image
All photos by Ben Krantz Studios
(L to R) Lucinda Hitchcock Cone as Mrs. Medlock and Katie Maupin as Mary Lennox
(L to R) Katie Maupin as Mary Lennox, Sharon Rietkerk as Lily, and Brian Watson as Archibald Craven
Katie Maupin as Mary Lennox
(L to R) Katie Maupin as Mary Lennox and Heather Orth as Martha
Sharon Rietkerk as Lily
(L to R) Scott Hayes as Ben Weatherstaff and Katie Maupin as Mary Lennox
(L to R) Michael Mohammed, Anjali Blacker, Ryan Henry, Amanda Johnson, Terrence McLaughlin, and Corinne Rydman
Keith Pinto as Dickon
Heather Orth as Martha
Katie Maupin as Mary Lennox
(L to R) Brian Watson as Archibald Craven and Edward Hightower as Neville Craven
(L to R) Katie Maupin as Mary Lennox and Tyler Groshong as Colin Craven
(L to R) Brian Watson as Archibald Craven and Tyler Groshong as Colin Craven
(L to R) Sharon Rietkerk as Lily and Brian Watson as Archibald Craven
All photos by Ben Krantz Studios
MEET THE CAST
BRIAN WATSON Archibald Craven
Brian makes his 42nd Street Moon stage debut with The Secret Garden after making his Moon design debut in Ain’t Misbehavin’ earlier this season. He holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from CSU Sacramento and works full-time all over the Bay Area as an actor, vocalist, set designer, scenic artist and vocal/acting instructor. Notable roles include Buffalo Bill (Silence! The Musical), Barrett (Titanic the Musical), Bert (Mary Poppins), Enjolras (Les Misérables), Emmett (Legally Blonde), Vincent van Gogh (Inventing van Gogh), Max (Lend Me a Tenor), Prince Eric and Scuttle (Disney’s The Little Mermaid). For more information on Brian and his work visit brian-watson.weebly.com
EDWARD HIGHTOWER* Neville Craven
Edward has previously appeared at 42nd Street Moon as Max Mencken in It’s A Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman! Recent roles include Julian Marsh in 42nd Street with Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre (PCRT), Lord Farquaad in Shrek at Woodminster Amphitheatre (2016 TBA Award), Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady at PCRT, Billy Flynn in Chicago with Lucky Penny, and Dr. Danielson in The North Pool with Dragon Productions. An avid backpacker, Edward prefers to explore the High Sierra when not rehearsing or performing. Come see him as Cervantes/Quixote in Man of La Mancha at Custom Made Theatre Company, January 11 – February 17, 2018. Edward is represented by MDT, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.You can savor his writing at ewhightower.com
KATIE MAUPIN Mary Lennox
Katie is twelve years old and in 7th grade. Her past credits are with Hillbarn Theatre, and include Willy Wonka Jr. (Candyman), Cinderella (Stepmother), Into the Woods (Little Red), To Kill a Mockingbird (Scout/Towns-kid), 13 (Lucy), Mary Poppins (Jane Banks), and Changing Minds (Claire). When not onstage, Katie takes tap, ballet, jazz, modern, and is on the dance team at Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance. She is also teaching herself how to play the piano and guitar and loves to nurture her vegetable garden at home. Katie is so grateful to be making her 42nd Street Moon debut in The Secret Garden. She hopes the show inspires you to live everyday with an open heart!
TYLER GROSHONG Colin Craven
Tyler is fifteen years old and a sophomore at the Nueva School in San Mateo. Favorite roles have included playing Peter Cratchit in 42nd Street Moon’s Scrooge in Love!, Dill Harris in Hillbarn Theatre’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and Little Boy in Ragtime at both Woodside Community Theatre and Stanford BLACKstage. Tyler began acting at Peninsula Youth Theatre when he was eight, and performed in five shows with PYT. Tyler loves to take photos, paint, play guitar, and shoot films, and he is so happy to be performing in his second show at 42nd Street Moon with this wonderful cast, crew, and staff!
KEITH PINTO* Dickon
Keith is excited to return to Moon after appearing in Snoopy!! and Where’s Charley. Other favorites include 1776 and Scapin with American Conservatory Theater; Fly By Night with TheatreWorks; Into the Woods, Company and She Loves Me with San Francisco Playhouse as well as Sweet Charity, The Underpants and Lucky Stiff with Center Rep. Keith is a co-founder of the award winning hip-hop band and theater company, Felonious. Felonious theater pieces which Pinto appeared in as well as choreographed include: Beatbox: A Raparetta, Angry Black White Boy and Stateless: A Hip Hop Vaudeville Experience. Felonious has recorded numerous albums and performed with groups such as: The Black-Eyed Peas, LL Cool J, The Roots, Digital Underground and De La Soul.
HEATHER ORTH Martha
Heather returns to Moon after previously appearing in The Boys From Syracuse (Luce, Theatre Bay Area Award), Something For the Boys (Blossom Hart), and Scrooge in Love! (Juliana/Mrs. Fezziwig), as well as the concerts Thou Swell! Thou Witty! and Everything’s Coming Up Roses. Other favorite roles include Rose in Gypsy (Broadway by the Bay and Sierra Repertory Theatre), Margaret White in Carrie (Ray of Light, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award nomination), Big Edie/Little Edie in Grey Gardens (Custom Made Theatre Co., Theatre Bay Area Award nomination, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award), Svetlana in Chess (Custom Made Theatre Co., Bay Area Critics Circle Award) and Mother Superior in Sister Act (Berkeley Playhouse). By day, Heather is the Marketing & Communications Manager for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Follow her at www.HeatherOrth.com
SHARON RIETKERK* Lily
Sharon has been seen in 42nd Street Moon’s productions of Little Me, Nymph Errant, and Strike Up the Band. Regional credits include creating the role of Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility (Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Cyrano, Triangle (Bay Area Critics Award); Emma, Marry Me A Little (Theater Bay Area Award); Little Women, The Secret Garden (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley); Candida in A Minister’s Wife (San Jose Repertory Theater); Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday (Theatre Bay Area Award); Life Could Be a Dream, Rumors, Xanadu, and She Loves Me (CenterREPertory Theatre); Triangle (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma); The Illusion and Gunmetal Blues (North Coast Repertory Theater); Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance (San Francisco Opera Guild); Marian in The Music Man (South Coast Symphony); Sharon performed with San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox series with her husband, Principal Trombonist Timothy Higgins. She has also performed with the Grammy-nominated Bay Brass, South Coast and Bear Valley Symphonies, and at Feinstein’s San Francisco with her two-woman cabaret.
SCOTT HAYES Ben Weatherstaff/Lt. Wright/Dreamer
Scott delightedly returns to 42nd Street Moon, having recently appeared as Lady Bracknell in the Firescape Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest and as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Cloud 9 Theatricals/Ray of Light’s production of Silence! The Musical. Other credits include Where’s Charley? and Sugar (42nd Street Moon), Christmas with the Crawfords (Lincoln Theater, Napa), Women Behind Bars (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater), The SantaLand Diaries (Art House), The Wild Party (CTEK Arts), Times Square Angel (Provincetown Theatre Company), and Working, Take Me Out and Wonder of the World with Counter Productions. As his alter ego “Norman Vane” (cabaret artiste and bon vivant) he’s played clubs on both coasts and was acclaimed “Best Comedic Cabaret Performer” by Martuni’s in 2013. Scott next appears in Moon’s production of Me and My Girl in May.
AMANDA JOHNSON* Rose/Dreamer
Amanda is delighted to be returning to the Gateway Theatre and working on this enchanting production of The Secret Garden. Previous Moon credits include Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella (BATCC Nominee) and Kismet in Concert! This past summer Amanda appeared as Ensign Nellie Forbush in South Pacific with Woodminster Summer Musicals. Off-Broadway: Music in the Air (City Center Encores!). TOUR: The Sound of Music. Regional: The Music Man (Marian Paroo/Virginia Rep); Sweeney Todd (Johanna/Barter Theatre); White Christmas (Betty Haynes/Virginia Musical Theatre); Evita (Eva Peron/Open Circle Theatre). BFA, Shenandoah Conservatory of Music (magna cum laude). Proud member of AEA!
RYAN LEE HENRY Albert/Dreamer
Ryan is delighted and grateful to have the opportunity to work on The Secret Garden with one of his all-time favorite Theatre companies! Since re-connecting with acting a few years ago, he’s worked throughout the Bay Area in various roles. When not playing an alarmingly scary yet loving Dreamer, Ryan can be found in the South Bay playing with his Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy and Handsome Husband.
LUCINDA HITCHCOCK CONE* Mrs. Medlock/Dreamer
Lucinda’s recent appearances include Aoife in Outside Mullingar at Theatreworks and Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman at San Jose Stage Company; both performances were nominated for Bay Area Critics Circle Awards. Here at Moon her credits include Sail Away, Do I Hear a Waltz, The Grass Harp, and Fanny. She has performed at Berkeley Rep, Theatreworks, B Street Theater, Sacramento Theater Company, Sacramento Music Circus, Aurora Theater, San Jose Rep, Marin Theater Company, PCPA, Hartford Stage, Arizona Theater, Indiana Rep, Portland Stage, The Geva, St. Louis Rep, Folger Theater, among others. She did the National Tour of Big River and has received four Bay Area Critics Circle Awards, a Dramalogue Award, and a Dean Goodman Award for The Grass Harp.
MICHAEL MOHAMMED Fakir/Dreamer
Michael has been seen in Beckett’s Act Without Words with a new score by Luna Pearl Woolf, as Fatty in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Redwood Symphony), as Mitch in The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee (Los Altos Stage), and in the dance film “Separate Sentences.” His operatic roles include the title character of Handel’s Orlando (Black Box Baroque) and Bertarido in Rodelinda (Handel Opera Project). He also is a collaborator with the performance company Mugwumpin. He recently directed and choreographed Song of the Nightingale (Town Hall Theatre) and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Bay Area Children’s Theatre). He works next door to the Moon offices at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as Director of the Musical Theatre Ensemble. www.michaelmohammed.net
ANJALI BLACKER Ayah/Mary US/Dreamer
Anjali is thrilled to spend her third holiday season running with 42nd Street Moon, after playing Nora for the past two years of Scrooge in Love! Her love of performing began with many living room plays directed, costumed and acted by herself, her brother Alex and three cousins. She has appeared in several musicals with MoonSchool, and played one of two leads in the short film “Shake” when she was 10. These days she’s a particular fan of tap dance, improvisation class, and of breaking into British or Indian accents spontaneously. She is honored to bring her Indian heritage to the Ayah role. Anjali is currently an eighth grader here in San Francisco.
TERRENCE McLAUGHLIN Maj. Holmes/Dreamer
Terrence is a classically trained singer who has performed in shows in the Chicagoland area as well as San Francisco. Favorite roles include Zangara in Assassins, Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Magaldi in Evita, Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar and Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf in Into the Woods. For the past three years, he has starred as Edina Monsoon in the drag stage version of Absolutely Fabulous Live! The production won a Bay Area Reporter Bestie Award and Terry got to promote the film which came out last year. He has also sang with San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and was often featured as a soloist.
CORINNE RYDMAN Claire/Dreamer
Corinne is delighted to be making her debut with 42nd Street Moon. Recent credits include Mrs. Prysselius in the Bay Area Children’s Theatre production of Pippi Longstocking, Bronwyn in the world-premiere of Hunter with Opera Theatre Unlimited, and Volpino in the TBA-nominated Lo Speziale with Bay Area Opera Collaborative and Dragon Productions. When not on stage, Corinne can be seen tasting the latest trends in Bay Area ice cream and writing about the parallels of arts education and soccer. She has a Master’s in Music from SFCM and a bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Westminster College of Salt Lake City. More at corinnerydman.com.
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association
EXPERIENCE A FULLER MOON
Opening Night Receptions
Join the cast and crew as we celebrate the opening of each new production. Savor champagne, wine, and delectable delights from our Opening Night sponsor. The best part? It’s on us!
Opening Night date for The Secret Garden: Saturday, December 9, 6:00 PM
Discussion Sundays
Get all your burning questions answered about the show you’ve just seen during our fun and informative post-performance discussions with the audience, cast, and crew. Hosted by Executive Directors Daren A.C. Carollo and Daniel Thomas, who will share the history of the original production as well as our current incarnation! Learn more about the composers, lyricists, and book writers, as well as your favorite Moonie cast members. Discussion Sundays happen on the first and second Sunday of each show in our regular season offerings.
Discussion Sunday dates for The Secret Garden: December 10 & 17, 3:00 PM
Family & Student Matinees
The best deal in town for kids, parents, and students of all ages. Young people under 18 and college students with a valid student ID can see the show for just $10! Younger students receive a family activity guide, get to participate in an intermission contest (with prizes!), and can join in on a post-show discussion and visit with the actors that includes autographs and pictures. This is a great way to introduce the next generation to the heritage of American musical theatre. This is also a great idea for a kid’s birthday party. Please contact Education Director Dyan McBride for further details or if you have a large group wishing to attend.
42nd Street Moon created the Family Matinee to make musical theatre affordable and accessible for young people along with their parents and to provide families the opportunity to experience classic Broadway. Relevant, fun activities and fascinating discussion guides enable families to rediscover how theatre has served an important function in our nation’s cultural landscape and been a way for families to come together. We have expanded the matinee to be a Family and Student Matinee, so that college-aged students can also take advantage of the generous discount.
Family and Student Matinee date for The Secret Garden: Saturday, December 16, 1:00 PM