Signature Theatre Announces Cast for The Secret Garden

Signature Theatre announces the cast and creative team for the musical The Secret Garden, with book and lyrics by Marsha Norman ('night, Mother, The Color Purple) and music by Lucy Simon (Doctor Zhivago). Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the production will be directed by Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard (Signature's Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Soft Power) with choreography by Kelly Crandall d'Amboise (Signature's The Bridges of Madison County, She Loves Me) and music direction by William Yanesh (Signature's Merrily We Roll Along, Ford's Theater's Sister Act). The Secret Garden will feature Jacob Dickey (Broadway's Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, Shakespeare Theatre Company's Guys and Dolls) as Dr. Neville Craven, Claire Leyden (Off-Broadway's Masquerade, Signature's Ragtime) as Lily, Blake Stadnik (NBC's This Is US, National Tour of 42nd Street) as Archibald Craven, and Quinn Titcomb (Pre-Broadway's Dolly: A True Original Musical, Studio Theatre's Fun Home) as Mary Lennox. Performances run December 8, 2026 - February 21, 2027 in Signature's MAX Theatre.

"The Secret Garden is a powerful story of forgiveness and renewal that continues to resonate with audiences over 35 years after it premiered on Broadway," said Signature Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner. "Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon's magnificent adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's novel is hauntingly beautiful and life-affirming. I look forward to welcoming our audiences to experience this classic musical in a brand-new production, reimagined specifically for the MAX Theatre by Signature's Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard. The Secret Garden is sure to enchant you this holiday season."

Lucy Simon and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman's Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Victorian novel receives a gorgeous new production shaped for Signature's intimate stage. After losing her parents, 11-year-old Mary is sent to live with a wealthy, reclusive uncle she's never met. As she explores the manor on the wild hills of England's moors, Mary unearths many secrets, from the haunted inhabitants to the magic of a dormant garden. Sadness fades with the blossoms of spring as Mary's determination to revive the garden's beauty transforms the entire household. Enchanting and heartfelt, with a radiant score, including songs "Lily's Eyes," "Come to My Garden" and "How Could I Ever Know," The Secret Garden is a life-affirming testament that seasons of loss will one day bloom into joy.

"I'm beyond delighted to direct The Secret Garden, a show that I've loved since playing Colin when I was 12," said Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard. "The story centers on three people who are grieving and isolated. But thanks to encouraging friends, benevolent ghosts, a friendly robin, and the magic of a forgotten garden, these three lost souls find joy, beauty, purpose, and each other. In today's challenging world, we are all prone to be like Archibald and Colin: caught in a labyrinth of our own sadness and shame. We can draw inspiration from Mary, the eager gardener, who learns to heal from Mother Nature. For me, as a new father, the show poses these powerful questions: What do children need to thrive? And how do we cultivate a 'garden' where 'love grows free and wild?'"

The cast of The Secret Garden is rounded out by Keenan Barrett (Alliance Theater's Millions, Red Mountain Theater's The Little Mermaid) as Colin, Christopher Bloch (Signature's Fiddler on the Roof, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) as Ben Weatherstaff, Lily Burka (Signature's Fiddler on the Roof, International Tour of The Sound of Music) as Alice, Sarah Chapin (Keegan Theatre's Merrily We Roll Along, Adventure Theatre MTC's She Persisted) as Martha, Ben Cherington (National Tour of Parade, Les Miserables) as Lieutenant Wright, Catherine Flye (Signature's Billy Elliot, Escaped Alone) as Mrs. Medlock, Trevor Martin (International Tour of The Sound of Music, North Shore Music Theatre's Titanic) as Major Holmes, Abby Middleton (Toby's Dinner Theatre's The Little Mermaid, Keegan Theatre's The Bridges of Madison County) as Rose Lennox, Usman Ali Mughal (Broadway's Life of Pi, National Tour of &Juliet) as Fakir, Noah Mutterperl (National Tour of Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, Monumental's American Psycho) as Dickon, Sanchi Pandey (New Light Theatre Project's Julius Caesar, Rhinoleap Production's The Importance of Being Earnest) as Ayah, Sarah Anne Sillers (Signature's Merrily We Roll Along, Arena Stage's Damn Yankees) as Claire Holmes, and Brandon Springman (National Tour of Kimberly Akimbo, Come From Away) as Captain Albert Lennox. AJ Pate (State Theatre Company South Australia's The Normal Heart, Queensland Performing Arts Centre's Jersey Boys) and Sumie Yotsukura (Olney's A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Arena Stage's Death on the Nile) are swings. Robby Potter III (Washington National Opera's The Little Prince, Vienna Youth Players' Newsies) and Alina Santos (Arena Stage's The Bedwetter, Ford's Theatre's A Christmas Carol) are understudies.

The creative team for The Secret Garden includes Scenic Design by Reid Thompson (Roundabout Theatre Company's Exception to the Rule, Playwrights Horizons' Wives), Costume Design by Beth Goldenberg (Glimmerglass Festival's Sunday in the Park with George, Seattle Rep's Indecent), Lighting Design by Amith Chandrashaker (Broadway's Prayer for the French Republic, Merrily We Roll Along), Sound Design by Eric Norris (Signature's All the World's a Stage, Merrily We Roll Along), and Wig & Hair Design by Anne Nesmith (Signature's Merrily We Roll Along, Pippin). Zach Campion is the Dialect Coach, Shruthi Mukund is the Cultural Consultant, Alison Kopit is the Disability Consultant. Casting is by Charlotte Sandor. New York Casting is by Geoff Josselson Casting. Kerry Epstein is the Production Stage Manager, Jessica Hagy and Becky Reed are Assistant Stage Managers, Clancey Yovanovich is the Associate Director, Madeline Dunn is the Associate Choreographer, Lucia LaNave is the Associate Music Director, Michael Ruiz-del-Vizo is the Assistant Scenic Designer, Channing Tucker is the Assistant Costume Designer, Yi-Chen Lu is the Assistant Lighting Designer, and Kenny Neal is the Associate Sound Designer.