November 12, 2024
Gilbert sophomore Kate Hansen has plenty of experience acting with the Story Theater Company, but up until recently she had shied away from stepping onto the stage in front of her classmates in a school production.
And then the 16-year-old heard what musical had been selected for the 2024-25 school year and she knew could no longer stay away.
The Secret Garden. A chance to play a young, bold character and stretch her acting legs a bit. It was perfect.
“I look like I’m 12 years old anyway and I knew this would be a fun role,” Hansen, who will play the lead character Mary Lennox when the curtain drops on the Gilbert High School production Thursday evening, said. “Honestly, that’s probably the main reason I auditioned for the show because I knew the main character was a young girl. There was quite a bit of competition during the audition, so I was surprised to find my name next to Mary, but it’s been a lot of run.”
Approximately 75 students are a part of the cast and crew for The Secret Garden. The musical, which first appeared on Broadway in 1991, is an adaptation of the book by the same name written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1911. The Broadway musical ran for more than 20 months and had 709 performances in the early 1990s.
The Secret Garden centers on 11-year-old Mary Lennox (Hansen), who was orphaned in India and sent to Yorkshire to live with her reclusive uncle Archibald Craven (Thomas Barbier) and his disabled son, Colin (Canaan Stanton). The estate’s many wonders include a magic garden.
It’s a compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal, and one senior Lydia Weiler calls wondrous.
“It’s really great,” Weiler, who will play the role of Lily in the musical, said. “Last year with Freaky Friday, it was present day and the music was very contemporary. With this musical, it does branch into that Little Women (the GHS musical in 2022) territory, so it’s going to be more classical. I would argue it’s more classical than Little Women and I think that’s what makes it such a good show.”
Weiler and Hansen both say the music adds to the compelling performance. While not every audience member will be familiar with the pieces, both feel spectators will enjoy and fall in love with it throughout the show.
“I’m a bit biased, but this music is my favorite and I could listen to it all day,” Weiler, who played one of the lead roles in Freaky Friday last year, said. “All of the songs that I sing in, I’ve gotten emotional during each one of them.”
“I’ve loved listening to the music and getting to perform it,” Hansen said.
The musical is again led by staff directors Zach Hackbarth and Tanner Stutzman, and the pit band features nine students.
Hackbarth says this musical was selected specifically for this cast and it’s a challenge that the students have tackled head on.
“When we think about show options, we think about who we have in our program right now and we felt this was the right fit for this cast at this time,” Hackbarth, who is directing his fourth musical at GHS, said. “The music is fairly difficult, but I think the kids have enjoyed the challenge.”
The musical has been expanded from two to three nights this year, giving the students another chance to showcase their talents in front of a packed house inside the GHS Auditorium.
“I’ve always thought two shows are great, but after spending two months on an entire production, it feels like you’re not ready to be done with it yet,” Hackbarth explained. “The norm that most high schools do is three shows and we thought, why not? We’ve got a great community, we’ve got a lot of interest, so why not give the kids the experience of one more day?”
“I’m a bit biased, but this music is my favorite and I could listen to it all day. All of the songs that I sing in, I’ve gotten emotional during each one of them.”
-Lydia Weiler, a GHS senior who portrays the character of Lily
The show times will be:
- Thursday, November 14, at 7 p.m.
- Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, November 16, at 6 p.m.
Tickets to the show can be purchased online at THIS LINK. The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for students. Tickets will also be available at the door, and all seating is general admission.
Due to copyright constraints, there will not be a livestream available.
| Character | Student Actor |
|---|---|
| Mary Lennox (a 10-year-old girl) | Kate Hansen |
| Archibald Craven (Mary’s uncle and lord of Misselthwaite Manor) | Thomas Barbier |
| Lily (Mary’s aunt, Mr. Craven’s wife, now dead) | Lydia Weiler |
| Dr. Neville Craven (Archibald Craven’s brother) | Evan Goetz |
| Martha (A housemaid) | Audrey Hilleman |
| Dickon (Martha’s brother) | Wyatt Jones |
| Colin Craven (Archibald Craven’s 10-year-old son) | Canaan Stanton |
| Ben Weatherstaff (Head gardener) | Owen Bernard |
| Mrs. Medlock (Mr. Craven’s housekeeper) | Danielle Vogel |
| Mrs. Winthrop (Headmistress) | Ella Strudthoff |
| Rose Lennox (Mary’s mother) | Ashley Heimer |
| Captain Albert Lennox (Mary’s father) | Ezekiel Hatfield |
| Alice (Rose’s friend) | Molly Weiler |
| Lieutenant Wright (Officer in Mary’s father’s unit) | Alyse Beyer |
| Lieutenant Shaw (Fellow officer) | Bree Moore |
| Major Shelley (Officer) | Matthew Clute |
| Mrs. Shelley (Major Shelley’s wife) | Olivia White |
| Major Holmes (Officer) | Jackson Riesselman |
| Claire Holmes (Major Holmes’ wife) | Jane Black |
| Fakir (An Indian chanter) | Sabine Escalera |
| Ayah (Mary’s Indian nanny) | Joelle Stoker |
| Ensemble (Additional “Dreamers” who will sing as part of a larger group) | Ella Britt, Matthew Clute, Gabe Charlson, Bianca Goetz, Kaylee Higgins, Noah Hinderaker, Brooklyn Jennings, Avalyse Julich, Kate Lochray, Elise Moore, Ben Niegsch, Dani Nlenanya, Emmanuel Nlenanya, Brooke Peterson, Gwen Pistilli, Goldie Poole, Camille Rehbein, Audrey Spiess, Joanna Stoker, Caitlin Strudthoff, Lydia Strudthoff, Marlee VanCleave. |
| Stage Manager | Cole Johnson |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Keagan Adams |
| Assistant Student Director | Avalyse Julich |
| Assistant Student Music Director | Danielle Vogel |
| Choreographers | Reese Anderson, Taryn Hicks, Kaylee Higgins, Scarlett Murdoch, Marlee VanCleave |
| Costume Assistant | Pix Frank |
| Lighting Designer | Marin Blankenship |
| Publicist | Gwen Pistilli |
| Sound Board Operator | Bayley Hintz |
| Spotlight Operators | Sydney Jones, Elijah Sanford |
| Stage Crew Members | Carly Saienga, Raylene Chen, Tristan Limoges, Danny Buss, Teddy Pistilli, Daniel May, Katie Spiess, Regan Richards |
| Make-up Assistants | Alyzah Boggs, Ashley Heimer |
| Pit Band Performers | Tyler Anderson, Gretchen Mizerak, Laurel Mizerak, Aldo Schwartz, John Artz, Sarah Feddersen, Kayla Cakerice, Lillian Dahlstrom, Maggie VanDyk |
