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Article: The Secret Garden gives child stars the chance to blossom. (theater review)
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- February 28, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: NICHOLAS DE JONGH
The Secret Garden Aldwych Theatre m
I suppose many little girls will thank heavens for the chance of seeing The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett's adored Edwardian classic for pre-teenagers, transformed into a blooming musical. But I am not with them.
This 1991 Broadway show by Marsha Mason and Lucy Simon, now performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, runs roughshod through The Secret Garden. It strips away the book's sense of mystery and subtleties . It plants in its place a weeping melodrama that bursts out in a riot of forgettable tunes, unexceptional songs and dreary dance routines.
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