Inside ‘The Secret Garden’

Young Chang

Something’s blooming at the Trilogy Playhouse in Costa Mesa.

The space may be tight -- with the seats all close and cozy and a

stage placed intimately near -- but Trilogy’s cast and crew know that

good things often come in small packages.

That’s why the production of “The Secret Garden,” with six sets, a

cast of 21 actors -- including two young rising-stars -- and a story that

is compelling for adults and kids alike, is viable for both the Broadway

and Playhouse stage.

“It’s a difficult show,” said Alicia Butler, who directs “Garden.” “It

requires a lot of locations. But the caliber of singers we have is, I

think, some of the most talented singers I’ve seen come through our door.

We feel pretty confident about opening up and going.”

The musical interpretation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel,

which opened Friday at the playhouse, is almost operatic. The story is

pushed and told through “dreamers” -- ghosts from the main character’s

past -- with songs that anyone familiar with musical theater would know,

Butler said.

“It is a story about rebirth, about believing, about growing and

surviving and moving on, and that’s a story for anyone who watches,” she

added.

Set in 1911, the show’s main character is Mary Lennox. She finds one

morning that her parents and others have all died of cholera in an

English compound in Bombay. She goes to live in Yorkshire with her Uncle

Archibald, a widower stuck in the past with memories of his late wife

Lily. The story follows Mary as she tries to heal and restore her

relative’s wounds and revive a secret garden that was once Lily’s.

Hailey Villaire, an 11-year-old who has performed at least 20 previous

shows at the playhouse including “Winnie-the-Pooh” where she played the

role of Piglet, alternates with 12-year-old Alexa Wildish portraying the

lead character Mary.

The two girls have become friends rather than rivals through this

experience, sometimes sharing costumes and, of course, the difficulties

of a principal role.

“I wanted to try out for Mary because I just thought it would be a fun

and challenging role. I like the character because she gets to act like a

brat sometimes and it’s a good role for singing, and that’s my favorite

thing to do,” said Alexa, of Yorba Linda.

Hailey, who started singing about five years ago, said her favorite

song in the show is “I Heard Someone Crying.”

“Just because it’s so beautiful in the beginning and then it gets

really powerful but it’s still pretty,” said the Laguna Hills girl.

Alexa agrees about the song.

“I really like ‘I Heard Someone Crying’ because I get to sing with the

adults too and because it sounds really great with the harmonizing,” she

said.

For both Alexa and Hailey, who are serious about acting and singing,

“Garden” is a step closer to making it big.

“I think this is a really hit role,” Alexa said. “A lot of my friends

and family are coming from out of state, so I think this must be a pretty

big role, and I think it might help me to succeed more.

FYI

WHAT: “The Secret Garden”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays, with 3:30 p.m.

matinees Saturdays through April 8.

WHERE: Trilogy Playhouse, 2930 Bristol St., Bldg. C-106, Costa Mesa

COST: $17 or $15

CALL: (714) 957-3347, Ext. 1