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Mackay Musical Comedy Players have been busy in rehearsals for their upcoming production of The Secret Garden.
Director Marina Duncan said, “The cast and crew are going really well and the show has some great acting and beautiful singing.”
Ms Duncan said The Secret Garden was similar to MMCP’s last blockbuster production, Grease, in that both shows have super-talented casts, but this show is characterised by its beautiful, soaring ballads. Critics have labelled the musical score one of the most hauntingly beautiful ever written for Broadway.
The Secret Garden is a show that calls for great vocals, and Mackay is lucky to have some very talented performers in the cast.
Newcomer to Mackay Trinity Hoolihan-March, as leading lady Lily Craven, is joined by Joshua Duncan in the role of Archie Craven for their magical duets.
Newly married couple Kenneth and Chantal Brown, who have delighted audiences for years, also perform as the stoic Neville Craven and the needy Rose Lennox.
The Secret Garden is based on the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which is a favourite of millions all over the world.
Mary, an 11-year-old orphan from India, is sent to live with relatives in Yorkshire — her embittered uncle Archie and his invalid son Colin. The uncle’s estate includes a magical-looking garden which was tended by his wife Lily, who died in childbirth.
Flashbacks, dream sequences and an ensemble of ghosts from Mary’s early life dramatise The Secret Garden’s compelling tale about the healing power of love.
Talented youngsters Adele Shepherd and Alex Beale (pictured) will delight Mackay audiences with their enchanting performances as young Mary Lennox and her invalid cousin, Colin Craven.
MMCP President Tonia Beckmann said the club, which recently celebrated 60 years of providing local theatre to Mackay audiences, is excited to be staging this magical adventure for the whole family.
She cautioned, however, that rising costs to stage productions are making it difficult for the club to navigate its long-term future without the assistance of Mackay residents supporting their local performers onstage.
The Secret Garden is onstage at the MECC on Friday 4 September at 7.30pm, with two performances on Saturday 5 September at 2.00pm and 7.30pm.
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