Sierra Boggess to Star in THE SECRET GARDEN at the Ahmanson Theatre in February 2023

Drama Desk and Drama League nominee Sierra Boggess will lead the cast of “The Secret Garden,” as Lily, Mary’s aunt and Archibald Craven’s wife, which will play at Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre February 19 through March 26, 2023. Reimagined for a new generation by the original creators, Tony® Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman and Grammy Award®-winning composer Lucy Simon. Opening is set for February 26, 2023, and single tickets are on sale November 2, 2022. Guided by an exceptionally beautiful score, audiences will be swept away with Mary’s unapologetic curiosity as she is joined with the help of unlikely companions sending her on a thrilling quest to untangle the pieces of her family’s past and, most importantly – discover herself. “I am so incredibly thrilled to play Lily once again in our production of ‘The Secret Garden.’ Warren Carlyle has breathed such life into, I think, one of the most iconic stories of our time; love and loss, death and rebirth, innocence, and healing,” said Boggess. “What I love about Lily is that even from the grave she won’t give up until there is healing for those that can’t find their way. With one of the most beautiful scores ever written by our beloved Lucy Simon, I hope to honor her with every note and give the world this story that we are so in need of at this time.” This revival production based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett of the same name will include book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, music by Lucy Simon, direction and choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by Rob Berman. “The feedback we received from the theatre community and our audiences about a new revival of ‘The Secret Garden’ at the Ahmanson has been overwhelming,” explained Center Theatre Group Producing Director Douglas C. Baker. “As we produce this beloved musical with its dreamy, iconic score and beautiful book, we can’t help but to think of the late Lucy Simon, who will sadly not be with us on opening night. We are truly honored to be able to pay tribute to Lucy and mark her legacy when the curtain rises.” Nominated for seven Tony Awards and winner of Best Book of a Musical as well as two Drama Desk Awards, this enchanting musical is based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s turn-of-the-century tale about understanding and compassion. Time hailed the original production as “elegant, entrancing… The best American musical of the Broadway season,” while USA Today called it “a splendid, intelligent musical… It’s all you can hope for in children’s theatre. But the best surprise is that this show is the most adult new musical of the season.” “The Secret Garden” had its world premiere in 1989 as a Virginia Stage Company production at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia. It then premiered on Broadway in 1991 winning three Tony Awards including a win for Daisy Eagan, who is the youngest female recipient of a Tony Award to date for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. “The Secret Garden” went on to be produced all over the world including Australia and in the UK by The Royal Shakespeare Company breaking box office records before a West End run. The production is a favorite among many local and regional theatres. Tickets for “The Secret Garden” are on sale November 2 and start at $40. They will be available through CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 972-4400 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Offices (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012. Performances run Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading nonprofit theatre company, which, under the leadership of Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, and in collaboration with the four Associate Artistic Directors, Lindsay Allbaugh, Tyrone Davis, Neel Keller and Kelley Kirkpatrick, programs seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1,600 to 2,100-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstance to serve Los Angeles. (Lil

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