If I had to do it all over again, I would work with kids in school, planting the seeds and nurturing their appreciation of the performing arts, hoping to instill a love of the theatre in our young folks. Thankfully, the Upper Delaware River region is filled with educators and parents who do just that, and my visit to Sullivan West last Sunday served as a shining example of the talent, dedication and spirit that putting together a high school production embodies.

I love this time of year, when the spring musicals blossom in the various districts, and chatting with the students backstage before the curtain went up on “The Secret Garden” brought back a flood of memories of my own experiences singing, dancing and honing my acting skills—which in my time took place in a cave by firelight. The Sullivan West Musical Production Club’s director Jerry Hoch greeted the dog warmly and acknowledged my presence, while escorting us backstage, where we visited with some of the cast and took photographs of the kids warming up for the big show. Costumes were donned, instruments were tuned and makeup was applied by a slew of parents, teachers and students. More than 85 people were involved with mounting this show, what with the huge cast, a skilled orchestra, set designers, lighting and sound crews and scores of volunteers working as a cohesive unit to ensure that as always—the show must go on. The musical, based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel of the same name, centers on the story of 12-year-old Mary Lennox (Sarah Clark), who is orphaned during an outbreak of cholera while living with her parents in India. She is sent to England to live in a sprawling, haunted mansion with her unhappy uncle (Billy Engle), who spends his time away, unable to get over the untimely death of his wife Lily, (Katie Russell). She died following the birth of their now bedridden son Colin (Brett Dirie) after a tragic accident in her beloved garden, which was then locked up, overgrown, and hidden away, while the groundskeeper (Leif Johansen) stayed on, waiting for Mary to appear and unlock the secrets that the neglected garden still held.

Every single student involved with this production deserves a standing ovation. Whether in the chorus, playing lead characters or working behind the scenes, these kids are (IMHO) an inspiration. “This experience has been absolutely amazing,” leading lady Sarah Clark enthused. “Playing Mary has been so rewarding and everyone has been so supportive. This [acting] is what I want to do with my life.” Co-star Katie Russell concurred. “I live for this time of year,” she told me, while having her hair and makeup adjusted. “Mr. Hoch is incredible, and we’ve all learned so much doing this show.” As I made my way through the dressing rooms, similar sentiments were expressed by chorus members, supporting players, actors, singers and musicians. “It’s my first lead,” youngest cast member Brett Dirie said, “and it’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s all gonna pay off.” And boy, did it ever.

The story itself is allegorical and intellectual, involving the ghosts of characters’ pasts, a charming magical Peter Pan-like boy (Keith Brundege), an evil doctor (scene-stealer Gabriel Pinciotti) and a nurturing chambermaid (Leann Bruetsch) whose vocal prowess shows maturity beyond her years. I can’t emphasize enough that everyone on (or behind) stage was incredible, but there were some stand-out performances by this amazing cast and they deserve credit for their efforts, too. Sarah Clark has skills, and her portrayal of poor Mary, adrift in a strange place surrounded by strangers was thoughtful, layered and impressive. Katie Russell’s haunting presence (and lilting voice) hit all of the right notes theatrically. Normally, I cringe when students have to play octogenarians, but Leif Johansen’s aged gardener, Ben, was really impressive, as was Keith Brundege’s interpretation of the mystical boy Dickon. As Mary’s beleaguered and grieving Uncle Archibald, Billy Engle delivered an incredible performance. His vocals were really impressive and his acting equally so, carrying the story along and keeping up with Pinciotti’s great voice and wildly impressive acting chops. Last, but not least, was the fantastic performance from young Brett Dirie, who was called upon to act and sing his little heart out, expressing a wide range of emotions and hold his own with more seasoned performers. As his character exploded with life on stage, he took the audience with him on the journey, thankfully delivering the happy ending we all desperately sought, while dabbing our collective tears away as the final curtain fell. Dumbfounded by every single participant, I wish I had space here to name them all, but I think I managed to snap photos of everyone on stage. To see the entire collection of pictures from the show, visit us online at www.facebook.com/theriverreporter and like, tag and share with your friends. As far as I’m concerned, “The Secret Garden” was a beautiful bouquet.