This past weekend, October 18-20, Westminster Christian Academy presented The Secret Garden as the first production of the school year.

As the lights dimmed and the curtains drew back on opening night, I impatiently sat on the edge of my seat, eagerly awaiting the first high school production of the school year for Westminster. The Secret Garden, based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, tells of a tragic story filled with heartbreak, intense conflict, and dynamic characters. These characters were outstandingly portrayed through the actors who filled their parts. The characters in which this stories’ plot is based off of were played by Hanna Geisz, Hunter Hughes, Brendan Solomon and Sydney Thomas. The beautiful ballads and foot-tapping melodies were brought to life by these students in every scene.

“This musical was so fun to do, even though it was really hard at times,” said Sydney Thomas, freshman actress portraying the deceased wife Lily to Mr. Archibald Craven, played by Hunter Hughes, senior.

“I loved the high notes I got to sing, and my character had so many different levels,” said Thomas.

Whether it was the smooth transitions between scenes, or the comic relief in characters such as Martha, played by Mary Heyl, sophomore, with laughable Yorkshire accents, this musical was a wonderful display of musical and theatrical talent.

“There’s a lot of emotion in this musical. We really had to dig deep to find the meaning behind our parts,” says Brendan Solomon, senior actor portraying the spunky friend of Mary Lennox, named Dickon.

Between both Acts, filled with nine scenes, and packed with intense scenes while accompanied by thirty-two songs, the play captured the audience’s attention throughout the entire production. Even though I was only able to see this production one night, this years’ fall musical for Westminster set the bar high for the future shows put on by the drama department at this school, and for that, I give a standing ovation to Westminster’s Fall 2012 production: The Secret Garden.