Inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel of the same name, The Secret Garden was set apart from the beginning by the composition of its creative team. Not many Broadway shows can boast a female composer (Lucy Simon), director (Susan H. Schulman), librettist/lyricist (Marsha Norman), and producer/set designer (Heidi Landesman)–not to mention an 11-year old (Daisy Eagan) in the lead. This story of a little girl who helps her grieving uncle and sickly cousin regain a taste for life is a delicate, lovely achievement. Steeped in moody Victoriana, it should enchant those who enjoy a more understated style of musical theater. The great cast includes Mandy Patinkin, Rebecca Luker as his dead wife Lily’s ghost, and the perenially underrated Alison Fraser. –Elisabeth Vincentelli Customer Review: THE SECRET GARDEN Is Alive With Genius An Original Cast Recording of any Broadway Musical has many obstacles to overcome from the outset: not only do the music and lyrics have to be enjoyable, and the arrangements must be intriguing, but the recording also must somehow impart the feel of actually BEING in the audience of the Broadway show. Most Cast Recordings fall miserably short of these requirements. Happily, THE SECRET GARDEN, succeeds where most others fail. THE SECRET GARDEN, with music by Lucy Simon and lyrics by Marsha Norman, is a lush, magnificent recording filled with some of the most beautiful and soaring operatic music I have ever heard on or off the Broadway stage. In the classic style of Broadway genius Stephen Sondheim, there are no “puff pieces” on this CD…each song is necessary to advance the story, and once the listener has enjoyed the CD, they will, without doubt, feel they had a front row seat for this lovely bouquet of a show. Since there are 36 different cuts on this CD (after all, most of the dialogue is sung, in true operatta form) it is extremely difficult to choose the musical standouts. The opening of the CD, which sets the tone of this story, is nothing short of brilliant, as it packs a lot of information so effortlessly into song. “Lilly’s Eyes” as sung by Mandy Patinkin, who’s character is lamenting the death of his wife, is chillingly beautiful, as is the haunting duet “Come To My Garden”. The CD’s show stopper is a rousing rendition of an inspirational song called “Hold On”, and is sure to become a Broadway classic. The show’s cast, including Daisy Eagen as the little girl around whom most of the action takes place, Mandy Patinkin as her Uncle, John Babcock, Alison Fraser, and Rebecca Luker have some of the finest operatic voices ever heard on ANY stage. This is a show with a true heart, a brilliant soul, and is, in short a soaring celebration of the Broadway theatre at its finest! Run…don’t walk…to buy this CD. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Garden State
Writer/Director Zach Braff delivers an Oscar -worthy performance (CBS-TV Chicago) opposite a wacky and endearing (Newsweek) Natalie Portman in this quirky, coming-of-age comedy. Twentysomething, emotionally detached Andrew Large Largeman (Braff) hasn t been home to New Jersey in nine years. Now, as Large attempts to re-connect with a variety of odd acquaintances including his father he decides to risk getting high on the most potent and unpredictable drug there is life! Co-starring Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm and Method Man, Garden State is marvelous fun (Rolling Stone)System Requirements: Running Time 103 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Customer Review: Probably the best movie I’ve seen in the last year… After hearing some buzz & seeing a couple of stellar reviews I decided to rent this movie. I didn’t know what to expect, but thought it would be a light romantic comedy and mildly entertaining. Instead I found it alternately heartbreaking and hilarious. I was moved to tears several times, and to side-splitting laughter throughout. It’s a wonderfully entertaining and heartwarming film.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 15th, 2008 at 9:52 pm and is filed under Amazon Shopping. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.