"The Secret Garden"

   Spent a wonderful evening last night in Portsmouth (with my pals Mark Hayes and Ryan Hardiman and a sold-out crowd) watching the Portsmouth Little Theatre production of the musical The Secret Garden.

   It's the story of a girl named Mary whose parents are tragically killed, so she is sent to live at the home of her uncle. But he has been plagued by terrible sadness since the death of his beloved wife Lily. It's up to young Mary to heal the family haunted by ghostly memories, and her discovery of a Secret Garden just might be the key.

   The musical is a real delight, both for the talented cast and the terrific direction. The cast boasts the sister team of Macy and Ivy Idzakovich, and they were wonderful. Macy is a professional actress working in New York, who returned home for this engagement for the chance to work with her sister (who's also a talented actress).

   The cast is loaded with great talent, and the show features several outstanding songs - my personal favorite was the powerful redition of "Lily's Eyes."

   Hats off also to the directing team - the theatre has a small stage, and I was very impressed by the creative and artistic ways the story was brought to life.

   An excellent production, and well worth catching. The final show is today (Sunday) at 2 p.m., and shows have been selling out - hope you get to catch this gem before the final curtain falls!