Eagan, who won a Tony Award as the original Mary Lennox in Broadway's Secret Garden, hosts the sold-out Jan. 11 and 17 concerts.
History-Making Women of The Secret Garden Reunite to Talk Breaking Ground in Musical Theatre
The Lucy Simon-Marsha Norman musical is being staged as a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York and Western New York. Curtis Holbrook (If/Then) directs and choreographs. Show time is 7:30 PM both nights.
Tony Award-nominated An American in Paris star Max von Essen plays Dr. Neville Craven in a cast that also features Bradley Dean (The Last Ship, Doctor Zhivago) as Archibald Craven, Bill Nolte as Ben, Gabriella Pizzolo (the newest young star of Broadway's Fun Home) as Mary Lennox, Eli Tokash (Finding Neverland) as Colin, Ali Ewoldt (The King and I) as Rose, Cortney Wolfson (Kinky Boots) as Martha, Tom Deckman (A Funny Thing Happened...) as Dickon and Frances Mercanti-Anthony (Jerusalem) as Mrs. Medlock.
The ensemble includes Lacey Angerosa, Zech Azazi, Phillip Claflin, Bradley Dean, Michael Gioia, Emma Grimsley, Megan Johnson, Travis Kent, Jenna Miller and Michael Yeshion. The Secret Garden opened at the St. James Theatre in April 1991, playing 709 performances before closing Jan. 3, 1993. The musical is based on the famed novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The original Broadway cast also featured Mandy Patinkin, Alison Fraser, Robert Westenberg and John Cameron Mitchell.
The benefit is produced by Friends in Theater Company’s Phil Accorso and Meryl Ballew, State of Play Productions, with Michael Hull and Alex Rubin. Jonathan Rose is music director for the evening.
Visit friendsintheater.com. The Lortel Theatre is located at 121 Christopher Street.