THE SECRET GARDEN PART V

Doctor Neville Craven, Archibald's brother, is a rather complex character. Because he is the youngest of the two he did not inherit the Misselthwaite Manor in the Yorkshire moors of England.... Nor did he receive the  family wealth. He instead became a respected doctor in the area and made it his primary purpose to care for the very ill son of Archibald: Collin. He forbade Archie to even wake the child, he was "so sick ... maybe even dying".


But, Collin was not that ill.We later find that Neville had fallen in love with Lily, Archie's deceased wife and some part of his being tried to keep his brother from his son.  Archibald, as I stated in a previous blog, had scoliosis: then known as a hunchback.  Neville supposed that Collin had a more serious variety of that 'disease' and was going to die.

                                     
He has Mrs. Winthrop, the Headmistress at a school for girls come and interview Mary. He wants to get rid of her and send her away to school because he feels she is, "disturbing Collin". He tells his brother this and also accuse Archibald of "shirking his responsibilities" because he is packing to leave for Paris.  The father is destitute because he fears he cannot get away from Lily's 'ghost'.

 Click on the you tube video below to watch the  performance of two talented actors singing about how young Mary Lennox has LILY'S EYES.

Christopher Higbee and  Brian Clark singing Lily's Eyes from THE SECRET GARDEN.
This is probably the finest male duet in the history of live theater

Archibald is on the left and Neville is on the right.

Sit back and enjoy!!!

Visit Part I Here
Visit Part II Here
Visit Part III Here
Visit Part IV Here
Visit Part VI Here
Visit the Audition information Here



The Secret Garden Part III

Today I want to talk about the wonderful love story of Lily and Archibald Craven.

Archibald Craven was riding among the moors of Yorkshire when he happened upon the beautiful Lily working in her garden. He began to woo her and they both fell deeply in love. Eventually they married ...  against the wishes of her sister Rose, and his brother Neville. You see Archibald was a hunchback... today it is called scoliosis. Rose was terrified that any children of their union would be crippled.

                                                       That wouldn't be the only problem

Dear, sweet Lily would die during childbirth. Archibald was so bereft that he couldn't even look at his child Collin. So his brother, Neville continued to live at the manor taking care of the boy. Neville was so concerned about Collin's health that he kept him in bed and didn't allow his father to ever waken him. Archie would only read to his son after Collin went to sleep.

Lily's spirit wasn't able to leave Misselthwaite Manor for she was held there by her husbands grief and the needs of her lonely Collin. She was hoping to let Archie see that her love for him was unconditional and that he needed to share that adoration with his child. So she stayed in the manor and sang to him as well as to ease Collin's pain.

Unbeknown  to Archie and Lily, Neville was madly in love with her also. Listen to the powerful duet between the brothers in the You Tube video below. 

Their duet was enough to make me want to direct this show.

The 45th Annual Tony Awards review

Visit Part I Here

Visit Part II Here

Visit Part IV Here

Visit Part V Here

Visit Part VI Here

Visit the Audition information Here