Arden, Benanti, Keenan-Bolger, Mann, et al. Will Perform The Secret Garden in Concert for World AIDS Day

Michael Portantiere

New York City

October 12, 2005

Michael Arden and Laura Benanti in the
2004 World AIDS Day Benefit Concert of Pippin
(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

The upcoming World AIDS day benefit concert performance of the Broadway musical The Secret Garden at Manhattan Center will star Michael Arden (Big River, Bare) as Dickon, Laura Benanti (Into the Woods, Swing!) as Lily, Celia Keenan-Bolger (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as Martha, David Canary (All My Children) as Ben, Sara Gettelfinger (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Nine) as Rose, Terrence Mann (Lennon, The Rocky Horror Show, Les Misérables, Cats) as Neville Craven, and Max Von Essen (Dance of the Vampires) as Albert. Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Directed by Stafford Arima (Altar Boyz), with musical direction by Michael Kosarin, set consultation by Lauren Helpern, and lighting design by Traci Klainer, the concert will be performed on Monday, December 5 in the Grand Ballroom at Manhatan Center (311 West 34th Street), beginning at 7pm. Artistic producer Jamie McGonnigal and producers Brad Bauner, Adam Caldwell, Josh Fiedler, Ryan Hill, and Erica Lynn Schwartz are presenting this third annual World AIDS Day benefit in association with The Storm Theatre. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation and Camp TLC (Teens Living with a Challenge).

The Secret Garden opened at the St. James Theatre in April 1991 and played 709 performances before closing in January 1993. Based on the beloved novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the show has music by Lucy Simon, book and lyrics by Marsha Norman. The original Broadway cast featured Mandy Patinkin, Alison Fraser, Howard McGillin, Rebecca Luker, Robert Westenberg, John Cameron Mitchell and Daisy Eagan, who won a Tony Award for her performance as Mary Lennox.

Tickets for the December 5 concert are scaled in price from $50 to $150 and are now available by calling TicketCentral at 212-279-4200 or in-person at the Ticket Central offices, located at 416 West 42nd Street (between 9th and 10th avenues), daily between noon and 8pm. To inquire about special donor seating, call 212-769-7930.