Julian Vandervelde plays Neville in Spotlight Theatre's new production of "The Secret Garden," which runs April 10-19, 2026.
It’s no secret why The Secret Garden is beloved in theatre circles. Based on the classic 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the gorgeous 1991 musical has a book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon (late sister of Carly Simon).
Six years after it was canceled at Quad City Music Guild due to COVID, it will be staged at the Spotlight Theatre April 10 through 19. With its story set in the early-20th century, English girl Mary Lennox is orphaned by a cholera outbreak when she is 10. She’s sent from India to Yorkshire, England, to live in the manor of a brooding uncle she’s never met: Archibald Craven, who’s spent years grieving the death of his wife Lily. The management of his manor house is left to his manipulative brother Neville, and while there, Mary’s personality blossoms among the other residents of the manor as they bring new life to a long-neglected garden.
Matthew Downey is the only member of the 25-person Spotlight cast who was set to perform in the 2020 Music Guild version, having originally planned to play one of the Dreamers – spirits from Mary’s old life in India.
Noting that getting to portray Archibald is a dream come true, Downey, who also played Daddy Warbucks in Annie and Juan Peron in Evita at the Spotlight, recently said, “I just love the music. It was so inspirational. That was part of what I've carried with me (from 2020). It's a full, beautiful choral sound through the whole show. The warmth and the blend of the ensemble is hard to beat.”
Downey added that he couldn’t imagine himself as Archibald six years ago, and music director Amy Trimble, who partnered with Secret Garden director Noah Hill for last year’s Titanic, said Downey’s voice has improved in recent years.
“It's really been beautiful to see him,” she said. “I love to see everyone grow. I mean, life is about growing, and every experience we have should allow us to grow.”
Downey also credits his co-star Julian Vandervelde, saying, “He can sing and make the birds stop and listen, you know, like, he's that good. And he's an even better actor.”
A Davenport native who played center for the Philadelphia Eagles, Vandervelde, last year, was a newcomer to QC community theatre, “and I remember being blown away by the amount of talent that we have in this area,” he said. “This year, I remain in awe of the quality of performers that surround me. But now I count them all as friends. People talk about the need for community in the modern digital world, and I feel so fortunate to spend time in the company of this group of not just exceptional artists, but also warm and wonderful individuals.
“Stories can be complicated, and we often want a villain who’s just plain evil to make things simple,” said Vandervelde of The Secret Garden. “That doesn’t exist in this story, and rarely exists in real life,. From each character’s perspective, they’re doing the right thing for the people they care about. Their intentions are good. Their actions also make sense based on who they are, what they know, and what they’ve been through. Their actions are justifiable.”
Marissa Elliott, a 2017 Truman State alum and a voice-performance major who has sung opera, plays Lily, and at Music Guild has been in Jesus Christ Superstar, Sister Act, and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.
“I have loved getting to really dig into the story and see what Noah or Amy’s vision is for a song or scene,” she said, noting that Secret Garden is “such a unique story of family and loss and love. There is nothing quite like it. It’s amazing to delve into what their thoughts are for you and see how they work together with your own ideas for that moment.”
Brianna Call, who plays Rose, said the story is “of loss, love, longing, mourning, and healing in a beautiful, touching, immersive way. The music is breathtaking, the staging well thought out, and the energy among the cast is easygoing and focused. Telling stories reminds us that we are not all that different from one another. This story reminds us that the world needs more empathy, love, understanding, communication, and a desire to grow.”
Abigail Bennett, who plays Mary, is a 14-year-old student at Moline's QC Christian School and has done several Spotlight shows, including Annie in December of 2024 and last April's Titanic. “I just feel like the whole environment has just been really welcoming, even since the first Annie rehearsal,” she said. “I feel like it's been really easy to make friends here.”
Music director Trimble said she loves Hill’s directing style, and is using a live pit orchestra on stage, as opposed to the tracks employed for Titanic.
“I've worked with a lot of great directors, but I love that Noah comes in with a vision, and everything has a purpose,” she said. “If you come to see the show multiple times, you'll see something different. He is very intentional with everything that's going on. And those are my favorite shows to watch – where you almost find Easter eggs throughout every time you walk in.”
Hill is also using puppets to tell The Secret Garden's story, with puppeteers bringing to life animals from the book.
“I tell folks all the time that I hate theatre,” he said, “but I love storytelling, because I hate when it's, like, 'We're just gonna sing and dance, and there's no reason for it. It’s like, 'No, I want to tell the story.' Yes, I'm here to entertain you. But I'm also going to try to think about something and interact with it, versus 'I'm just going to watch a dance.'”
The Secret Garden runs at the Spotlight Theatre (1800 Seventh Avenue, Moline IL) from April 10 through 19, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $24-30, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)912-7647 and visiting TheSpotlightTheatreQC.com.
