Vishal Vaidya on updating ‘The Secret Garden,’ LGBTQ+ inspirations, & his secret skill
The Secret Garden won three Tony Awards when it premiered in 1991, and while the original production received raves, its representation of Indian culture lacked authenticity.
Actor Vishal Vaidya is part of Center Theatre Group’s revival, which features an updated script and score, including contributions from language coach Perviz Sawoski and dialect coach Joel Golde.
Producers hope to transfer the musical to New York for its first-ever Broadway revival.Vaidya, who also recently appeared in the Broadway-bound revival of Merrily We Roll Along, spoke with Queerty about some of his favorite moments in the show, LGBTQ+ inspirations, and other queer theatermakers we should be watching. A new moment in this new culturally sensitive production of The Secret Garden that everyone should be paying attention to…Me!
Okay, not me, but the Hindi singing at the beginning of the show, which later weaves its way through the story to become a centerpiece of the healing journey for our two young characters, Mary Lennox and Colin Craven.
