Theatre Under The Stars welcomed 200+ flood victims and their rescuers to the Invited Dress Rehearsal for THE SECRET GARDEN on Sunday, October 8, 2017.

As the first production of the 2017-18 Season, the 5th Avenue Theatre / Shakespeare Theatre Company’s co-production of THE SECRET GARDEN already has a special connection to Theatre Under The Stars, but no one could have imagined what a perfect show this would be for a city undergoing a great healing process.

“What an amazing evening with 200 friends and neighbors and an incredibly talented cast and production team!  Thank you for making this opportunity possible.  It could not have been a more perfect show for our neighborhood- a show about grief, resilience and healing at a time when so many of us feel ready to thrown in the towel,” said Laura Spaulding.

It was Laura Spaulding’s family who worked with TUTS to organize the evening with her neighbors. Many who attended that evening echoed Laura’s sentiments saying:

“Thank you so much for doing this for all of us! Such a poignant story with everything we’ve all gone through!” – Linda A.

“Thank you! My kids have never been to a musical and they were so amazed. This was an amazing gift to everyone.” – Johanna L.

“It was great, and such a wonderful coincidence that it’s a story about healing.” – Lisa U.

Below you’ll find a video of the curtain speech given by Laura Spaulding’s 14-year-old daughter who so poignantly describes what a night out means after a month filled with loss and starting to put the pieces back together.