Theatre Tuscaloosa will perform The Secret Garden at the Bean-Brown Theatre tonight for the first time in Tuscaloosa since 1994.

The musical will open tonight at 7:30 and play until Oct. 31. Performances are Oct. 23, 28, 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 24, 27 and 31 at 2 p.m.

Ticket prices are $22 for adults, $17 for seniors and $10 for students. Groups with 10 people or more will receive a discount. The musical will last two hours and 15 minutes.

Tickets can be purchased at the Bean-Brown Theatre or online at theatretusc.com.

The musical is based on the children’s book by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Paul Looney, director of the musical, said it’s the story of a girl who is orphaned in India and sent to live with her grieving uncle.

Mary Lennox, the main character, finds the key to the secret garden at her uncle Archibald’s home. His wife Lilias died during childbirth, and he became a lonely, reclusive widower.

“The story is about the spirit of this young girl and how she found herself through the gardeners and chambermaids,” Looney said.

All the characters who die throughout the play have active roles as the dreamers, Looney said.

“It is one of the more beautiful musicals that I think has ever been written,” Looney said.

Looney also directed “The Secret Garden” in 1994 at the Bama Theatre. He said he promised himself he would direct the play again the way he wanted it done in a facility built to do the show.

There are three people from the original musical participating in the upcoming production.

“It’s very seldom that you’re going to get to see this show performed because it’s a very, very difficult show to do musically and technically,” Looney said. “It’s a very special thing when you do it. It requires special singers, and we have a full orchestra playing with us. It’s a very major event.”

Michelle Muntifering, a senior majoring in theater, plays a dreamer, part of a ghost chorus.

“It’s a beautiful, beautiful show,” Muntifering said. “Paul [Looney] has said over and over again that this is the most romantic show that he is willing to bet any of us will ever be a part of. It’s absolutely true.”

Danielle Molina, who plays Martha the maid, said the chorus is a character within itself.

“I think it’s appealing on a lot of levels,” Molina said.

Jameson Sanford, a junior majoring in theater with a minor in computer science, plays Albert Lennox.

It’s an adult version of the classic literature story, Sanford said. It’s still family-friendly but has a dark side.

“My role’s been challenging,” Sanford said. “It’s a challenging show for everyone because of the music. It’s a very stylized show, and our director is very detail-oriented.”

Zacchaeus Kimbrell, a senior majoring in vocal performance with a minor in theatre, plays Dickon, Martha’s brother and one of the first people Mary meets.

“He’s contagiously optimistic,” Kimbrell said. “Throughout the show he kind of helps Mary come back to the brighter side of life, and he’s also the one that helps her bring the garden back to life.”

More information can be found on Theatre Tuscaloosa’s website theatretusc.com.