The Girl I Mean to Be - The Secret Garden

"I need a place where I can hide, where no one sees my Life inside"

WARRIORS OF DESTINY: Track Four

Song: The Girl I Mean to Be
Artists: Daisy Eagan, Marsha Norman, Lucy Simon, Kate Maberly
Album: The Secret Garden Original Broadway Cast Recording
Quote: Mary Lennox/The Girl I Mean to Be

You might be forgiven for thinking that so far WARRIORS OF DESTINY has turned out to be a…shall we say…schizophrenic collection of music. After all, so far we’ve heard two full orchestral movie scores, a fantastic trance/electronica song, and now….The Secret Garden? But I promise you there’s a method to the madness. All of the artists so far featured have additional roles to play as the Mix rolls on. The Secret Garden in particular has a vital role much later on in the lineup. So if you are enjoying the music but feeling sort of confused, please just trust me. It will all make sense in the end.

Back in the day I called this song “The Secret”. I LOVE The Secret Garden. I’ve never read it. I’ve never actually even seen the musical. But I know it, oh yes, I know it. THE GIRL I MEAN TO BE is the opening song of the 2nd act and is such a short little song to carry such an amazing message. For visuals I decided to use images from the movie versions of the story, featuring two actresses who played the title role of Mary Lennox on the big screen; Kate Maberly (who played the role in the 1993 version) and Dixie Egerickx (who recently played the part in the 2020 reimagining). But that in NO way should suggest that I am overlooking the incredible Daisy Eagan who originated the role on Broadway and whose stunning vocals and performance earned her the Tony, the youngest actress ever to receive that highest honor at just 11 years old. A classic in every sense of the word, The Secret Garden is a treasured story of friendship, healing and redemption that people of all ages can relate to and find joy in.