By Ilana Jael
Though it’s been a long time since I’ve revisited Louisa May Alcott’s best-selling novel Little Women, I have fond enough memories of the book and its various adaptations to be one of many modern women with a soft spot for this particular classic.
As a teenager, I even performed in a straight play adaptation of Little Women, so my interest was piqued right away by the prospect of a musical version, a work with a book by Allan Knee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and music by Jason Howland that premiered on Broadway in 2005. I finally got to catch the show locally as part of Florida Atlantic University’s summer rep series, and found myself surprisingly drawn in to the work by a lot more than the youthful nostalgia I was counting on.
Some of this surely has to do with the proven power of Alcott’s original story, here reflected faithfully enough to capture the indelible spirit of the work in at least the eyes of this casual fan. Given that it’s been at least a decade since my last re-read of that original, I won’t attempt to make too detailed of a comparison, but I can say that I didn’t notice any particularly glaring omissions when it came to that story’s major emotional beats.
One structural difference that I did notice is the retooling of some of the novel’s later developments into a kind of frame story that allows us to first meet protagonist Jo as an aspiring writer in her 20s before we journey with her into the formative girlhood that encompasses most of the play’s plot. It’s an inspired touch that allows the show to kick off with a high-energy musical number featuring over-the-top characters from Jo’s fictions before we move into the more grounded main narrative.
However, many of the subsequent songs seem more geared towards exploring the characters’ mindsets than propelling the plot forward more linearly, something that presented some pacing issues especially towards the beginning of the play. Early scenes offer a pleasant introduction to the world of the play and its colorful cast of characters, but take a while to transcend their leisurely slice-of-life style into more stage-suited drama.
When this happens, though, the piece usually becomes electrifying, as it first did for me during a lively feud that erupts between Jo and her youngest sister Amy. Later Act 1 scenes find a similar charge in the almost-romance that sparks between Jo and boy-next-door Laurie, conflict between the free-spirited Jo and her old-fashioned Aunt March, and dire economic struggles for the family that are painfully exacerbated by the realities of the Civil War setting.
As the sisters approach adulthood, the play takes on more gravity as their decisions become more consequential, their differing personalities crystallizing into irreversibly different paths. Slowly and poignantly, Little Women reveals in their respective trajectories what I think I’d call its true subject: not just “growing up” from girlhood into womanhood but the bittersweet process through which a girl decides what kind of woman she will now strive to grow up into, or perhaps discovers only in the becoming the kind of woman she was meant to be.
Jo’s journey through a painful coming-of-age into hard-won happiness lets the show end on a relatively hopeful note, though sensitive viewers should definitely make sure they bring tissues in anticipation of one major tragedy that befalls the March family before we get there. Without veering fully into spoiler territory, the Act 2 ballad “Some Things Are Meant to Be” is a gorgeous tearjerker that’s probably among the best-written songs in the show.
Another standout is the Act 1 closer “Astonishing,” though it’s hard to separate how well the song landed at the performance I attended from the sheer star power of Paisley Kincade’s delivery. In the leading role of Jo, Kincade is an absolute revelation, showing incredible vocal range and control as she tackles the show’s demanding score and bringing an outsized passion that suits her character perfectly.
She’s well-matched with a similarly talented trio of stage sisters in Claudia Hammes (Amy), Sadie Corley (Meg), and Sadie Scardino (Beth), each of whom are great singers as well and give distinctive, detailed performances in their respective roles.
As Marmee March, Casey Venema also proves a particularly gifted vocalist as well as an affecting actor, elevating otherwise forgettable solo numbers into heavenly interludes with an absolutely lovely voice.
Farentino Lennox is another standout as Laurie, both in terms of his smooth vocals and the innocent, earnest energy he brings to his character. Darnell Ginn III plays John Brooke with the subtle elegance the understated role calls for and deserves special mention for his Broadway-quality singing voice.
Robert Koutras gets plenty of laughs with his exaggerated mannerisms as Jo’s accented foreign love interest Professor Bhaer, but is winningly sincere when the script calls for it. Gustavo Garcia is quite funny and surprisingly impactful as Mr. Laurence, and Paige Rogers shows great comedic timing as the sisters’ menacing Aunt March. As busybody Mrs. Kirke, Karen Cohen makes the most of another fun character role. And, last but not least, Sarah Martinez, Zachary Simpson, Brandon Snyder, and Ananda Garces round out the ensemble with flashy performances as the cartoonish characters who emerge from Jo’s stories.
From my seat near the front of the house, I was well-placed to notice the subtle shifts in facial expressions many of these actors utilized to convey the complexity of their characters’ emotions, indicating an impressive level of control on their part. Director Alyssa Fantel certainly deserves some of the credit for calibrating the intensity of these performances, as does choreographer Michael Ellison for his additions to the show’s lively musical sequences.
A live onstage orchestra led by music director Caryl Fantel elevated the experience even further, and the fine work of the rest of the show’s production team played an essential part in creating the show’s vivid period setting. The universal themes of this sweet and sentimental musical should give it broad appeal to most audience members, but even theatregoers who might gravitate towards edgier shows should make it a point not to miss some of the remarkable performances at the play’s center. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of these Little Women turn out to be tomorrow’s stars.