Little Women – the Broadway musical; some difficulty bringing substance to Alcott’s family.
Book by Allan Knee, Music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. ASNY Productions. Directed b Jennifer Fontaine and Jacqueline Armstrongy
Louisa May Alcott’s semi-autobiographical novel, Little Women, tells the story of Jo March (Alcott’s alter ego) and her three sisters Meg, Beth and Amy. Originally published in 1868, the tale has been retold in numerous formats — as a silent film, more recent movie versions, a television series, a stage play and a musical.
The musical, which had a four-month run on Broadway in 2005, closing after 237 performances, intersperses the domestic lives of the March family with dramatizations of aspiring writer Jo’s melodramatic “blood and guts” stories.
While the musical, with book by Allan Knee, music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, touches on the main events and relationships of the novel, it can do little more than glide over the surface, given that it has to leave space for musical numbers and melodramatic moments. Of the 18 songs presented, only Off to Massachusetts is hummable enough to be remembered after the curtain closes. As for the melodramatic inserts, they are best forgotten.
The Ain’t Seen Noth’n Yet production makes a staunch effort to expand the view of the family by delivering projections of the sisters growing up and to give impressions of extra scenic backgrounds.
As directed by Jennifer Fontaine and Jacqueline Armstrong, the four sisters are well defined: Jo (Alison Boudreau) is determined and anxious to make her mark as a writer; Meg (a particularly pleasant performance from Jennifer Venning) is warm and ready for the expected path of love, marriage and building her own family; Beth (Sydney Maloney) is sweet and delicate; and Amy (Madeline Hunter) is suitably pouty and jealous of Jo.
At least three of the four are older than the sisters of Alcott’s novel, who were 12, 13, 15 and 16 at its beginning. (Neither is the youngest of the novel, the youngest on stage, which adds a layer of confusion, not to mention the physical condition of another.) The ages designated by Alcott make the reasons for some events more understandable. For instance, the older two (Meg and Jo) are of an age to attend a ball and the youngest (Amy) must be cared for by her aunt, when their mother leaves to nurse their father, a chaplain in the Civil War.
The strongest performance in the show comes from Nicole Milne as the girls’ mother, Marmee, who remains totally believable, loving and in character at all times, whether or not she is in the spotlight. The musical quality of her two solos, Here Alone and Days of Plenty is also outstanding.
As Jo’s two beaus, Andrew Galligan as Laurie and Scott Shepherd as Professor Bhaer, are well contrasted and most of the other cast members deliver the required one-note cameos with clarity.
However, the directors seem less sure about 19th-century etiquette. For example, in this period, it is highly unlikely that a young man would pick up his girlfriend and haul her on to his lap, even if she had just agreed to marry him. Similarly, although Jo just might hug her fiancé impetuously after learning that her novel is to be published, it is very unlikely that she would kiss him on the mouth or that they would walk off with their arms around each other. Public displays of affection would have been considered improper at the time. (Just ask Aunt March (Mary Ellen Vice) as she attempts to make first Jo, then Amy, fit for polite society.)
In general, while the ASNY production of Little Women offers some good performances, musical highlights and interesting effects, the strongest sense is that this long show goes on too long.
Little Women continues at the Centrepointe Studio to February 11.
Directors…………………………………….Jennifer Fontaine and Jacqueline Armstrong
Musical director…………………………….Jennifer Fontaine
Choreographer………………………………Jacqueline Armstrong
Set……………………………….Jennifer Fontaine, Jacqueline Armstrong, Jean Fontaine
Sound…………………………………………Marc Seguin
Lighting……………………………………… Don Douglas
Projections…………………………………….Hannah Grosskleg
Costumes………………………………………Ingrid Hunt
Pianist……………………….. ………………..Kellina Gehrels
Violinist………………………………………..Sophia Pan
Cast:
Marmee Nicole Milne
Jo March Abbey Flockton
Jo March Alison Boudreau
Meg March Jennifer Venning
Beth March Sydney Maloney
Amy March Madeline Hunter
Amy March alternate/ Ensemble Katherine Harb
Aunt March Mary Ellen Vice
Laurie/ Braxton Andrew Galligan
Professor Bhaer Scott Shepherd
John Brooke/ Rodrigo Andrew McDouggall
Mr. Laurence/ Monk Christopher Natuik
Mrs. Kirk/ Ensemble Alison Manning
Clarissa/ Ensemble Kathryn McLaren
Knight/ Ensemble/ Mr. Laurence Understudy Marc Lessard
Hag/ Ensemble/ Meg Understudy Sarah Algozino
Troll/ Ensemble Heather Watt
Hannah/ Ensemble/ Mrs. Kirk Understudy Carole Chow
Rodrigo 2/ Ensemble/ Troll Understudy Katie Shepherd
Ensemble/ Marmee Understudy Rachel Duchesneau
Ensemble/ Beth Understudy Maya Chow
Ensemble/ Aunt March Understudy Lili Roussakis
Ensemble/ Swing Clarissa and Hag Kaylee Ross
Ensemble/ Swing Rodrigo, Braxton and Knight Emmett Workman
Projections cast:
Mr March Chris Ralph
Young Meg Morgan Hunt
Young Jo Maya Merrick
Young Beth Emmelyn Merrick
Young Amy Macie Merrick