‘Little Women: The Broadway Musical’ – Book by Allan Knee based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and Music by Jason Howland. Directed and Choreographed by Ilyse Robbins. Music Directed by Matthew Stern. Scenic Design by Shelley Barish. Lighting Design by Katie Whittemore. Costume Design by Gail Astrid Buckley. Sound Design by John Stone. Presented by the Greater Boston Stage Company, Stoneham through December 23rd.
Once again this holiday season, Greater Boston Stage Company director and choreographer Ilyse Robbins and music director Matt Stern bring families – on stage and in the audience – together with the shared experience of musical theater. While presenting a special holiday production has been a decades-long GBSC tradition, its offerings are not always “traditional” holiday shows.
Last year’s All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 was a musical retelling of the true but relatively unknown story of WWI soldiers who agreed to a cease fire, fraternized across enemy lines and celebrated as a multi-national brotherhood. Featuring familiar carols like ‘Stille Nacht’ (Silent Night in German) sung a cappella by an all-male cast, the show earned the 2022 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Production.
This year’s Little Women: The Broadway Musical, based on the widely known, semi-autobiographical novel by Louisa May Alcott, transports us to Concord, Massachusetts in the 1860s, where the March women struggle to make ends meet and navigate their life trajectories while the family patriarch is away serving in the American Civil War. The scenes that depict how a family poor with money but rich with imagination celebrates Christmas (they stage plays in their living room, they cut down a tree from their neighbors’ yard) reminded me of my childhood; the songs by Mindi Dickstein and Jason Howland – that amplify how family, hope, love, and kindness can carry us through dark times – are holiday messages I want to share with my children; and the gift tied in a big red bow that our heroine receives as reward for her hard work – gave me more big feels than other holiday shows combined.
Greater Boston Stage Company’s Little Women is emotionally moving and exquisitely performed, a testament to Robbins’ and Stern’s talents, love of collaboration, and strong casting choices – a combination of old favorites and newcomers. The 2.5 hour-long production in two acts includes a series of vignettes that recount the adventures of the 10 main characters. The titular characters are the four March sisters – from oldest to youngest: Meg (Sara Coombs), Jo (Liza Giangrande), Beth (Abriel Coleman), Amy (Katie Shults). Jo, the character based on Alcott’s life, is a feisty, intelligent, outspoken tomboy with aspirations to be a famous writer. The other March women are the sisters’ loving and selfless mother Marmee (Amy Barker); and their haughty Aunt March (Deanna Dunmyer).
Mr. March’s physical absence is a constant in this production; he only appears through letters, telegrams, and reminisces. Curmudgeonly neighbor Mr. Laurence (Robert Saoud) promised his good friend Mr. March that’d he check in on the family, but he only has the time and patience for occasional visits. His very affable grandson Laurie (Kenny Lee) and Laurie’s tutor John Brooke (Michael Jennings Mahoney) enjoy spending time at the Marsh household. The other male actor who plays a prominent role is Professor Bhaer (Kevin Patrick Martin), a scholar who Jo meets at a boardinghouse in NYC and offers (when asked) to critique her manuscripts.
Two of Jo’s pieces, her bloody and gory ‘An Operatic Tragedy’ (which in Bhaer’s opinion was not her best work), and ‘The Weekly Volcano Press’ (her first work accepted by a publisher) are performed at the top of each act. Though fancifully staged and well executed, I found the more intimate musical numbers that revealed the characters’ stories and emotions (and showcased the actor-singers’ talents) to be much more satisfying.
The duets ‘Off to Massachusetts’ (Beth and Mr. Laurence), ‘Some Things Are Meant to Be’ (Beth and Jo) and ‘Small Umbrella in the Rain’ (Jo and Professor Bhaer) were personal favorites. ‘Delighted’ (Marmee, Meg, Beth and Jo), and ‘Five Forever’ (Jo, Beth, Meg, Amy, Laurie) were also spirited and incorporated Robbins’ choreography, which I always enjoy seeing more of. In and of themselves, the songs (music and lyrics) in Little Women: The Broadway Musical were mostly unmemorable. How their pitch-perfect performances made me feel will last a long time. I highly recommend that you head “off to (Stoneham) Massachusetts” for this delightful holiday show. “You will have no regrets!” For tickets and information, go to: https://www.greaterbostonstage.org
