By Keolanani Kinghorn
In Layton, On Pitch Performing Arts is performing a version of Little Women that should be seen by any fan of this classic 1868 tale by Louisa May Alcott. I am a big fan of the novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. When the 2019 film adaptation of Little Women, featuring Meryl Streep, Emma Watson, and Florence Pugh was released, my love was reignited, and I started listening to the original Broadway recording of the 1999 musical Little Women with the book by Allen Lee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and music by Jason Howland, which was made popular by star Sutton Foster. These three adaptations differ slightly in the plot, but they are all very similar. If you are a fan of any of them, you should definitely check out On Pitch Performing Art’s production, directed by Marinda Maxfield.
The musical, is semi-autobiographical in nature and tells the story of the four March sisters—Meg (Breanne Sanders/Anne Graff-Rice), Jo (Sydney McAlister/Heather Ann Jackson), Beth (Bailey Porter/Mira Jorgensen), and Amy (Aspen Larkin/Macy McCormack)— as they grow up in Civil War-era Massachusetts while their father away at war. Jo longs to be a published writer and travel the world, but everyone has opinions about what Jo’s life should look like and who she should be, and writing is not in that picture. Thankfully, Jo is not afraid to write her own story and pursue the unknown.
This show reminded me in some ways, of the 2019 movie, while still having the music I adore. Both embrace a more youthful cast than previous versions. In this staging, the March sisters and Laurie (Tyler Neil/William Whitby) depict the youthful characters that Alcott wrote them to be: 12, 14, 15, and 17. Often, we see actors and actresses cast that are so mature in both voice and physicality, but I loved the innocent charm that this cast portrayed while still knocking out powerful vocals. The opening number, “An Operatic Tragedy,” made me nostalgic as I remembered my own days of playing “dress up” with my sister.
Jo is driven by adventure and passion and there is no one, not even Aunt March (Anne Jones/Nikkala McFarland), who can convince her to do something that she does not want to do. When I heard McAlister sing “Astonishing,” Jo’s big belting number that ends the first half of the play, I was the one who was astonished because this song is one of the hardest numbers of its type that I know of, and it comes right after an extremely emotional scene in the play. McAlister takes it all in stride and delivered it as good as I have ever heard it. Despite Aunt March’s best efforts to marry her off, Jo sets off on an adventure to New York determined to write and makes new friends including Mrs. Kirke (Amber Hills) and Professor Bhaer (Landon Weeks/Sawyer Balinski), German language instructor. Professor Bhaer has never met anyone like Jo before; she is blunt, calling him “old” and sometime rash but he can’t deny her intellect and charm. They had good chemistry, and a playful interaction.
Neil’s Laurie is similarly genuine and talented, and instantly smitten with Jo when he meets her. His reactions to Jo perfectly encapsulate the exuberance of first love.
Larkin expresses the immaturity of childhood well. As Jo says after Amy maliciously burns her writing, “She’s not just a child, She’s a demon in a child’s body.” But Amy grows and cultivates her talents, showing us the wonders that time and maturity can bring.
Meg, played by Sanders, is the eldest sister and the first to leave the nest and her tight group of sisters when she falls in love and marries Laurie’s tutor, Mr. John Brooke (Tyler Ferris/Josh Rice). They share a lovely duet in the first act, “More Than I Am,” where the two become engaged.
Bailey Porter as Beth is the heart of the family and Jo’s best friend. One of my favorite moments in the play is Jo and Beth’s duet at the beach: “Some Things are Meant to Be.” It is an emotional and beautiful moment when I found hard to hold back the tears. Only someone like Beth could melt Mr. Laurence’s (Chris Larsen/Samuel Howe) heart; their relationship is heart-warming to watch-unfold and their duet on the piano is one of my favorite moments of the play. A quote from Alcott’s original novel perfectly describes Beth: “There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”
Marmee (Laura Crossett/Amanda Larsen) is the mother of the March sisters and the head of the household while their father is away at war. When Jo falls apart and needs guidance, it is Marmee who picks up the pieces and helps her find purpose again. Crossett shows the strength of Marmee and her kindness. When Crossett sang her solo to Jo, “Days of Plenty,” I ugly cried, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. It was beautiful!
The set is simple but effective, also designed by Maxfield. On Pitch Performing Arts is a smaller theater that seats around a hundred patrons in the round, but the cast does a great job angling scenes in a way so that every member of the audience gets to see members of the cast at interesting angles, with the help of the lighting design by Darren Maxfield. The floor is beautifully painted to look like a wood floor by Jill Howell. One huge asset of this small stage is the immersive feeling that it creates: the audience feels they are almost part of the show and experience the show up close. Choreography can get tricky in this smaller space, but Suzette Dutson made it look easy. The theater also has a huge LED screen that they utilize for each scene as a backdrop, and it adds so much to every scene. Some of my favorite backdrops were a painting of the beach and the attic where Jo writes. There is one particular scene at the end when Jo finds her inspiration to write her book about her sisters and the LED screen attic window uncovers to let in rays of light; it was magical. Sound Design by Josh Rice complemented the Music Direction by Dan Tate. The costumes by Kennedy Miller are vibrant and beautiful. Every character had several outfits that showed their distinct personality. When Aunt March entered with her opulent gown, her exceeding wealth was obvious, as was Mr. Laurence’s by his suit. All of this production is stage managed by Grace Christensen and aided by Taylier Jacobs, the Run Crew.
This is a touching and emotional show with highs and lows in large supply that you will definitely want to bring tissues, too.
On Pitch Performing Arts Presents Little Women; Book by Allan Knee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, music by Jason Howland, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott.
On Pitch Performing Arts, 587 N. Main St., Layton, UT 84041
Tickets: $18
Contact: 385-209-1557
www.onpitchperformingarts.com
Wonderful! We enjoyed every minute! Great cast!