Review: The Hopeful Theatre Project tells a touching story of LITTLE WOMEN, November 1-10, 2024

 Little Women the Musical

Book by Allan Knee
Music by Jason Howland
Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein
Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott

Directed by Jessica Holt

Music Directed by Rachel Davies

Audience rating: G

Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (15-minute intermission)

Accessible Seating: Available

Hearing Devices: Not available

Sensory Friendly Showing: Not available

ASL Showing: Not available 

Sound Level: Comfortable

Noises or Visuals to Prepare for: depictions of sword fighting 

Reviewed by Stacey Calvert

I had the chance to see The Hopeful Theatre Project's enjoyable production of Little Women the Musical at MainStage 222 in Irving last Saturday night. Although the show didn't have a long run on Broadway when introduced in 2005, it's had a new life in regional and community theatre as a popular show choice. Based on Louisa May Alcott's familiar 1868 novel Little Women, the musical version introduces us to the March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) and their mother Marmee and gives us a snapshot of their difficult lives in Concord, Massachusetts in the midst of the Civil War. It features themes of the hardships of being a woman in a man’s world, the enduring love of family that transcends petty squabbles and disagreements, and the grief we feel about things changing as we grow up.

The show runs long (a little over two and a half hours, not including intermission), but even with lots of time for story development, the book by Allan Knee doesn't allow us much more than a brief glimpse of Jo's sisters, tending to focus more on the headstrong Jo March (Cammi Collins) pursuing her dreams of becoming a published writer. Older sister Meg, skillfully and charmingly played by Becca Miller, is a true romantic and more focused on finding a husband and becoming a mother. Sweet, shy Beth (Sabrina Daly) is the "better angel" of her sisters, especially Jo, and endures an illness that changes the trajectory of the family's life and provides the impetus for Jo to finally succeed as an author by giving her a true and impactful story to tell of the way sisterly bonds shaped her own life. The youngest sister, pretty and petulant Amy (Makenna Clark), is a bit obsessed with societal standing and her appearance and longs to be included in what the older girls are doing. Clark does a good job of letting us see Amy's bratty side but still making her likeable and multi-dimensional.

I've never thought the songs from the show are particularly memorable for the most part, but there were several real high points that showcased the talented singers in the cast, most notably Collins as Jo (who is strong throughout in a demanding role and brings down the house with "Astonishing" at the end of the first act). Ladonna Gaut lends her soulful, rich singing voice to Marmee's moving, intro songs "Here Alone" and "Days of Plenty." The romantic duet between Miller as Meg and her beau, John Brooke (Miles Johnson), as he leaves for war, was lovely. And Beth and Jo’ s duet "Some Things Are Meant to Be," in which Beth helps Jo accept a difficult truth, was genuinely touching and featured a cleverly-designed kite that actually flew.

Dio Garner plays a more serene, smiling version of Fritz Bhaer, the German professor and fellow boarding house resident Jo meets in New York, than I am used to seeing. Garner’s Bhaer made a good counterpoint to Collins’ fiery, stubborn Jo. Alfredo Tamayo's boyishly exuberant Laurie Laurence, the boy next door who becomes one of "Five for All Forever" with the March sisters, and his wealthy grandfather Mr. Laurence, played gruffly, then tenderly, by Dan Powderly, round out the main cast. 

Kathy Lemons as the pursed lipped, sharp-tongued society maven Aunt March was perfectly cast in her role and provided some fun and funny moments. Overall, Producer/Director Jessica Holt used a light touch, found moments of levity, and kept the action moving along during the scenes, which is important in an old-fashioned story that can become a bit maudlin and overly earnest if not handled deftly. And the fantasy scenes at the start of both acts in which the characters act out the "blood and guts" stories Jo wishes to sell to magazine publishers are fun and engaging.

Fans of the beloved novel will find much to like about Hopeful's production of Little Women the Musical. Runs through November 10

On With the Show!

Stacey