The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Theatre and Drama showcased ‘Little Women: The Broadway Musical’ mid-November, bringing the March sisters’ coming-of-age tale to life as they navigate love, grief and ambition.
Combining both Louisa May Alcott's classic novel and Allan Knee's book, the musical version of Little Women shares the story of the four March sisters — Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth — during the Civil War while their father is away.
Each sister’s distinct personality shines, but together, the March sisters discover the importance of unity and family. The UW-Madison production brought the characters to life and emphasized their dreams through humor and emotion.
Ava Childs — who played Jo March, the main protagonist — beautifully captured Jo's ambition and determination.
Miranda Faist played Amy March, the youngest March sister, who is always pouting and worries too much about beauty and wealth. Because Amy is so fixated on marriage, dresses and the latest ball, she epitomizes the perfect woman in the eyes of Aunt March.
A.J. Stoffels played Meg March, and Jennifer Duarte Castillo played Beth March. Meg is a romantic, while Beth is sweet and pours her heart into her piano. A pivotal scene in the play was when Meg returned from the ball in love with her neighbor Laurie's tutor, John Brooke. Despite having a sprained ankle, she lay on the couch, in awe, with the biggest smile, announcing, "I left as a girl and came home a woman."
While watching, I could not help but smile at her perfect evening. As a romantic, seeing Meg get her ideal evening, filled with dancing, was everything. To no surprise, her proposal later in the show was filled with emotion and love. With Brooke heading off to war, he asked her to wait for him. The crowd was left in awe as he announced that she made him a better man.
Castillo played a perfect Beth; her calm and sweet demeanor made the audience fall in love with her immediately. Her voice was angelic as she spent most of the time singing and playing the piano. A big scene in the play was when her softness caught grumpy Mr. Laurence off guard.
A scene that had me in tears was Beth’s death. The production did an incredible job at recreating Cape Cod; the scene was filled with kites and vibrant colors. Sitting in the sand, Beth confesses to Jo that she was not afraid to die because she had never made plans for the future. Hearing how Beth was so calm, even when she knew she was dying, made her death even sadder. The somber music as Jo held her in her arms, while telling her how brave she was, exactly like in the book. “The only hard part is leaving you,” Beth said.
The roles of Marmee and Laurie did not go unnoticed, especially not their voices. Their roles added emotion, especially when Marmee says," My little women," and sings of the struggles that come with raising four young women alone while missing her husband, who is fighting at war. She is the resilience the sisters need.
Staying true to the book, Laurie’s character is a breath of fresh air for the sisters. Witty and silly, Laurie spends the rest of the play bonding with the sisters — even joining in on their plays and getting inducted into the family, waiting for them to take a “chance on him.”
Laurie is in love with Jo, and one of my favorite scenes while watching the play is when Laurie proposes to Jo. This scene was crucial to me while watching, because it showed how Laurie was in love with the idea of Jo and her independence, yet did not respect that Jo did not want to marry. Because Jo had spent so much time expressing her lack of interest in marriage and society to her best friend Laurie, the expressions of disappointment on both of their faces made it even more of a betrayal to watch.
The musical provides a setting for the homey, nostalgic feeling of Little Women. It evokes the emotions of ambition and determination. Through expressive lighting and musical scenes and solos, the show highlighted key moments from the book that conveyed the sisters' joy, grief, and determination.
The production was warm and embraced the beauty of self-doubt and their coming-of-age journeys. The musical ends with Jo publishing her story, engaging with the professor, and the sisters each reminding the audience of the importance of sisterhood and of paving one's own journey.
