Review: LITTLE WOMEN THE MUSICAL at University Of Central Arkansas Theatre in Conway
Christina Munoz reviews UCAs spring musical
Central Arkansas is blessed with so many talented people (musicians, actors, directors, educators, etc.), and I am thrilled to be able to call them my friends. There are so many great shows in the spring, and unfortunately I can't go see them all, even when I squeeze in dress rehearsals. So, thankfully, I have people willing to step up and help. My dear friends Christina Munoz Madsen (Arkansas media royalty and choreographer extraordinaire) and daughter Reagan graciously agreed to write the LITTLE WOMEN: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL review at University of Central Arkansas, which ran from April 10-19th.
*Article by Christina Munoz Madsen and Raegan *Photos by Pablo Mena
I’ve seen several productions produced by UCA Theatre so I was familiar with their level of talent and presentation, but even I wasn’t expecting to be so moved by this show. Little Women: The Broadway Musical is now at the top of my list when it comes to shows produced by the University of Central Arkansas.
Based on the timeless story by Louisa May Alcott, the musical (book by Allan Knee, music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein) follows the journeys of the March sisters—Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy—as they navigate love, loss, and personal ambition during the Civil War era. This was my first time to see the musical version although I was very familiar with the movie versions of Little Women. Oftentimes, well-known big-screen scripts can be difficult to adapt to the stage because many of your audience members have preconceived notions of how the story should be presented or how certain characters should look and if I’m honest, I admit I had some of those perceptions going into this experience. But from the first moments of the show, I was so pulled in by the quality of this performance that it almost seemed as if I had never seen this story before.
As we walked into the James M. Bridges Blackbox Theatre, I was already impressed. And I must mention that the theatre is inside the beautiful Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts which in and of itself is an impressive space. The stadium-style seating with a thrust stage configuration included a set with a large floor-level stage space and a second level platform covered with a thin curtain inside a large wooden frame. Scenic designer Andre de Castro and Production Manager and Technical Director Austin Aschbrenner (with assistance from Alli WIldman) did a wonderful job of transporting us back to the Civil War-era before the show even began.
As the show begins, the next impressive element that helps transport the audience to a different time is the costumes, designed by Holly Payne with assistance from Echo Mitchell. It’s never easy to create a consistent look from so long ago (1860s) but the presentation of costumes was not only timely but so well done and professional looking. On a personal note, I am a huge fan of hairdos also matching the time period and it seemed that every actor had hair that matched both their character and the time period, whether that be their own hair or a wig. Staying with the technical elements, the props (by Nancy Miller), the sound (by Austin Aschbrenner with assistance by John Thomas) and the lighting (by Jackson Ray with assistance by Kiley Viveiros) were all on point. I thoroughly enjoyed how the lighting would really match the movement of the characters, like when they stepped down off the platform the lighting would follow very smoothly without any hiccups or darkness on the actor.
When we first see Jo March, she’s reenacting one of her own writings with great energy and some comedic elements. The role of Jo was played by Leah Fimple and in full disclosure, Leah was a dance student of mine for many years. Although I knew Leah and was familiar with her talent, I was still so blown away by her performance in this show. Granted I hadn’t seen her perform in several years, so I knew there’d be growth and maturity added to her acting skills, but what she offered on that stage was more than I ever could have hoped for. She managed to portray both strength and vulnerability, capturing the character’s fierce independence and creative spirit. Not to mention her vocal ability guided by music director, Martin Gallegos, which was on pitch, emotion-filled and so beautiful… especially the well-known “Astonishing” which is not an easy song to sing. I could not be more proud of Leah.
The March sisters were so well cast and performed so eloquently under the direction of Lauren Carlton with assistance by Keiren Minter. Each of the sisters was given space to shine, creating a strong sense of ensemble while at the same time creating a genuine family connection. Meg, played by Ashleigh Mathews, offered up a maternal and stoic vibe as the eldest sister and fit her role perfectly. On the other end of the spectrum, the youngest sister Amy, played by Kylie Andrews, did a wonderful job portraying an almost spoiled child who develops into a sophisticated and pragmatic woman right before your eyes within the length of the show. And then there’s Beth, played by Chihiro Nakazaki, who is more reserved and shy but gets credit for the most emotional moment of the show. Unlike a movie, which can show close ups of tears and sad faces, Chihiro was still able to evoke extreme emotion and a few tears from me when she sang her final song leading to her death.
The matriarch of the family, Marmee, was played by Echo Mitchell who offered up a character that was full of grace and years of wisdom. I find that so impressive when I know the actor is playing a role well beyond her actual years, but her depth of character really made her believable as a mother who had clearly been through a lot in life. One of my favorite roles is always Laurie and Talon Dean did not disappoint. He captured the charm and free spirit that is essential for this role but also carried depth and maturity as we saw Laurie grow up. And while this show is typically known for all its strong women, I have to commend all the male characters, most notably Mr. Laurence and Professor Bhaer (played by Alex Satanov and Shawn Metz respectively) who did a lovely job of portraying their roles in a manner that stayed true to the script while giving them their own personalized touch.
One of the elements that I love about UCA shows is the student involvement and although I’m not naming every student, I wanted to shout them out. Always such a cool, hands-on learning experience for our next generation.
Overall, UCA Theater delivered a moving and polished production that highlighted the strength of its performers and the long-lasting power of this story. I am grateful for the emotional theatrical experience that felt both timeless and deeply personal. Well done!
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