Tracie Bennett, Barry James, and Liam Tamne Join JO - THE LITTLE WOMEN MUSICAL in Concert

More star casting has been announced for the world premiere semi-staged concert of Jo - The Little Women Musical in Concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Sunday January 25, 2026. The cast will now include Tracie Bennett, Barry James, and Liam Tamne.

Tracie Bennett (the world premiere of Stephen Sondheim's final musical Here We Are at the Shed Theatre, Broadway/National Theatre - The Standard Theatre Award nominee Best Musical Performance; Carlotta in The National Theatre production of Follies, Alice in Hangmen on Broadway and Mame in Mame at Hope Mill Theatre) will step into the role of Aunt March.

Tracie received two Olivier Awards for Best Supporting Role in a Musical for her performances in the musicals She Loves Me and Hairspray with additional nominations for her work in High Society and Follies. She was also nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical as Mrs Henderson in Mrs Henderson Presents, while her performance as Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow earned her an Ivey Award, and both an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Play and a Tony Award nomination in the same category when the production transferred to  Broadway.  She won WhatsonStage Awards for both La Cage aux Folles and Hairspray. She is also well known for playing the role of Sharon Gaskell in the TV soap Coronation Street from 1982 to 1984, returning to the role in 1999 and again in 2021.

Barry James (West End roles include Ladislav Sipos in She Loves Me - Olivier nominated; Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd - Olivier nominated; Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Thénardierin Les Misérables, Cogsworth in Beauty & the Beast, Mr Bumble in Oliver!) will play Grandfather/Mr. Laurence.

Liam Tamne (Ramses in Prince of Egypt, Raoul in Phantom Of The Opera, Enjolras in Les Misérables, Fiyero in Wicked and most recently starring as fashion designer Alexander McQueen in House of McQueen, Off Broadway) will play John Brooke.

They join the previously announced GRAMMY Award nominee Christine Allado (Hamilton) as Jo March, Eleanor Grant (Avatar LIVE) as Beth March, Chris Mann (Phantom in 25 The Anniversary Tour of The Phantom of the Opera) as Professor Bhaer, West End star Kelly Mathieson (The Phantom of the Opera) as Meg March, Miyuki Miyagi (Beau the Musical) as Sallie Gardner, Julian Ovenden (from TVs Bridgerton and The Crown) as Father, TV star Sophie Pollono (the Showtime series, I Love That For You) as Amy March, Yazdan Qafouri (The Kite Runner) as Fred Vaughn, and Tobias Turley (Mamma Mia!) as Theodore ‘Laurie' Laurence.

Christine Ebersole has had to withdraw from the concert due to a scheduling problem.

Final casting will be announced in the coming weeks. Ensemble/chorus performers will be provided by Vocals Unlimited with Tom Pearce serving as Choirmaster.

Orchestral management is by Isobel Griffiths Ltd. General Managers are New Road Theatricals.

Musical Theatre Trivia: This exciting casting news reunites Tracie Bennett and Barry James for the first time since they starred together in the West End in She Loves Me in 1994 and Les Misérables in 2006.

The concert, featuring a 27-piece orchestra, follows the global release in May of a Studio Album released on Center Stage Records and recorded at London's iconic Abbey Road Studios, produced by five-time GRAMMY Award nominee and three-time Emmy winner Nigel Wright and Dan Redfeld. The album is available on all platforms including Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and Amazon Music and as a special 2-CD set available on Center Stage Records.

A Universal Story. A Cultural Moment. Jo - The Little Women Musical in Concert is a once-in-a-lifetime star-studded event that will bring Louisa May Alcott's classic story Little Women to life in a bold new musical adaptation with a sweeping, timeless score that will leave you spellbound.

At the heart of this iconic coming-of-age story is Jo March, the original literary heroine - a fiercely passionate young writer whose grief over losing her sister inspires a story that continues to resonate with audiences everywhere. This enchanting new musical is for anyone who has dreamed big, questioned their path, or yearned to share their story.
Jo - The Little Women Musical has music by Dan Redfeld, book and lyrics by Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej, and is directed and choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter (20 Broadway shows to her credit as a choreographer including Bad Cinderella and School of Rock).