Review: LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL at Players Circle Theater

I’m betting that the vast majority of female writers who read Little Women as girls wanted to grow up to be Jo March. I know I did.

Now, I’ve had the opportunity of seeing and hearing Jo and her siblings in the flesh in Players Circle Theater’s production of Little Women: The Musical.

The four women cast as the March sisters could not be more perfect. Kimberly Suskind is a gutsy Jo and carries the show on her capable shoulders. Rachel Querreveld projects calmness and dignity as Meg. Lexie Rae Smith as Beth is sweet without being saccharine. And Amy as portrayed by Emily Ahrens is a complete hoot.

While the show has lots of funny moments, I found myself moved to tears more than once. Early in the show, Marmee, played by Paulette Oliva, has a touching solo expressing her loneliness at trying to raise her four girls alone while her husband is at war.

I won’t give a spoiler in the unlikely chance anyone has not read the book, but Beth and Jo’s duet in the Second Act is heart-wrenching.

I especially enjoyed Suskind’s solo at the end of the First Act, a sort of anthem toward women’s independence, a Civil War era version of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” Some things haven’t changed.

The set of this show is complex and ingenious. Multiple doors slide open on two levels to reveal props and furniture to represent various locations. Nice work, Set Designer Steven McLean, and the stage crew that kept it all running smoothly.

If you loved the book, you must see this production of Little Women: The Musical at Players Circle. No excuses. The show runs through Feb. 1. For tickets, call 239.800.3292.