Review: LITTLE WOMEN THE MUSICAL at The Royal Theatre

The classic novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is a favorite amongst our household, so we were excited when we heard LITTLE WOMEN THE MUSICAL was going to be at The Royal Theatre, 111 S Market St., in Benton, August 3-13, 2023. I am confident in reporting that there were tears shed, not only from me but from many audience members the night we attended the show. There was so much to this production, and I will get to that shortly. 

With Book by Allan Knee, Music by Jason Howland, and Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, the musical basically follows the storyline of the book. The girls Jo (Hannah Blacklaw), Meg (Kinsey Potts), Amy (Madison Cavanaugh), and Beth (AnnaMarie Cobb) March help out Marmee (Candice Aipperspach) while their father is away as Chaplain for the Army. As the story bounces back and forth from older New York Jo and younger Massachusetts Jo, you find out that Jo is an aspiring writer who loves to tell stories of adventure, love and death, and the girls enjoy being in their sister’s plays. When Jo cuts down Mr. Laurence’s (Greg Blacklaw) tree, Jo has to rectify the deed, but does gain Laurie Laurence (Brazos Brooks) as a “brother” to the girls. Laurie is often accompanied by his tutor John Brooke (Adam Wheat) who falls in love with Meg. When Marmee has to go to father when he is sick, Amy has to go stay with Aunt March (Ashley Merrill), who was planning on taking Jo to Europe, but ended up taking Amy instead. Fast forward to New York Jo, and she is frustrated that she keeps getting turned down by publishers. Living in a boarding house, she meets Professor Bhaer (J. Kirt Thomas) and forms an odd friendship that turns into romance later in the musical. Their lives play out, some sadness, some happy, but they all end up appreciating being together in the end.  

This was a powerful production. First, I will address the obvious--the singing was amazing. The musical talent with this cast was undeniable. Director/Choreographer Matthew Burns and Music Director Dr. Maggie Garrett put together a powerhouse group of performers that really moved the whole theatre.  

Candace Aipperspach as Marmee had a couple of big emotional songs that really spotlighted her ability to convey deep feelings through strength and control. You really felt her plight when she was lamenting about being “Here Alone.”  

One of my favorite duets came from AnnaMarie Cobb as Beth and Greg Blacklaw as Mr. Laurence. “Off to Massachusetts” was simple, yet very touching. It showed Mr. Laurence going from a grumpy old man to showing he had a softer side. I even liked that it was played on an older sounding piano.   

I was already a J. Kirt Thomas fan from a previous musical, and his portrayal of Professor Bhaer just added my starry heart eyes to my collection for him. His song “How I Am” was surprising, and so much fun. Thomas does really well with various accents and is a fabulous character actor. I can’t wait to see what he does next.  

The sisters as a whole really are the show. I loved how Hannah Blacklaw brought so much passion to Jo. I loved her interactions with Ashley Merrill’s aristocratic Aunt March, and her confusion song “Astonishing,” when Laurie proposed to her. Cobb’s Beth was gentile and graceful, even during her death; Potts embraces the conventional aspects of Meg; and Madison Cavanaugh made Amy bratty, yet able to be refined. She and Brazos Brooks Laurie fit well together. 

It was the group numbers that were the most fun though. “An Operatic Tragedy,” “Our Finest Dreams,” and “Five Forever” had great energy and captivated the audience through the storytelling of the songs.  

Some deeper moments came from the lights and set. Each color represented each person, and when Beth died, they took her window away. All of those extra touches enhanced the storytelling and helped the audience to connect to the musical even more.  

Broadway World realizes it takes a small army to put together a musical of this caliber. Production/Creative crew consisted of: Producers-Susie Goldman and Matthew Burns; Director-Matthew Burns; Music Director-Dr. Maggie Garrett; Choreographer-Matthew Burns; Stage Manager-Michelle Anderson; Scenic/Lighting Design-Matthew Burns; Costume Design-Hannah Blacklaw; Set Construction-Greg Blacklaw and Gentry Griffis; Sound-Mark Garrett; and Lighting Technician-Frankie Goldman.  

Up next is PETER AND THE STARCATCHER with the Young Players. Get your tickets at theroyaltheatre.org. 

Photo Credit: Thank you to Matthew Burns for the use of the wonderful pictures!  

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