Review: LITTLE WOMEN at The Bridge Initiative

Although society may have tried to conceal them, bold and daring women have existed throughout history. Sisterhood and the realities of being a woman in the Civil War era are central themes in this musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel. The Bridge Initiative’s concert version of the musical is an exciting venture into those topics.

LITTLE WOMEN follows the story of the four March sisters. The outspoken protagonist, Jo (Katie Wright), is an aspiring author and the second-oldest sister. The other three sisters are Meg (Lauren Berman), the eldest, Beth (Dani Cleveland), who is sweet and timid, and Amy (Britney Montgomery), the youngest, who is very interested in society life. They are raised alone by their mother, whom the sisters call Marmee (Sarah Wiechman), as their father is away during the war. The musical encompasses many years of the girls’ lives. It begins in the middle of the story, with Jo already in New York City, unsuccessfully trying to find a publisher for her writing. She argues with Professor Bhaer (Seth Tucker), a German immigrant who lives in the same boarding house as Jo, about the quality of her story. Jo tells her story, and the actors who play her family and other characters bring it to life.  After this scene, the audience is taken back in time, which progresses in chronological order for the rest of the show. It is Christmas Eve when the sisters make a promise to remain exactly how they are. Shortly after this scene, Jo meets Laurie (Jose Antonio Guevara). Laurie is the grandson of the March family’s stern neighbor, Mr. Laurence (Justin Hosten). Laurie and Jo quickly become best friends. However, Laurie begins to foster romantic feelings that Jo does not return. Jo, being fiercely independent and set on her dreams, is opposed to marriage.  Her well-to-do society-obsessed aunt, Aunt March (Leah Klein), is horrified by this and Jo’s overall demeanor, and makes a deal with Jo that if she changes, she will take her to Europe.

 Time passes, and despite the promise the girls made, life has other plans. Meg falls in love with Laurie’s tutor, Mr. Brooke (Mauricio Perusquia), after meeting him at a ball. Amy ends up being the one who travels with Aunt March, and Jo moves to New York City. In an unfortunate turn of events, Beth’s scarlet fever forces Jo to return home, leaving Professor Bhaer in New York, missing her.

The characters and music in this performance were compelling. Wright’s performance as Jo was strong; her character's development from a stubborn girl to a woman who upheld her dreams in principle while respecting her sisters' will was very satisfying to watch. Her chemistry with Beth, the sister Jo is the closest to, was believable. Cleveland’s performance as Beth was perfect for the character, very demure with hints of hopeful sadness when the character becomes sick. Her relationship with Mr. Laurence highlights this. She can see past his cold exterior as the two bond over her piano playing. Hosten and Cleveland’s dynamic together is very sweet. As the two become closer, the layers of Mr. Laurence and his underlying kindness are slowly revealed. 

Montgomery’s performance of Amy was charming. Amy is very young at the start of the musical, but her character grows up throughout the performance into an adult. Montgomery did a nice job of showcasing that development through her performance, losing the bratty part of her character, but keeping the core, her desire for the finer things in life, of her character the same.  Her depiction of a little sister and Jo’s reaction to her antics makes for a solid portrayal of how explosive relationships between sisters can be.

The story within a story element of this production was very well done. The protagonist of Jo’s story, Clarissa, is played by the actor who plays Meg. The villain of her story, Sir Braxton, is played by Mr. Brooke. The actor who plays Amy plays a troll, and other characters get roles that cast a glimpse into Jo’s relationship with each person. This was a balanced mix of humor and sweetness. While seeing the youngest sister be the troll was quite funny, seeing Meg play the protagonist helped establish how Jo views her older sister as quite strong. When Clarissa and Sir Braxton are introduced, they have not yet played Meg and Mr. Brooke. Perusquia’s vocal performance as Sir Braxton and Mr. Brooke was incredible. From the first note he sang, there was so much power in his voice. Berman’s melodramatic performance of Clarissa was fun, perfectly fitting the blood and guts story Jo is trying to write at the beginning of the performance.

Despite the enjoyable music and well-written character, a flaw with the musical, though no fault of the actors or director, is the timing. As the musical spans many years and is a concert staging, there were no sets, costumes, or props to indicate the passage of time; it was difficult to fully understand the timeline. So, to get the most out of the production, a familiarity with the text may be beneficial. Although the passage of time is hard to gauge, making the exact plot hard to summarize, it does not affect the effectiveness of the characters or the overall enjoyment of the performance. Audience members who have not read the novel will be able to understand the plot completely, just not the exact specifics of the length of time between events. What makes this musical special is the relationships between its characters, which makes this a great pick for a concert performance. The concert staging especially aids in this closeness. Although not as polished as a final staged musical, there is an intimacy that theatre fanatics will love. Seeing actors performing with a script, or even what they are doing when their characters are not in a scene, is insightful to anyone who has a deep appreciation for the craft of acting.

LITTLE WOMEN is one of the most important pieces of American literature, and this musical is an entertaining new take on the classic story. Although the story is over 150 years old, it still feels relevant and inspirational for young women who want to achieve their dreams. While romantic love is present in the plot, a musical that highlights sisterhood is so important. The Bridge Initiative’s performance was a delightful evening

LITTLE WOMEN played at ASU Kerr February 8-9.

The Bridge Initiative-- https://bridgeinit.org 

Venue: ASU Kerr -- 6110 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85253

Photo Credit to Reg Madison