The Catholic University to Bring Strength and Sisterhood to the Stage in LITTLE WOMEN

A classic story about the bonds of sisterhood will come alive with music and imagination this spring, as the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music presents Little Women: The Broadway Musical, to be performed in The Catholic University of America's Ward Recital Hall Feb. 17 through 26.

Little Women, which premiered on Broadway in 2005 with a book by Allan Knee, music by Jason Howland, and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, is based on Louisa May Alcott's classic 1869 semi-autobiographical novel. It tells the story of four sisters in the March family - brassy Jo, romantic Meg, pretentious Amy, and kind-hearted Beth - and their beloved Marmee, at home in Concord, Mass., while their family patriarch is away serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War.

The musical features vignettes of family life as well as imaginative recreations of the melodramatic short stories Jo writes in her attic studio. Featuring set design by J.D. Madsen, and accompanied by undergraduate and graduate members of the CUA Symphony Orchestra, this musical is a story of family and the love that binds them together against all odds.

Performances of Little Women will take place in Ward Recital Hall Feb. 17, 18, 24, and 25, at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. in Ward Recital Hall. Tickets are $20 for general admission; $10 for seniors and CUA alumni/faculty/staff; and $5 for students and those under 18.

The Catholic University of America is the national university of the Catholic Church and the only higher education institution founded by the U.S. bishops. Established in 1887 as a papally chartered graduate and research center, the University comprises 12 schools and 22 research facilities and is home to 3,480 undergraduate and 3,041 graduate students. Need an expert? The University Experts Guide features faculty from more than 100 disciplines.