Little Women at West Valley Arts

Last night I went to see Little Women at the West Valley Performing Arts Center. I fell in love with this musical when I saw a production at HCT (on the same stage!) and I enjoyed this show just as much! The story, based on the beloved classic by Louisa May Alcott, shows the March sisters, Jo (Lindsea Garside), Meg (Madison McGuire), Beth (Ellie Hughes), and Amy (Mia Hansen), coming of age in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the Civil War. We first meet Jo when she is in New York pursuing her dream of becoming a writer.  However, when Professor Bhaer (Josh Egbert), another resident at her boardinghouse, tells her that she should write about what she knows rather than the sensational pieces she has been submitting to magazines, there are flashbacks to the trials and triumphs of her adolescence with her sisters and mother "Marmee" (Heidi Hunt), her neighbor Theodore "Laurie" Laurence (Ricky Dowse), his grandfather Mr. Laurence (Nick Cash), and her Aunt March (Wanda Copier). Jo encounters sorrow in the death of a sister, disappointment in love with Laurie, redemption as she writes a story she can be proud of, and, ultimately, love with Professor Bhaer. I have always loved the character Jo (I wanted to be her the first time I read the novel) because she is so fiery and independent and the beautiful music adds another layer to her story. I especially love the songs "Astonishing" and "The Fire Within Me." Garside has a beautiful voice and the emotion that she puts into these songs make them incredibly powerful. I also really appreciated her passion in the scene with Aunt March when she learns that she won't be going to Europe because you could really feel her frustration. A number that put a smile on my face was "The Weekly Volcano Press" where Jo reads one of her sensational stories to Professor Bhaer as it is acted out. I found myself watching Garside more than what was happening on stage because she mouths all of the words as they are sung and she is so hilariously over the top! There are quite a few poignant moments with wonderful performances from the rest of the cast as well, such as when Hunt (who is the swing) as Marmee laments that her husband is not with her to help her raise their daughters in "Here Alone," when Cash as Mr. Laurence allows a bit of vulnerability to show through his gruff persona in "Off to Massachusetts," and when Hughes as Beth confesses that she knows she will die in "Some Things Are Meant to Be." I had a tear in my eye during the latter number. The choreography, especially in "Five Forever," is a lot of fun and the minimalist set is very effective. I was a little bit disappointed with some of the costumes and wigs but this didn't detract from my enjoyment. This production is extremely well done with lovely performances and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  I would really love to see larger audiences for this theater because every show I have seen (as an usher and a patron) has been outstanding and the ticket price is very reasonable!