Little Women at HCT

Last night I went to see the musical Little Women at HCT and I loved it so much! The March sisters, Jo (Scout Smith), Meg (Kat Hawley Cook), Beth (Julia Bradford), and Amy (Olivia Shelton), come of age in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the Civil War. We first meet Jo when she is in New York City pursuing her dream of becoming a writer.  When Professor Bhaer (Landon Horton), 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" (Claire Kenny), her neighbor Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence (Weston Wright), his grandfather Mr. Lawrence (Mark Knowles), and her Aunt March (Jen Kroff). My favorite character from the novel by Louisa May Alcott has always been Jo because she is so fiery and independent and Smith perfectly embodies these qualities, especially in the scene where she rejects Laurie's proposal and in the scene where Aunt March tells she won't be going to Europe with her. She has a beautiful voice and she is incredibly powerful in "Astonishing" and "The Fire Within Me" and her emotional version of "Some Things Are Meant to Be" with Bradford had me in tears. However, I think my favorite moment came during "The Weekly Volcano Press" when she reads one of her sensational stories to Professor Bhaer as it is acted out by all of the other characters because she mouths the dialogue and pantomimes the action in a hilariously over the top performance. There are a lot of other memorable moments from the rest of the cast as well, including a heartfelt performance of "Here Alone" from Kenny, a moment of vulnerability from Knowles during "Off to Massachusetts," and a delightful version of "Take a Chance On Me" from Wright who is as irrepressible as a puppy (the girls sitting near me were very taken with him and eagerly read his bio aloud during intermission). The set, which rotates on a turntable to reveal the parlor in the March home on one side and the attic and various locations on the other side, is lovely and the staircases connecting the two areas are used in very innovative ways, particularly in the choreography for "Five Forever." I also really loved the projections of Jo's writing and Amy's paintings (watch the pages located on the proscenium arch very carefully before the show). Finally, the costumes are absolutely exquisite with beautifully embellished fabrics. My favorite is the dress Jo wears to Sallie Moffat's ball because it features gorgeous appliqued flowers (and a scorch mark in the back). I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful production and I am sure that fans of the classic novel will love it as much as I did. It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through May 3 and tickets may be purchased here but, as always, act quickly because many shows are sold out.