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When dress rehearsal was getting ready to begin,
Director Kim Peterson Quinn gave the students a pep talk. She said,
“know where you are, remember everything is about love and consider
why some characters are on the journey they are on.”
This musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic book Little
Women shares the story of the March family during the Civil War,
depicting the tight relationship between the sisters and their
mother throughout various adventures and struggles.
The four March sisters, which include the romantic Meg, aspiring
writer Jo, tenderhearted Beth and fun loving Amy, live in Concord,
Massachusetts with their Marmee while their father is fighting in
the war.
The opening scene finds Jo March living in a boarding
house in New York. She has just received her twenty second rejection
letter with all the publishers telling her she should go home. Jo
asks fellow boarder Professor Bhaer to read her story and share his
opinion on it. Unfortunately, the professor does not give her the
feedback she hopes for, saying he does not like the blood and guts
in the story. He thinks she could write a better story.
The next scene is a flashback to a couple of years before where Jo
has written an operatic tragedy that she wants her sisters to
perform, so she tells them what roles to play. Jo promises her
sisters one day she will be a successful writer and they will not be
so poor as she sings “Our Finest Dreams.”
When Marmee shows up, the sisters gather round so she
can read them the letter written by their father. As she tries to
write back, Marmee sings “Here Alone,” explaining how life is at the
March home without her husband there.
Neighbors Laurie (Theodore) Laurence and his grumpy
grandfather, Mr. Laurence, appear after Jo “borrows” a tree from
their property. She calms Mr. Laurence when she promises to plant
several more to replace it.
We meet Aunt March when Jo is helping her out.
Singing “Could You,” Aunt March promises to take Jo to Europe if Jo
changes her ways and becomes more ladylike.
At a ball a few years later, the romantic Meg meets John Brooke, her
future husband.
That same night, Amy, who is jealous that she cannot attend the
ball, burns Jo’s manuscript, which causes major conflict between Jo
and Amy.
Sometime later, Laurie invites Jo to a skating race.
When Amy wants to go skating, Beth offers Amy her old skates.
Beth is content to stay inside and play the out of tune piano. When
Mr. Laurence comes in looking for his grandson and hears her
playing. The music softens his heart and together they play “Off to
Massachusetts” As he leaves, he invites Beth to come play his piano
anytime.
While skating, Amy ends up falling through the ice and being carried
inside by Laurie. Jo and Amy make up after this near tragedy. They
make Laurie an honorary family member and all sing “Five Forever.”
As Act one draws to a close, Marmee is heading to Washington to be
with her ill husband. Jo cuts her hair to help provide funds for the
trip, which upsets Aunt March. They argue and Aunt March decides not
to take Jo to Europe. Instead, she takes Amy, who she feels can
become a society lady.
Around this time, Mr. Brooke comes to tell Meg he has
enlisted in the army and proposed to her singing “More Than I am.”
Act Two opens in New York in 1886 after the war has ended. In the
first scene, Jo comes in with the news she has sold to “operatic
tragedy” after making it better like Professor Bhaer suggested.
Jo’s exciting news is dimmed by the news that her sister Beth is
gravely ill. She returns home to help her sister and mother, but
they eventually lose Beth.
By the end of the story there are many other changes, with Meg
marrying and becoming a mother, Jo becoming a published writer and
Amy marrying Laurie. Professor Bhaer appears on Amy’s wedding day
declaring his love for Jo.
Come see the tragedies and triumphs of the March family set to music
to see how it all plays out.
The cast and crew
“Little Women the Musical” is music teacher Kim Peterson Quinn’s
last production at the school as she will be retiring at the end of
May after 30 years of teaching. Peterson Quinn said she has a
handful of talented junior girls and feels this musical displays
their talents.
Some of the cast members are familiar faces who have performed in
LCHS productions the last couple of years.
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Since these cast members have
acted together previously, the students playing the March family
are already a tight knit group. Acting like they are family
comes easily to them.
Kristina Morrow, who plays oldest sister Meg March said, “Some
may not know this, but the wonderful ladies I get to be on stage
with as sisters and daughter, I have known since at least
freshman year.” Even off the stage, Morrow said, “we act like a
family as we plan, laugh, and bicker with one another in class
or other activities. Going into the audition and especially now,
we already have that organic chemistry to our group, [so] the
story we tell becomes a remix of our own as we have all felt the
emotions of anger, joy, and sadness that the March family have.”
Lacy Buss plays Marmee, the matriarch of the March
clan and also noted the close relationship of the group. Buss said,
“Charlie McFadden, Jo in the show, and I have been friends since we
were very young (6 and 7 years old), so having that relationship in
the show has been really fun and has come pretty easily. As for the
rest of my daughters in the show, they and Charlie have been my main
friend group for a couple of years now and this show has been such a
good experience for us.” She said, “I’ll be very sad to graduate and
leave them.”
Buss also said, “It’s sad that this is PQ’s last one, but I know
she’ll continue to support us and help us with anything we may need.
That’s one of my favorite things about her. I was very shy and
rarely said anything my freshman year, but she saw something in me
that I couldn’t, and here I am today! I truly wouldn’t be who I am
today if she hadn’t put that little bit of pressure on me to
audition for my first show.”
The other members of the March family are Beth, played by Presley
Coale; Amy, played by Emma Adams; and Jo, played by Charlie
McFadden. These three starred in last year’s production of “Annie”
with Coale playing orphan Annie, Adams playing the wealthy Olivia
Warbucks and McFadden playing wicked orphanage director Mrs.
Hannigan.
Aunt March, played by another stage veteran Gray Tolliver, is the
family’s grumpy aunt. Tolliver said Aunt March’s grumpiness can
probably be attributed to losing her husband, having a nephew
fighting in the war and having to care for her great nieces.
Wyatt Ulvestad plays close family friend Laurie
(Theodore) Laurence, who eventually marries Amy March. Ulvestad
played FDR in last year’s Annie, and said while he enjoyed playing
FDR, he really enjoys playing Laurie because it is fun and easy for
him to get into character.
Rounding out the cast are individuals who play neighbors and friends
of the family.
This show is the 30th production Peterson-Quinn has been involved
with in one aspect or another. Before directing, she worked with
vocals and choreography.
“Little Women the Musical” is the eighth production Peterson-Quinn
has directed at LCHS. Previous productions include “Little Shop of
Horrors,” “Charlie Brown,” “The Music Man,” “Seussical the Musical,”
“Peter Pan,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Sound of Music” and
“Annie.”
Peterson-Quinn is also a veteran of the stage having played Doo Wop
in “Little Shop of Horrors,” Abigail Adams in “1776,” a housewife in
“Working,” Captain Hook in “Peter Pan” and the queen in “Once Upon A
Mattress.” Last summer, she performed in the LCT production “Nunsense.”
On the production team assisting Peterson Quinn are Vocal Director
Tim Searby, Accompanist Julie Kasa and Pit Orchestra Director Nigel
Range and sound technician Devin Vannoy all of whom have many years
of experience in these areas.
Other members of the production team are costume stitcher Kristen
Green and stage managers Emery Kitterman and Maelee Cunningham.
Chuck McFadden and Tom Steiner did the set construction. Costumes
were provided by McAuley High School and Grand Ball Costumes.
Projections were provided by Rick Frendt, Inc. The programs were
prepared by Janet Cameron and her computer applications class.
The tech/stage crew includes Cadin Frawley, Kami Battin, Aubrey
Lichtenwalter, Rory Snyder, Charlie Saffer, Asher Jackson, Arielle
Rempe and Alaina Bauer.
Cast
• Emma Adams
as Amy March
• Charlie McFadden
as Jo March
• Presley Coale
as Beth March
• Kristina Morrow
as Meg March
• Lacy Buss
as Marmee March
• Gray Tolliver
as Aunt March
• Summer Barone
as Rodrigo II and Mrs. Kirk
• Ruby Thomas
as Clarissa
• Seraphim Ostrander and Kenzie Plummer
as Hag(witch) Trolls
• Nick O’Laughlin
as Mr. John Brooke
• Logan Pumfrey
as Professor Bhaer
• Wyatt Ulvestad
as Laurie (Theodore) Laurence
• Grant Eales
as Rodrigo/Knight
• Zack Eckhardt
as Mr. Laurence/Braxton
Pit Orchestra
• Benson Zollinger-trombone
• Rosalind Sanchez-clarinet
• Caleb Roady-percussion
• Rich Stuemke-trumpet
• Becky Kunken-violin
• David Helm-Bass
Come out and see these talented individuals at one of the
performances in the LCHS auditorium Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at
7:00 p.m. or Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door
and are $8 for children under 18 and senior citizens and $10 for
general public.
[Angela Reiners] |
