Reviewed by Louisa Polson
The musical rendition of the timeless classic once again proves how adaptable and ever-relevant Louisa May Alcott’s story of ‘Little Women’ remains. Originally published in the 1860’s, ‘Little Women’ explores the relationships between four adolescent women as they make their way into the world as adults. Navigating their identity as part of the March sister collective, while forming their own set of individual values.
Set in the later years of the American Civil War, it may be easy to assume that this is another dusty retelling of a century’s old tale. However, Alcott’s self awareness and ability to convey the poignant moments of sisterhood continues to tug at the heartstrings of audiences.
Never will I pass up an opportunity to attend a show at the Hayes Theatre. Despite the size of the stage being quite small, the quality of the theatre that is presented here is world class. Fervently demonstrating the strength of musical theatre within this country.
Produced by Joshua Robson Productions and directed by Amy Campbell, this musical adaptation of ‘Little Women’ is a tender, charming and playful two and half hour run. This is a wonderfully cast collective of talented performers with stunning vocals to boot across the board. While ‘Little Women’ stands strongly from the plot alone, each song was performed with such warmth and colour, it fully justified the strength of the musical adaptation.
The show's lead Shannen Alyce Quan, who plays fiery hearted writer Jo March is phenomenal. For many fans of ‘Little Women’, the character of Jo is so widely beloved. Representing the thoughts and feelings of so many women, as she stands up and pushes back against the unfair limits of society. Qwan was authentic and true to the tumultuous journey of her character, and stunned the audience with their remarkable vocal ability. Her truly ‘fearless’ rendition of “Astonishing” at the end of Act l was a standout moment.
Both Lawrence Hawkins (Laurie) and Tyran Stig (Professor Bhaer) are a slow burn, appearing infrequently at first, but truly dive into the moment when the plot moves in their direction. "Take a chance on me”, performed by Hawkins (Laurie) in act l was another memorable moment, where the beautiful vocal ability of the cast spearheaded the show. Qwan (Jo) and Vitoria Hronopoulos (Amy) were so convincing in their portrayal as sisters, diving into the push and pull dynamic of siblings. It was heartening to see the progression of their relationship develop throughout.
The set design was notable for its minimalistic approach. The stage is adorned with columns of rubber strands angelled vertically from the roof to the floor. Due to the varied scene locations within the story, this was a clever staging decision and prevented any clumsy or awkward set changes that would have been required with a traditionalist approach.The malleable staging was animated by the actors, utilising it to climb through and balance off, giving the audience just enough shape to conjure up their own setting.
Director Amy Campbell’s choreographic flare shines through with subtle balletic scene transitions that echo a soft feminine quality true to the beauty of play. This choice was a nice way to signature the piece without being too forward.
Lastly to note, the costuming within this musical was another lovely interpretation. Each character donned outfits that were reminiscent of a by-gone era, with a brightly coloured twist. Most notable on Emily Cascarino (Marmee) who is throughout dressed in an elegant and brightly coloured patchwork gown. The choice to contemporaise this aspect of the story, gave the production a fresh and playful feeling.
All in all ‘Little Women’ is a wonderful night out at the theatre, with a wonderful cast full of exceptional singers, all beautifully fulfilling their roles with great passion. A sense of young playfulness shone through as a strong theme, complimenting the youthful nature of the characters and their relationships with each other, themselves and their life in Concord. This spin helped to lighten up the classic tale, without detracting from the context of occurring events.

Image Credit: Grant Leslie