UVU’s “Little Women” is a heartwarmingly sweet take on the classic musical. The tale is about Jo March and her sisters’ lives as they navigate Concord, MA in the 1860s. With loud and spectacular musical numbers at every turn, this show is sure to make viewers cry and smile. Starting with the roaring song “Operatic Tragedy,” this show does not pull any punches, immediately throwing viewers into the fray.
Jo is a writer who dreams of being an accomplished novelist, Meg is desperately in love with her neighbor Laurie’s tutor John Brooke, Amy wishes to be among the rich elite and Beth holds the family together. With such iconic characters this show needs a stellar cast. Luckily, the actors were up to the challenge and brought the sisters to life; with performances which made audiences cackle and grin they highlighted the special bond these sisters have with each other.
Paola Molina Guzmán brought the fire Jo needed, performing as a passionate yet confused Jo. A highlight was when she sang “The Weekly Volcano Press.” She brought a beautiful and clean tone which perfectly led the audience into the story.
Sophie Mercer Bigler was a devilishly witty Amy. She made the audience hate her yet crack up at her witty retorts to Jo. Jenna Bagley (Meg/Clarissa) and Brock Sorenson (Mr. Brooke/Braxton) had adorable chemistry. The audience was grinning cheek to cheek as they watched the spark they had for each other burn bright. Finally, Mariah Grace Bowman played a sorrowful and tender Beth. She softly and sweetly sang the iconic song “Some Things Are Meant to Be,” bringing the audience to tears.
The clear focus with the director’s concept was on the sisters as Jo’s inspiration, with less of a focus on the romance. Each of the sisters had a phantom-like version of them which was played by another actor. This phantom sister was seemingly meant to represent the characters Jo created through her sisters.
However, the phantoms seemed to inconsistently come on and off stage when the characters they represented did. The new phantom ensemble unfortunately did not add much beyond the tribute they gave to Jo’s writing. While they were an interesting addition, they were also a generally confusing addition to the show.
The scenic design of the show was clearly inspired by the real house of Louisa May Alcott, which helped to show the meager but livable lifestyle the March sisters had. And the lighting design was very restrained. It was very careful and barely used spotlights and darkness; when they were used, it helped to highlight the importance of those scenes. “Little Women” ran from April 4-12 as the final show of the UVU theatrical season. However, the upcoming short attention span theater is sure to be a blast; it will run from April 17-18.
