If your heart told you that you had to be a writer and tell your stories to the world, you might get discouraged when you receive your twenty-second rejection letter from a prospective publisher. But not if your name is Jo Marsh and you feel an obligation to share your tales of love, intrigue, violence and gore with your yet to be found readership.
You are cordially invited to enter the Victorian Age of Literature, courtesy of Louisa May Alcott and Center Stage Theatre of Shelton until Sunday, September 28.
The heartbreak and hope of the Civil War years will be displayed with laughter and tears by Jo Marsh, the writer of the family, who has been advised by her publishers to write about what she knows and to include the stories of her sisters Beth, Meg, and Amy to add realism and romance.
In "Little Women the Musical,” with book by Allen Knee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and music by Jason Howland, you will find a story based on Alcott’s 1868-69 semi-autobiographical two-volume novel. The play revolves around the traditional minded Meg (Katt Twohill), the hope-to-be-successful novelist Jo (Anna Giordano), the shy and retiring Beth (Joelle Cote) and the romantically inclined Amy (Quinlyn Kessler) and their home in Concord, Massassachusetts that includes their beloved mother Marmee and reflects the sad absence of their father who is serving as a chaplain in the Union Army.
Jo weaves vignettes about her melodramatic sisters into the musical telling of her publishing rejection letters, her original play “An Operatic Tragedy” she wishes to produce for Christmas joy, the difficulties Marnee (Casey Lynne Ortiz) has running the house in wartime, a proposed trip to Europe with Aunt March (Katelyn Botsford Tucker), romantic entanglements for neighbor Laurie (J.R. Resto) and his tutor Mr. Brooke (Daniel Schwartzberg) and Professor Bhaer (Kyle Attanasio) with March sisters, disagreeable situations with Mr. Laurence (Scott Sheldon), a skating race and a dance ball, Beth's tragic death and a new marriage proposal, all set to music.
Director Justin Zenchuk is responsible for this dramatic family production stuffed with dreams, love, kindness, hope and promise for the future, with Katie Ciurleo as music director, with Jacob Marcus ably assisting them both. Special kudos to Anna Giordano for being a magnificent warrior for her family, shining as bright as a new sun, always eager and ready to save the day.
With equal friction and foolishness and fondness, the sisters exhibit a whole plethora of emotions as they grow up in a difficult time for our country, without a father near at hand and with a mother unsure of how to react to the problems of the day, all on a unique and creative set by Scott Sheldon, Melanie Byron, Courtney Chapman and Bob Dellacorte.
For tickets ($20-39), call Center Stage Theatre, 54 Grove Street, Shelton at 203-225-6079 or online at boxoffice@centerstageshelton.org. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Come enjoy the acquaintance of a quartet of siblings as they find their voices and proclaim to the world that they are worthy of dreams coming true, discovering the loves of their life and holding out for a much desired promise for tomorrow.
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