A Note from the Creative Team
“We live for what we have inside of us…” - Jo March, Little Women
In our production we want the heart of this classic to beat!
By championing what exists at the core of these characters - what drives them, what disgusts them, what breaks them, what elates them - we are able to pump new life into this timeless and timely story.
Little Women: the Broadway Musical is a passion-filled musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved literary narrative, with music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and book by Allan Knee. Based on Alcott’s own life, this fictional tale follows the travails and triumphs of the March women during Civil War America.
We meet the four March sisters and their mother Marmee, each of whom have different perceptions of the world and varying expectations of “womanhood” in the 1860’s, when arbitrary gender stereotypes were at the forefront of our society’s interactions. Yet through them (especially our protagonist Jo) we are inspired to challenge what is known, to embrace our inner most passions, to dare to dream, live fully as our truest selves, to demand equality, to speak our minds, to provide selfless support for others, to make meaningful relationships and enjoy the time we have together.
All elements of our production design, set, costuming, staging, choreography, musical choices and character development honored Louisa May Alcott’s beautiful and progressive words, always connecting us to the foundation that supports us, the structure and fabric that shape us, the colors that uplift us and the words that define us.
During our process we studied acting techniques like Meisner and Viewpoints to emphasize and explore both the emotional depths that are present within these relationships and the paths our characters choose to take.
And to our seniors, we cannot wait to see what paths you take next! In so many ways we learned more from you than maybe you learned from us. We learned not only just how powerful theatre can be. How it can transform and transcend. How important self expression is. We learned to be more of ourselves. To give more of ourselves. To give over our talent and our heart. Give our commitment. To have patience. To be present. To be brave. Be kind. Be selfless. And, above all, we learned how important friendships are and mentors can be. We adore you and we congratulate you!
We also want to thank our Ridgefield community, the RHS faculty and families, our own families, our devoted Theatre Boosters and our incredible cast, crew and pit of students.
To our audience, thank you for joining us and supporting the arts! We hope to inspire you to live for what you have inside of you too.
“…We live to expand our minds. Fulfill our dreams. Engage in passionate exchanges.”
Jacquie Militano, Director/Production Designer
Mattie Tucker Joyner, Assistant Director/Choreographer
Sarah Fox, Music Director/Keys/Conductor
