Little Women: The Broadway Musical @ Soo Theatre
When it comes to Little Women, there have been many iterations all with heart. What co-directors Elizabeth Curtis and Samuel Cox offer to the community of Sault Ste Marie is true familial love, expressed through the iterations of motherly, sisterly, and partnerly love as we travel through lives of the March sisters.
The Soo Theatre itself is a 1920s era procsenium theatre with a green ceiling and golden arch with lion motif in the center. The major changes made for this show was the addition of a pit, conducted by Artistic Director Karen Hughes Beacom, and the side wings of the stage given sets. Stage right was set with a pink and red motif, clearly pre-1900 with the two chaises. Stage left was a light green motif with two chairs, a desk, and a footstool. This is where we opened the show with Jo March (Sara Porter) and Professor Bhaer (Erik Beardshear). We pop in and out of this bordering house throughout the musical as we exit the past and return to present day with Jo and Professor Bhaer.
The opening number of OPERATIC TRAGEDY was fine with the stage light unfortunately limiting visibility of Clarissa (Tabi Scheffler-Gonzalez) and Rodrigo (Joshua Porter) at times, but the show found its footing at the second number with the reveal of the full set designed by Brian Bush. With two flights of stairs leading up to a full attic playing space along with a piano, fireplace, chair, and settee on stage the actors had lots of room to play as evidenced throughout the play. With the addition of Amy (Iyla Beaulieu), Beth (Leah Russell), and Meg (Emily O’Connor) the show was lifted up with energy and joy. This was clearly evidenced in particular by O’Connor on stage as her smile was completely infectious towards the other sisters in the majority of the scenes they played in.
Another Act I stand out was Aunt March (Sara Perfetti) playing opposite S. Porter in COULD YOU. The two found both clarity of voice and clarity of story utilizing prop books to create a ladylike Jo March playing off their familial relationship. The most important relationship though is the audience’s relationship with Jo. This is set up very well in Curtis & Cox’s staging of ASTONISHING. Setting S. Porter up in the attic room so Jo is clearly visible to the entire audience regardless of seating allowed for connection. The live orchestrations were incredibly well done throughout this piece and S. Porter did a lovely job on this vocally challenging piece, emotionally connecting us to the motif when we will be brought back to it for THE FIRE WITHIN ME at the end of Act II.
Arguably the most impactful part of the musical though was SOME THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE. With one of the only scenic backdrops being used for this scene it was clear for the audience this was a distinct mood shift. The staging was incredibly simple, seated not moving until the end to only allow for a collapse into Jo’s arms, Russell’s and S. Porter’s work within this song was absolutely devastating for the audience with not a dry eye in sight. While there are parts that this review certainly glosses over, Bush’s set design raised (literally) these actors to new heights, Beacom’s music direction uplifted these actors beautifully, Curtis & Cox showcased how simple staging even on a large scale can be effective, and the actors went on to prove how perfecting your piece of the puzzle can create a perfect play.