When I heard Centerpoint Legacy was going to be putting on Little Women I knew I was in store for something special. While I have seen this musical many times I knew they would bring something unique to the presentation especially being on their Second Stage and they did not disappoint. What a wonderful, sincere telling of this classic story with the exceptionally talented cast I have come to expect from this theater.
I guess one would technically call the Second Stage a black box but Centerpoint has truly created an immersive space that allows the audience to be surrounded in whatever story they are telling. This was most masterfully done in their recent Tarzan but it always brings something awe inspiring to the stage. I particularly loved how director Matt Price used the projections and surrounding screens (projection designer Josh Roberts) to make the operatic tragedy numbers immersive and exciting with lightning and shipwrecks and other environments. Usually songs like “The Weekly Volcano Press” and “An Operatic Tragedy” are some of the weakest of this musical as they go on too long and don’t add much to the characters or story but this fresh presentation made them a highlight of the production.
The cast is also strong across the board with Sydney McAllister leading the way as Jo March and Kaylee Call stealing all her scenes as Amy. I particularly appreciate Call’s acting during the burning of Jo’s book sequence. You could feel her frustrations at being ignored and passed over. She also does a great job of growing with the character giving a more mature performance in Act 2 which is appropriate as Amy has the biggest jump from childlike behavior to a mature adult by the end.
My favorite songs of this musical are “Some Things are Meant to Be” and “Days of Plenty.” Both are executed very well in this production. With the former you get to actually be in Cape Cod with the ocean waves splashing on the screen adding to the tenderness of the moment (nicely sung by McAllister and Maren Messerly as Beth.) Heather Smart brings the ache and gravitas you need for Marmee and “Days of Plenty.”
My only major critique of this Little Women is actually with the projections. As much as I enjoyed most of them this was the first time in that space some of the images felt a little too AI made for my taste. This is mostly when they are inside spaces like Sally Moffat’s ball or the picture frames of the March house. I get that companies are using AI these days but in a production that felt so immersive those images took me out of the moment, which is unfortunate.
Other than that I highly recommend Little Women at Centerpoint. It’s another homerun and it is likely to sell out like last year’s Pride and Prejudice so don’t wait to get your tickets. Also I strongly encourage getting seasons tickets for Centerpoint. They are so reasonably priced for the quality of the experience that you can’t go wrong. Right now you can get 6 shows for as low as $131, which is just nuts for this semi-professional company. Plus, next year looks incredible. You can find out more on their website and get tickets to Little Women here. Enjoy!
Little Women has music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein with a book by Allan Knee based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott. It first premiered on Broadway in 2005 and had a North American tour in 2024.
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