ROCK SPRINGS — “Sometimes when you dream, your dreams come true in extraordinary ways.”
This lyric from “Little Women: The Broadway Musical” is becoming a reality for many Western Wyoming Community College students who are excited to be a part of the theater’s newest production. The play brings Louisa May Alcott’s classic book to life, telling the story of the four March sisters in a musical that is both entertaining and moving.
All the actors had their own reasons for wanting to be a part of this production. Sarah Kropf, who plays Meg, explained that “Little Women” is one of her mom’s favorite books, so she grew up with the story. She is also one of four sisters, just like in the play. Kensie McPhee, playing Amy, said that she knew she wanted to be a part of the show as soon as she heard the soundtrack.
But being in the musical also has its challenges. All of the March family members agreed that it’s hard to keep up your stamina while wearing a corset. And Quinten Loveland, who plays Laurie, admitted with a laugh that the music he has to sing is difficult, especially since it covers a wide range of notes, from very high to very low.
In a more serious voice, Loveland said that another challenge is simply “doing the story justice.” Megan Anderson, who plays the main character Jo, agreed that one of the hardest things is portraying the characters in the way that Louisa May Alcott intended. The other actors concurred, adding that it is especially difficult since there are so many adaptations of “Little Women” and many people are already familiar with the characters, so you have to find new ways to make them your own.
As they strive for that goal, each actor found things they could relate to in the characters they portray. Verona Miller, who plays Marmee, said that although she isn’t a mother in real life, she relates to Marmee’s tendency to have a strong temper while needing to learn to control it and be calm in order to help keep others grounded. McPhee said that she, like Amy, was a younger sibling and could be a “bratty little sister” who always wanted to grow up too quickly. Kropf related to Meg as both an older sibling and a romantic. Lynzi Johnson connected with how much her character Beth cares for her sisters and seeks to console them.
Anderson and Loveland both agreed that they are similar to their characters, but less intense. Anderson noted that Jo is bold and always shows everyone who she is right away. In real life, Anderson said she tends to be more shy at first, but when it comes down to it she is an “adventure child,” just like Jo. Loveland said that he also isn’t quite as outgoing as Laurie, but they are both energetic. Laurie’s desire to belong, to be a part of things, and to find a family he could connect to is also something that Loveland says he relates to.
All the actors are enthusiastic about the production and excited for people to come see it. Kropf noted that this show is a unique take on the classic “Little Women” story because it is the only musical version, and the songs add more emphasis to the story and the characters. The actors all agreed that it’s both an entertaining show and a story with incredible messages that will make people feel and give everyone something to connect to.
According to Anderson, the production is also special because of the deep connection the cast members have developed.
“We really are like a family,” she said.
Stephen Cramer, the assistant professor of musical theater at Western and the director of “Little Women,” is also excited to share this production.
Cramer’s first introduction to the story of “Little Women” was through this musical. He had been a cast member in the international tour of the Broadway musical “Les Miserables” along with Sutton Foster, so that friendship inspired him to see “Little Women” when it was on Broadway and Foster was playing Jo March. Cramer also acted in a production of “Little Women” a few years ago when he was in graduate school.
When the time came for Western’s theater department to pick this year’s shows to produce, “Little Women” was one of the top choices on Cramer’s list. He thinks it’s a gorgeous play with beautiful music and great messages. He also noted that picking a play with several lead female roles made sense for several reasons.
“We have a lot of strong women in our program right now,” he said.
He knew a show like “Little Women” would be a practical way to let these students shine.
Every production has its challenges, though. Work on the play started right at the beginning of the semester, so everyone had to do a lot of work in a relatively short amount of time, according to Cramer. But he said that having a strong core of actors who have “gelled” well has helped keep everything together and made the production work.
And as far as other versions of “Little Women” go, Cramer said he’s thrilled that Western’s production of this story is coming up right after the release of the new movie adaptation. He thought the film was excellent and that both it and the play stay true to the book in their own ways.
Cramer hopes that people will come see “Little Women” because “it’s a great show” that is full of important messages we all need.
“The central message is the importance of family and faith,” he explained. But he also emphasized that the the story includes strong messages about learning how to let go and move forward, and how sometimes we realize, as Jo does, that “what we’re looking for is right in front of us.”