NOTE: The Randolph Academy production of Little Women has an alternating cast. This review is strictly of the performance of December 1.
I'll start off by saying that I have never read Little Women, and I am unable to make comparisons to the source material. So don't expect any.
For those, like me, who come to this show fresh, the stage show is, in essence, a coming of maturity tale for the four March sisters, Amy, Joe, Meg, and Beth. Spanning the years between 1863 and 1867, each of the four sisters has her own discoveries and journey. However, it is upon and around Jo, the outspoken second-eldest, that the show focuses.
In this role, Laura Elligsen puts in a strong showing. I only wish she had more to play off of in order to push her performance farther. I don't know whether it was the director's (Darlene Spencer) conscious choice, or the fact that many of the performers are still honing their craft, but many of the scenes lacked the emotional shading that would allow actors their moments to shine.
For example, the early interplay between the sisters was sweet, but sometimes felt a bit like we were seeing a bit of a storybook family. The ferocity and bitterness of sibling rivalry rang a bit hollow, particularly when youngest sister Amy, played by a very present Natalie Dee, burns the manuscripts that her sister Jo so cares for. As a result, the final reconciliation between the sisters loses the opportunity to reap any emotional benefits from the earlier rivalry.
Likewise, a touching moment between piano-playing Beth (Felicity Adams-Hannigan) and the supposedly abrasive neighbour Mr. Laurence (Bobby Wilkinson) never gets the payoff it deserves and Wilkinson never really establishes himself as anything close to old, or curmudgeonly.
Perhaps it the youth of the cast, but the other adults in the production likewise came across much less rich than they had potential to be. Sara Aulderman as haughty, manipulative, and moneyed Aunt March, never really seems to connect and revel in her character. As a result, some wonderfully comic lines never realize their full potential (though one laugher in the back of the house certainly would disagree with me).
Similarly, Shannon Dickens as Marmee March, hits some of the right notes, but comes across too much a storybook mother, never really tapping into the worries, woes, and losses of her character.
Likewise, I felt that the broad moments could have been broader, such as the "grewsome" narratives that Jo pens, and which we see enacted in semi-dumbshow. Thomas Duplessie as story-character Braxton shows a good knack for camp and Thalia Altura has a presense as "the hag" that makes me want to see more of her. Generally, however, things could have been pushed further.
Louis-Philippe Deslaurier, as Laurie Laurence, the grandson of Mr. Laurence, cuts a strange performance, oscillating between awkward and debonair. His smile lights the house and I never for a moment doubt his commitment to a scene, but it seems as if he has two characters, depending on whether he's wearing a suit or not. For those who loved Buffy TVS as much as I, think of the episode in which Xander gets his essense split in two. It was kind of like that.
However, a few actors seems to get things just right. The chemistry between Jessica Clausen as eldest sister Meg and Ryan Whittal as her suitor and ultimately husband, Mr. John Brooke, was engaging and has a level of nuance that I enjoyed.
Mark Ross, as Professor Bhaer, likewise gave a strong performance. His German accent needs work, but I'm willing to forgive it since it didn't really stand in the way of his performance. A wonderful moment with an umbrella towards the end of the play cemented my enjoyment of him, and he and Elligsen played well off each other.
Kudos to the orchestra, led by Lily Ling, for their execution of a reduced orchestration (4 pieces instead of 12) that still felt full and satisfying. My one qualm was about the decision to underscore at all the piano duet between Mr. Laurence and Beth. The challenge of synchronizing the orchestra with the performers at the piano proved too much the night I was there. Playing the entire scene with just the two actors and an upright piano would have been wonderfully tender.
The set, designed by Anna Treusch, to evoke the letters and manuscripts about which Jo is so passionate, was beautiful and versatile. Of course, I have a soft spot for anything that uses script as a design element. The lighting, designed by Jenny Jimenez, was nicely textured, though I wished sometimes it defined the spaces somewhat more clearly.
At $22 a ticket, the price is certainly right, and while I didn't leave completely satisfied, neither did I walk away disappointed. This is a pleasant production and a truly nice story, capable of being heartwarming without needing any saccharine to do it.
Little Women, Book by Allan Knee, Music by Jason Howland, and Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, runs at the Bathurst Street Theatre until Dec. 4, 2010. Tickets are $22 except for Dec. 2, which is a $75/ticket fund-raiser to benefit the Sunnybrook foundation.
Tickets are on sale through Ticket Master. The cast that I saw, performs again at the Dec. 4 Matinee.
I'll start off by saying that I have never read Little Women, and I am unable to make comparisons to the source material. So don't expect any.
For those, like me, who come to this show fresh, the stage show is, in essence, a coming of maturity tale for the four March sisters, Amy, Joe, Meg, and Beth. Spanning the years between 1863 and 1867, each of the four sisters has her own discoveries and journey. However, it is upon and around Jo, the outspoken second-eldest, that the show focuses.
In this role, Laura Elligsen puts in a strong showing. I only wish she had more to play off of in order to push her performance farther. I don't know whether it was the director's (Darlene Spencer) conscious choice, or the fact that many of the performers are still honing their craft, but many of the scenes lacked the emotional shading that would allow actors their moments to shine.
For example, the early interplay between the sisters was sweet, but sometimes felt a bit like we were seeing a bit of a storybook family. The ferocity and bitterness of sibling rivalry rang a bit hollow, particularly when youngest sister Amy, played by a very present Natalie Dee, burns the manuscripts that her sister Jo so cares for. As a result, the final reconciliation between the sisters loses the opportunity to reap any emotional benefits from the earlier rivalry.
Likewise, a touching moment between piano-playing Beth (Felicity Adams-Hannigan) and the supposedly abrasive neighbour Mr. Laurence (Bobby Wilkinson) never gets the payoff it deserves and Wilkinson never really establishes himself as anything close to old, or curmudgeonly.
Perhaps it the youth of the cast, but the other adults in the production likewise came across much less rich than they had potential to be. Sara Aulderman as haughty, manipulative, and moneyed Aunt March, never really seems to connect and revel in her character. As a result, some wonderfully comic lines never realize their full potential (though one laugher in the back of the house certainly would disagree with me).
Similarly, Shannon Dickens as Marmee March, hits some of the right notes, but comes across too much a storybook mother, never really tapping into the worries, woes, and losses of her character.
Likewise, I felt that the broad moments could have been broader, such as the "grewsome" narratives that Jo pens, and which we see enacted in semi-dumbshow. Thomas Duplessie as story-character Braxton shows a good knack for camp and Thalia Altura has a presense as "the hag" that makes me want to see more of her. Generally, however, things could have been pushed further.
Louis-Philippe Deslaurier, as Laurie Laurence, the grandson of Mr. Laurence, cuts a strange performance, oscillating between awkward and debonair. His smile lights the house and I never for a moment doubt his commitment to a scene, but it seems as if he has two characters, depending on whether he's wearing a suit or not. For those who loved Buffy TVS as much as I, think of the episode in which Xander gets his essense split in two. It was kind of like that.
However, a few actors seems to get things just right. The chemistry between Jessica Clausen as eldest sister Meg and Ryan Whittal as her suitor and ultimately husband, Mr. John Brooke, was engaging and has a level of nuance that I enjoyed.
Mark Ross, as Professor Bhaer, likewise gave a strong performance. His German accent needs work, but I'm willing to forgive it since it didn't really stand in the way of his performance. A wonderful moment with an umbrella towards the end of the play cemented my enjoyment of him, and he and Elligsen played well off each other.
Kudos to the orchestra, led by Lily Ling, for their execution of a reduced orchestration (4 pieces instead of 12) that still felt full and satisfying. My one qualm was about the decision to underscore at all the piano duet between Mr. Laurence and Beth. The challenge of synchronizing the orchestra with the performers at the piano proved too much the night I was there. Playing the entire scene with just the two actors and an upright piano would have been wonderfully tender.
The set, designed by Anna Treusch, to evoke the letters and manuscripts about which Jo is so passionate, was beautiful and versatile. Of course, I have a soft spot for anything that uses script as a design element. The lighting, designed by Jenny Jimenez, was nicely textured, though I wished sometimes it defined the spaces somewhat more clearly.
At $22 a ticket, the price is certainly right, and while I didn't leave completely satisfied, neither did I walk away disappointed. This is a pleasant production and a truly nice story, capable of being heartwarming without needing any saccharine to do it.
Little Women, Book by Allan Knee, Music by Jason Howland, and Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, runs at the Bathurst Street Theatre until Dec. 4, 2010. Tickets are $22 except for Dec. 2, which is a $75/ticket fund-raiser to benefit the Sunnybrook foundation.
Tickets are on sale through Ticket Master. The cast that I saw, performs again at the Dec. 4 Matinee.