'Little Women' packs big heart

Author: Sara Jameson

Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, the Middlebury College Musical Player's performance of "Little Women" displayed not only the musical talent of the cast, but also proved their theatrical aptitude by the authentic ease with which they played their roles and the sincere relationships they created. At times the play seemed to drag on in moments of clichÈd unoriginality, but overall, the actors vitalized the script with their indispensably subtle, yet genuine, chemistry.

The story revolves around the impassioned character Jo March (Casey Donahue '10) who, striving to become a renowned author, looks to her past and the life she shared with her family to provide long-needed inspiration. The play then shifts through heartwarming glimpses into the daily, and even more dramatic, happenings of the March family. As Jo looks back and experiences the warmth, tribulation, tragedy, and love she has felt in her life with her Marmee (Michaela Lieberman) and three sisters, Meg (Kate Lupo), Beth (Laura Pollard), and Amy (Claire Graves), she realizes that it is not the intense and affected melodrama of her former writing that reflects her true expression, but the simple and beautifully truthful portrayal of her own reality that justly captures the hearts and sympathy of her audience.

Although the script itself risks being portrayed in a detrimentally clichÈd light, the actors exhibited a credible and even lovable chemistry. The five March women worked wonderfully together, especially Lieberman as Marmee, whose maternal essence was remarkably natural. The sisterly quibbles between Donahue and Graves were also wonderfully realistic and helped to create a sincerity that rendered the family much more believable. In fact, Donahue worked expertly with every actor she performed with, her ease and authenticity creating a crucially genuine bond with every character. Donahue also exhibited amazing comedic talent. Her sense of timing, sarcasm, and facial expressions never ceased to generate laughter≠ - the romantic tension between her and Laurie Laurence (Max Kanter) was both hysterically and endearingly entertaining. Claire Graves also exhibited incredible comedic talent - her portrayal of the youngest sister, Amy, perfectly matched the stereotypically spoiled, yet charming, "baby" of the family. Her ability to convincingly play a character of so young an age not only exposed her talent but also created an interesting dynamic within the family.

Despite some weak moments in the energy and clarity of some songs or solos, the musical talent of the cast was, in most cases, stunning. Again, Donahue excelled with her clear, animated voice and beautiful tone. Most impressive of all, however, was the deep, full, and powerful voice of Lieberman (Marmee) whose song, "Days of Plenty" overwhelmingly displayed her passionate emotion and sensitivity. The duet between Beth (Laura Pollard '10) and Mr. Laurence (Phillip Ziff '10), if not the most technically astounding song in the show, exhibited a comic and endearing sensitivity that complimented both characters.

The technical aspects of the show were generally on top of things, however some fumbles backstage and awkward scene changes detracted a little from the flow of the performance. Most impressive of all were the costumes - beautiful dresses that seemed to fit the time period perfectly. The pit orchestra was also quite talented - and although, at times, a bit unbalanced and slightly out of tune, they altogether held together well throughout the show.

The audience exhibited an overall positive reaction to the performance: "I loved the show," enthused Sophomore Alethea Gross, "I thought MCMP did a great job casting it. The cast did an awesome job expressing genuine emotions-I sobbed the entire second half of the show." Sophomore Loren Mejia agreed, commenting, "Max Kanter made me fall in love with Laurie, and Casey Donahue has one of the most amazing voices ever." "The only things that detracted from the performance," added Gross, "were a few out-of-tune instruments in the pit, but otherwise, the show was amazing." There was, however, some dissatisfaction with the nature of the script itself. Starrett Berry, '09 commented, "Although the acting in Little Women was very good, the play itself is, for lack of a better word, cheesy. It's a very stereotypical musical in which musical numbers are in very clichÈ places with very clichÈ introductions. This is not to slight the hard work, effort and very good job that all those involved did, but merely to state that the choice of musical paled in comparison with past MCMP shows."

Although the play, "Little Women" might seem an odd choice for a musical at first glance, with its rather narrative structure and subtle characterizations, the final performance was unexpectedly moving. The musical talent of the actors, conjoined with the amazing ease and authenticity with which they performed their characters, produced an entertaining and successful show, both comedic, dramatic, and all-together touching in its surprisingly real portrayal of a growing family.