By Kenneth Jones
13 Apr 2005

"Little Women," the durable Louisa May Alcott title that has inspired countless movie, play and musical versions, emerges once again April 21 with a Manhattan public presentation of Alison Hubbard, Kim Oler and Sean Hartley's musical take on the property.

The show to be heard in The York Theatre Company's Spring Developmental Reading Series 3 PM April 21 represents a revised version of the Oler-Hubbard score that won the Richard Rodgers Development Award when it was linked to a libretto by Allan Knee. That earlier show was being developed for Broadway, but its producers chose to keep Knee's book and bring on another songwriting team, resulting in the current Broadway run of Little Women, the Musical starring Sutton Foster as Jo — a powerhouse performance that is expected to snag a Tony Award nomination.

The Little Women being heard at the York has a new libretto by Hartley (known for the musical Cupid & Psyche). Peter Flynn directs the reading. Musical direction is by Mark Goodman.

The cast includes Donna Lynn Champlin as Jo and Alma Cuervo as Marmee, with Wynne Anders, Justin Bohon, John Bolton, Kathleen Earley, Willy Falk, Rex Hays, Mary Stout, Allison Walla and Becky Watson.

James Morgan is producing artistic director of the York Theatre Company. Jeff Landsman is coordinator York's Developmental Reading Series.

The York Theatre Company at The Theatre at St. Peter's in the Citigroup Center, 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street. To RSVP call (212) 935-5824, ext. 24 (mention your name, phone number, the show you want to see, and the number of tickets you'd like) or visit www.yorktheatre.org for more information.

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Composer Oler and lyricist Hubbard's songs have been heard in such Theaterworks/USA family shows as Pets!, When the Cookie Crumbles, The Secret Garden, Class Clown, Harriet the Spy and Babes in Toyland. They are also developing a musical version of Arthur Wing Pinero's The Enchanted Cottage, and a stage musical based on the film "Two Family House" with its screenwriter Raymond De Felitta. Now titled Buddy's Tavern, it was selected for the 2004 ASCAP/Disney Workshop in New York City.