The new musical based on the durable Louisa May Alcott novel was heard in recent spring industry presentations in Manhattan in anticipation of its fall 2004 tryout and debut at Theatre Previews at Duke in Durham, NC, Oct. 13-31.
Tony Award-winner Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie) will play Jo March in the family friendly show directed by Susan H. Schulman (The Sound of Music, The Secret Garden, Violet). Maureen McGovern will play Marmee, the resilient mother of a brood of daughters who live in Civil War-era New England.
Little Women has a book by Allan Knee, score by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein.
Producers are Randall L.Wreghitt, Dani Davis, Ken Gentry, Chase Mishkin , Ruben Brache in association with Theatre Previews at Duke (Zannie Voss, Director) and Lisa Vioni.
The Duke University run is in the Reynolds Theatre. Visit http://www.duke.edu/web/drama/ for more information. *
Little Women is an American literary title so obvious that it's a surprise that a musical version hasn't hit big on Broadway yet. (A search of the internet reveals a number of musical versions of the property, which is in the public domain and therefore ripe for free picking by playwrights and songwriters.)
In addition to famed singer-actress McGovern (known for pop hits, concerts, musicals and studio-cast recordings of Of Thee I Sing and Let 'Em Eat Cake), the Little Women company is expected to include Janet Carroll as Aunt March, John Hickok (Aida) as Professor Bhaer, Danny Gurwin (The Thing About Men) as Laurie, Jim Weitzer as John Brooke, Robert Stattel as Mr. Laurence, Amy Rutberg as Meg, Megan McGinnis (Belle in Beauty and the Beast) as Beth, Amy McAlexander as Amy, with Christopher Gunn, Larisa Shukiss, Julie Foldesi, Andrew Varela and Anne Kanengeiser.
Michael Lichtefeld is choreographer, Andrew Wilder is musical director, orchestrations are by Kim Scharnberg. Designers are Derek McLane (set), Catherine Zuber (costume), David Lander (lighting) and Peter Hylenski (sound).
Capitalization for Little Women is $5.6 million.
