Little Women Show Blog

The Power of The Word

Theater, just like a good book, has the power to transport us, inspire us and stay with us as we go through our day. There is nothing I love more than to lose myself at a show or inside a wonderful novel but I think dlsaid it best in her blog

.....All the books I have read are now part of me. From the books of the Bible, Ruth and Job and the Gospels to J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

I have parts of Old Yeller which I read over and over as a kid. I have parts of Grimms Fairy Tales and Mother Goose. I even have parts of books that I read to my children, Berenstein Bears and Where the Wild Things Are.There are books that touch us deeply like Go Ask Alice an Anonymous Diary of a teenage girl, which I think every parent should read.

There are classics that I have enjoyed from Charles Dickens to Edgar Allen Poe. I have parts of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thrillers, Horror, Love, Romance, and even Religious and Self Help Books.

There are books that I have read that I found mundane, and books I started reading that just didn't grab me and I put them down after a few pages.

There are books I took my time with enjoying the words washing over me, the story being absorbed into me. There are other books that I just couldn't put down and couldn't wait to get back to. There are books that I have read that taught me something new, or made me want to experience something new. There are books that I have read that made me laugh out loud, like A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson.

When I read, I see the characters, I feel what they are feeling, they become a part of me, so how could I be just one book when I have so many parts of so many books as a part of me?

Beautifully put!

Maureen will be at the Chatterbox on Thursday

Maureen McGovern, who plays Marmee in the new Broadway musical Little Women, will sit down for a chat with host Seth Rudetsky at the March 31 edition of Seth's Broadway Chatterbox.

The weekly live talkfest, which includes interviews and performances from Broadway stars, is held at 6 PM at the New York cabaret Don't Tell Mama. There is a $10 donation and a two-drink minimum. The donation goes directly to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization.

Don't Tell Mama is located in New York City on West 46th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Call (212) 757-0788 for reservations.

The latest from Blogger Tom

Hi All- BLOGGER TOM here, a little lost without my usual home of the Production Diary, but happy to be reporting to you, none the less!

With all the confusion of our little technical mishap, I didn't get to the 92nd Street Y this past weekend, but did get this report from our friend Linda, who had this lovely bit to share-

The event went very well. There was a moment where Sutton shared deeply about the process to face such an energetic show so often. She searched for words and demonstrated a deep passion for what she sometimes has to process. It was rather lengthy and frustrating desire to impart to us something very personal and intimate. We were all very moved at the authenticity. Maureen was her usual elegant and smooth self.

Before the event I spotted Maureen in the lobby and had a chance after 23 years to tell her I was listening to her sing in the "Pirates of Penzance" in '82 the very moment my mother passed away. I know because Gary Sandy (like a brother to me and using my apartment at the time) was newly in the Kevin Kline lead and I went to see him, coming to NYC (after two months with my very ill mother) for only 24 hours to check mail. After the show, I learned that my mother had passed. Weeks later, I took my nieces to the play and waited until the moment of her death to see what was happening in the play, and thus discovered what I had been doing at that moment. Maureen was in the middle of one of her songs. This all sounds so silly now but I had never heard Maureen's name that I did not think about that connection. I shared it with her tonight and she was very moved, holding both of my hands, and thanking me for telling her, and relieving me of thinking about wanting to tell her.

Thank you Linda, for sharing that deeply personal memory- and for Maureen, truly one of the greatest humanitarians I have had the pleasure of getting to know! I'm certain everyone who attended the evening at the Y realized how endearing our leading ladies are, and continue to be.

There was some other press on Sutton recently, but unless you are a true theatre insider, you probably didn't see it! The latest issue of SHOW PEOPLE (with Christina Applegate on the cover) featured a lovely write-up on Sutton getting a pedicure! Apparently this is one of the few indulgences our wonderful star allows herself- and she deserves it! If you get a chance to glance over this publication turn to page 20 to see Sutton glowing as Party Time gets applied to those beautiful nails!

Three of our great talents had some well-earned coverage recently as well- Set Designer Derek McLane, Lighting Designer Kenneth Posner and Sound Designer Peter Hylenski had an 8 page spread in LIGHTING & SOUND AMERICA, an industry publication. Many insights into the development of the show were revealed- I learned a lot from reading it! I am going to see if we can reprint the article on our website!

I think that's all for now- I know Mojo and her support team are busy trying to get the rest of the LITTLE WOMEN website back in place, and I look forward to writing you from my regular home again REAL SOON!

BLOGGER TOM

Jo's Hair in Xanadu 3

I just found out about this short story on Jeff Youngstrom's blog

"Jo's Hair" by Susan Palwick, as the title implies follows Jo March's hair from the point where she cut it all off in Little Women through the life of adventure and non-conformism that Jo herself could have lived had she not chosen the path she did.

This link to the book it is in Xanadu 3.

Spring is here!

As I was reading "Little Women" today and found this wonderful passage in the first chapter.

.... Nothing delighted you more than to have me tie my piece bags on your backs for burdens, give you hats and sticks and rolls of paper, and let you travel through the house from the cellar, which was the City of Destruction, up, up, to the housetop, where you had all the lovely things you could collect to make a Celestial City.

That made me think of Spring and the renewal that comes at this time of year. It seemed particularly fitting today since it is Easter.

Grandma's Copy found

Abbe found a copy of of Little Women that her grandma gave her.

It's a 1909 printing and it's got a dedication from her dead older brother dated December 25, 1933. i better be careful with this!

The woman who discovered the "blood and guts" dies

Women who uncovered Alcott Novel's dies at age 96

Leona Rostenberg was a rare-book scholar and dealer who discovered in 1942 a series of racy novels written by Louisa May Alcott under a pseudonym. This is Excerpted from a NYT article .

They made their discovery about Louisa May Alcott after being tipped off by a scholar that she might have written works under a pseudonym to pay the rent, but that the pseudonym was mystery.

After seeing a reference to an "A.M. Barnard" in a correspondence between Alcott and a publisher, they knew they had found what - or whom - they had been looking for.

The discovery caused a re-evaluation of Alcott's career. Eventually, one of the lost Alcott works, "A Long Fatal Love Chase," was published.

"It completely changed the way people perceived Louisa May Alcott," Ms. Lustgarten said. "What they knew about was 'Little Women,' and here were 'blood and thunder' tales - meetings in opium dens and things like that. The polar opposite of 'Little Women' in the sense of being more risqué and passionate."

LW #18 in BBC's Big Read

Little Women came in number 18 in the British Broadcasting Corporation's Big Read to find the nation's the nation's best-loved novel. It seems that a lot of folks are reading the book.

Time March-es on...

I was reading this post about how one's perception of the story changes over time.
Time March-es on

In the beginning, I didn't identify with Jo. I do now, of course...the whole "spinster writer" thing, the dream of revolutionizing education, the secret attraction to tall men with German accents...but when I first read Little Women, I thought Jo was too impulsive. I was a little afraid of the way she'd jump about, of the way her mind leapfrogged and her tongue was unchecked.

I was a Meg girl (yes, my favorite Beatle was Paul. Why do you ask?). I was the big sister; I admired Meg's calm control and the (somewhat unearned, perhaps?) respect she commanded from her sisters. I liked that she'd at least try getting all tarted up before she decided that immodesty wasn't really her bag. it continues on her blog.

I wonder how others have had their perception of the book change over time?

Giving to Locks of Love "I Feel Like JO"

Fancesca cut her hair and gave it to Locks of Love and in the process feels like Jo from Little Women...

Today I donated my hair to locks of love. Eight inches of my magnificent mop have now been donated to quite a worthy cause.

I feel sort of like Jo in Little Women. I know in my heart that I’ve done the right thing, but there’s this very vane part of me that just wants to crawl between the covers and cry “my hair, my hair!” I hate myself for feeling this way, but I really don’t like having short hair even though Mom, Dad, and the Beutician said it looks great.

I feel sort of like Jo in Little Women. I know in my heart that I’ve done the right thing, but there’s this very vane part of me that just wants to crawl between the covers and cry “my hair, my hair!” I hate myself for feeling this way, but I really don’t like having short hair even though Mom, Dad, and the Beutician said it looks great.

Have any of you given your hair to charity?

When have you felt like JO?

Generation to Generation Fans

Generations of Women have been inspired by the book. Lauren is just one fine example. Her mom gave her the book when she was 10.

September 29, 1994

Dear Lauren,

Happy 10th Birthday!! I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did when I was your age.

Love,
"Marmee"

P.S. Hope you have your happiest birthday ever, little woman!

She is a fan of two of the movie versions (I look forward to hearing about those) and is a super fan of the musical.

When I first heard a couple years ago they were working on a musical version, I was thrilled! It combined my favorite book with musical theatre, my passion, and I knew I'd be a huge fan. I've seen the show a few times and am extremely pleased with what the creators did with my favorite book. I think it's a great show that could warm even the coldest heart.

We look forward to following her show experiences here.

Video of Cast Album

I just found this
video of the Cast Album being Made it is a terific snapshot of that day and has clips from many of the songs.

Astonishing Finds at Pickwick Club

I have been spending a bunch of time on the Pickwick Club Forums. I have found some great jems that i thought I would share. Some of the Fans were wondering when the sheet music was going to come out. One of them got proactive and posted the sheet music that she had for Astonishing.
 
Astonishing Page 1
Astonishing Page 2
Astonishing Page 3

Saint Patrick's Day with Little Women

Broadway.Com just posted this a whole series of pictures of Maureen McGovern celebrating a special St. Patrick's Day lunch at Alice's Tea Cup.

Little Women Fall Tour

It is official :

LITTLE WOMEN THE MUSICAL is going out on tour with Maureen McGovern starting this fall. Tom is very excited because he can't even recall the last time a Broaday star went out with the first National Tour. This is almost unheard of- but we're so thrilled she wanted to do it!

The tour will not start until August so there is still lots of time to see the show in NYC before it's first stop in San Diego on August 30th.

Posted on the Production Diary by TOM.

Here is a link to the PlayBill article with more details about the tour.

Little Women Fans

I thought I would start of blogging by putting some of the best of conversations from the Pickwick Club forums. The conversation by fans about what to call themselves caught my eye. It was started off by Millie Dillmount she put forward examples from other musicals.

• Rent - Rentheads
• Thoroughly Modern Millie - Millie Geeks or Moderns (?)
• Brooklyn - Brooklynites (I think)

and wondered if the fan community should come up with a name like.

• Little Women Geeks?
• Littlites?

Here are some of the other examples

JoMarch proposd: SuttonFansandthereforewewantLittleWomentosucceedfans

BroToJo proposed: The MARCHing Band

Millie Dillmount proposed: Pickwicks, Little Women Fans and Marchers

littlewomenfan#1: Marmee's Girls

The question was raised about where the reference to Pickwick comes from.
Mary Jo the moderator of the forum put this explanation forward and proposed another interesting name.

In the book the March girls have a family newspaper they called "The Pickwick Portfolio", and when the girls got together to compose their paper they called themselves "The Pickwick Club", after Dickens.

Louisa May Alcott was apparently a huge Dickens fan; the club was taken from his book/serial "The Pickwick Papers" (which I have never read). From what I gather the Pickwick Papers was a social satire full of funny Dickens characters complete with Dickensian names, written when he was fairly young. It's apparently hysterically funny, at least for its time....just haven't got around to reading it, yet.

For a name--how about the "Blood 'n' Guts Brigade"? BnG's, for short. That would REALLY make people go ".....huh?"

This kind of freaked some of the young women on the forum out and faded out as an option.


LilBecky2Shoes proposes something sister-like that means united like "Five Forever" since that is what the show is all about anyway. Since there are guy fans, though, I'm not sure they'd like being called sisters (some might!) so maybe we can work something out... I think the Pickwick Society is good for people who have actually read the book and know the story.. but for people who are just fans of the musical, they're not going to get it, and since this is a fan "society" for the musical more than the book, it should reflect that...

Maybe something based on a song from the show? I'm trying to think outside the box of the regular "fan stuff" but I'm not too creative at 9:30 am!


It seems that the community settled on Pickwicks. Feel free to use the comments field to comment on this more.

Welcome to the Little Women Show Blog

We are very happy to have founded a blog for the Little Women Musical.

We look forward to sharing what is happening with the show!