The story focuses on the March sisters, four young women coming of age in the 1860s. Terry McGonigle, the show’s director and the operations manager of the John Legend Theater, was drawn to “Little Women” because of the music and book but also due to its characters.
“It’s got great, challenging female roles and a story that touches your heart with how honest it is,” said McGonigle. “The cast members did a lot of reading and research on how it relates to them.”
Though some of the things have changed since it was written, some still resonate. McGonigle mentioned a scene when lead character and aspiring writer Jo March receives a rejection letter from a publisher, advising her to go home and have babies.
“One of the girls in the cast said, “‘Really, they said that?’,” McGonigle said.
The cast of 18 ranges in age from 16 to late 50s and come from as far as Columbus, Dayton and near Cincinnati, where Karen Staffiera near. She was a student of McGonigle’s in Kansas and this is her second show with him.
“When I do a show, I like it to have community appeal and students and show different generations,” McGonigle said. “There are a lot of new faces. People look at us as doing challenging work and have fun at the same time.”
The show will be a big production with a lot of unique costuming, furniture and scenery. McGonigle said it will be a big package of what theater is about.
He credits a financial donation from a local woman for helping with this and other shows the program has been able to produce from the desire of seeing theatrical entertainment locally grow.
HOW TO GO
What: “Little Women the Musical”
Where: The John Legend Theater, 700 S. Limestone St., Springfield
When: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday
Admission: Adults $15; seniors and students $8
More info: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063558161022
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