Little Women, the Musical, has now closed on Broadway and is headed onto a national tour. I would have to agree this is probably for the best. Although I love this classic tale, I have to say I enjoyed the movie more. I felt that the plot dragged too long, and the details of the relationships, which really form the basis of the story, were lost in playing big for the stage. Sutton Foster, in the lead role as Jo, delivered a performance of a woman refusing to compromise and her energy helped enliven the role, but her mannerisms and speech, even if daring, were simply untrue to the time period of the piece. Maureen McGovern played a sturdy if not unforgettable Marmee, and the other sisters were well-suited to their roles. At first, we were unsure whether Amy was a child or an adult, but when her character grew in the story, her acting still lapsed into the child-like part.

I felt that Jenny Powers, playing Meg, however, truly shone. She was a joy to watch, and she gave passion to the story and her character. Her singing voice, as well, seemed to perfectly match the character. Parts of the show were certainly enjoyable to watch. The dance numbers and the melodramatic stagings of Jo's stories were fun and fantastic. In between, however, it was just the same, predictable story. Maybe this is what some audiences wanted, but I was a more harsh critic. Yet, if the performance was lackluster, unfortunately it concealed a wonderful scenic design. The use of light to transform the feel and location shown on stage and to create beautiful settings for the action was superb. Plus, the multifunctional pieces made the rapidly changing story less chaotic and definitely added to the play.