Reservoir High School presents "LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL"

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Permalink Reply by Carson Blasko on December 27, 2011 at 4:09pm

The classic tale of four young girls with very different personalities and a powerful love for one another, who believe that together, they can accomplish anything comes alive in Resevoir High School’s production of Little Women. Adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Little Women, Little Women the Musical is a moving piece that stresses the importance of family.

Little Women is the story of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy who are bound together by love and struggling to figure out what is important in this life. Jo, in particular, wants to get her books published. As the show goes on, she realizes that she has to write about what she knows: family, love, and unity.

This production of Little Women was solidified by the combination of amazing vocals, a realistic set, artistic lighting, and of course, impressive acting. The show as a whole was very consistent in its elements.

Most of the show was centered around the character, Jo March, who was played by Allison Bradbury. Allison did an amazing job in connecting the pure emotion of her character with the songs. Her rendition of  “The Fire Within Me” was powerful enough to move some audience members to tears. She really captured the determined, tomboyish spirit of Jo March.

The whole cast was really into it, and meshed well together. Andrew Rayo’s performance of Laurie stole hearts, as his childlike wonder and intense energy created a unique interpretation. Likewise, Katie Kelly’s Beth was extremely good too, and her duet with Jo “Some Things Are Meant To Be” was very moving, although the kite proved to be a distraction.

The tech was outstanding, besides a few mike issues. The lighting created an appropriate atmosphere, and the set was well constructed and well utilized. An effect that was particularly impressive was that during the winter scenes, there was snow falling outside the attic window. Many audience members marveled over this and wondered how it was pulled off.

Little Women was an extraordinary production of a classic novel brought to life. In Jo March’s words, “Christopher Columbus!”

Permalink Reply by Lisa Satchell on January 12, 2012 at 6:48pm

“From now on we are joined and we shall not be parted! From this day on its all for one and one for all for life!" This quotation shows how Little Women is cute and warm. Between the great casting, singing, and sets, Reservoir High School put on a great production. The actors really pulled the audience into the story and helped bring to life this musical that was originally a classic book.

Little Women is a story of four sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March, growing up during the Civil War. Their father is off at war and the mother, Marmee, keeps watch over them and helps them through life. Jo’s active imagination, writing, and loyalty lead the characters of this show through good times and bad times.

This production was truly a great and fun show to watch. The dances were adorable and made you want to start dancing with them. Another thing that stood out was their amazing spot-on harmonies. Every note was heard and well-executed.

Allison Bradbury played the lead character of the show, Josephine “Jo” March. She had a voice and will power that never seemed to quit! She kept her energy up and helped lead a great show.

The supporting actors in this show were simply phenomenal and only added to the production. Most of them had double parts and switched between them gracefully, never missing a beat! There was no end to their versatility and commitment to every role that was played. They really kept the show moving and interesting.

The lighting, effects, and costumes were great in this show. Some lighting and effects they used were the use of shadows, changes in colors for different emotion, a kite actually flying, and last but not least, snow! The fact that there was snow on stage baffled many audience members and brought another layer to the show. The costuming in this show was also great, believable to the period, and well represented each character.

Overall, this production was one that showed the great things that high school theatre can do. Not just on the stage, but back stage as well. By the end, the audiences were saying Jo’s catch phrase, “Christopher Columbus!” in reference to how great the show was.

Permalink Reply by Emily Schweich on January 20, 2012 at 7:45pm

“Take a Chance on” Reservoir’s Little Women

 

If you’re a fan of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, you’ll “be delighted” with Reservoir High School’s production of Little Women.  This small but devoted cast proved that a lengthy novel could be transformed into a heartfelt, entertaining musical.

 

Based on Alcott’s own experiences, Little Women chronicles the coming of age of the four March sisters, who are growing up poor in Concord, Massachusetts during the American Civil War.  The main character, based on Alcott herself, is Jo (Allison Bradbury), a boisterous, impulsive, and passionate fifteen-year-old who finds solace in writing stories and plays for her sisters to act.  Eldest sister Meg (Stephanie Ichniowski) longs to leave the confines of the March household to find a wealthy husband, yet still makes it a priority to care for her younger sisters.  Thirteen-year-old Beth (Katie Kelly) brings the sisters together with her gentle spirit and musical talent, while youngest sister Amy (Anne Forbes) has a tendency to cause drama in the family, always longing to be the center of attention.  Since their father is fighting in the Civil War, their mother, Marmee (Fiona Ball) rules the roost at home.  The musical follows the family over a span of four years, from their adventures at home with friend and neighbor Laurie (Andrew Rayo) to their journeys around the world later in life.

 

Reservoir students certainly brought a sense of warmth to the stage.  The alluring set, featuring a glowing fireplace, a piano, and a second-floor attic where Jo often wrote, invited the audience to capture an intimate glimpse into the March home.  The March sisters embodied believable family dynamics, from their tender embraces to their family fights. 

 

As Jo, who appeared in nearly every scene, Bradbury exuded determination and passion.  She effectively portrayed ­Jo’s zest for life and eagerness to make a name for herself and grabbed the audience’s attention with her strong mezzo-soprano voice.  Likewise, Andrew Rayo was a favorite among the audience.  He captured Laurie’s earnest nature and maintained this youthful energy throughout the entire show.  The spirit of Laurie and the March sisters was embodied in the song “Five Forever,” as the girls proclaimed Laurie an “honorary March brother” and promised to always be there for one another.

 

While the show had strong leads, some of the supporting characters carried the show.  Jordan Budzinski, as boardinghouse owner Mrs. Kirk, mastered a spot-on Irish accent and provided comic relief.  As Professor Bhaer, Matthew Acquard delivered with a polished German accent.  While audience members new to the story were initially surprised at his relationship with Jo, one must admit that Acquard and Bradbury had palpable chemistry, and the audience rooted for the couple by the end.

 

Small technical elements added interesting touches to the show.  As Jo read her “blood and guts” stories to Professor Bhaer, actors struck frightening poses behind screens that made up the walls of the house, creating gruesome shadows.  During one scene in which Jo, Amy, and Laurie went ice skating, the tech crew created real snow falling outside the attic window. Persistent microphone problems often made it difficult for the actors to be heard, but they remained professional throughout the show.

 

If you weren’t a fan of the original book, don’t dismiss Little Women as a lackluster musical based on a lengthy novel.  Rather, “take a chance” on Reservoir High School’s production, and you may be surprised. 

Permalink Reply by Cecelia Holt on March 9, 2012 at 4:50pm

Walking into Reservoir High auditorium, the audience is greeted with a house, complete with attic and piano. Soon four intelligent, beautiful and playful sisters fill the stage with their voices ringing to the rafters. The audience traveled through four years of their lives and numerous marriages.  Reservoir High school presented Little Women with class and respect to the novel by Louisa May Alcott.

 

Sisters Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth March have gone through about everything. From attending balls, to fighting in wars, to stealing Christmas trees from the neighbor. They even gain a fake-brother and several fiancées. Jo works her best to become a famous writer. Moving through the script with beautiful songs, the musical moves with speed and grace.

 

            The sisters always meet in Jo’s attic. And the attic stays on the stage at all time. So it makes sense for the attic to be the factor that ties the whole play together. The attic is a symbol of how the sisters’ lives were, and how they change. At one point, all the furniture was covered up, and then the window curtain was torn down. It was a very striking moment in the play, a moment of realization for Jo. She finally realized that the sister breaking up was not them leaving each other, but continuing to live their own lives.

 

            Allison Bradbury did a fantastic job portraying Jo March. She made angels cry with her soaring voice and she completely dove into her character. Her movements accurately portrayed the tomboyish Jo, who couldn’t care any less. Her reactions to other characters were spot on, not once was she anticipating any lines or movement. Even to the kiss, she reacted quite naturally and true to her character.

 

            In this show there were very few small parts. Even characters who were double-casted put their all into every performance. The Thursday show featured Katie Kelly as Beth, who made the audience weep in her beautiful duet with Jo in the song “Some things are meant to be.” Andrew Rayo also did a fantastic job portraying Laurie Laurence.  He kept certain childishness about him from the first time that the audience meets him, to the last time he is on stage. He bounds about the stage with amazing agility and consistency.

 

            One thing that blew the audience out of the water was the gowns the March Little Women wore. Not only were they floor length, and hoop skirted, but also they were all different.   The costumes for the Operatic Tragedy were also impressive. The hag costume fit Fiona Bell perfectly, completely covering up her sweet face and completely differentiating her from Marmee.  The wigs though were very distracting; it was easy to tell that they were, in fact wigs and not real hair. The actors tried their best with them and played the wigs to their advantage. The techies were absolutely amazing!!!  They had all of the transitions planned out perfectly so that everything came on stage in an orderly. Sometimes the transitions were lacking but that is typical for the first night.

 

            Aside from a few mishaps, typical for an opening, the actors of Reservoir rocked out their script and lyrics. The audience would probably love to see the other actors try out the double-casted roles. There were things to tweak, but Reservoir High School left the audience “Delighted” and the actors and crew were “Astonishing.”

Permalink Reply by Swinita Shah on March 9, 2012 at 9:05pm

Do you enjoy great music, romance and drama? Make your way over to see Little Women The Broadway Musical!

Set in the Civil War time period this production is about Josephine “Jo” March (Allison Bradbury) who is the tomboy like uplifting spirit of the March family. She lives with her sisters Meg (Stephanie Ichniowski), Beth (Katie Kelly) and Amy (Anne Forbes). The only parental figure in their life is their mother Marmee (Fiona Ball). They have a father who is in the Union Army. Jo is the leader of the house and an aspiring writer. Through out this wonderful musical you get to see how Jo matures along with her sisters and how she accomplishes her dreams of being a writer while being a responsible figure in the March family and society.

  The melodious harmonies and great cast anchored the show. The musical numbers were fabulously executed by the performers and instrumentalists. There were a few minor microphone and sound system malfunctions through out the night but the actors and instrumentalists still kept going. Something the audience really admired was that the actors projected loud enough that they were properly heard even when their microphone wasn’t working.

   Allison Bradbury (Josephine March) did a splendid job of keeping the audience at the edge of their seats and the energy going. Another actor she was accompanied by for a great portion of the show was Andrew Rayo (Laurie Lawrence) he brought romance and passion to the stage whether it was a tragic scene or something as simple as “Lets go skating Jo?”

  Anne Forbes (Amy March) was an actor that gave the show an extra wow factor. She portrayed a great little sister and a cunning little devil. According to the audience they weren’t sure whether to love or hate the character of Amy all they really knew was that Anne had all of the qualities that were needed to properly play the part of Amy.

  Although the tech crew had some malfunctions and tiny errors during the production they still managed to pull through and end the show on a positive note. The costumes of the characters were great and properly represented the time period. The actors’ stage make up was very natural and well suited to there character. There was a great backdrop that would change colors as the mood of the play changed which really helped boost the sets features. As mentioned earlier there were sound problems throughout the night but the to the audience all was forgiven because everything else was perfect.

   The little March women defiantly shined in Reservoir High School’s production of Little Women The Broadway Musical. This was a tear jerking adventure that you surely wouldn’t want to miss out on!