Alcott Musical’s ‘Little’ Pleasures 

The musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s most famous novel comes to downtown’s grandest theater when Broadway at the Granada presents Little Women – The Musical on April 10–11. The theatrical work, based on Alcott’s 1868–69 semi-autobiographical book follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March, each with divergent personalities yet determined to live life on their own terms. The sisters are at home in Concord, Massachusetts, while their father is away serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War. Their lives unfold through vignettes and musical interludes, interspersed with recreations of the melodramatic short stories Jo writes in her attic studio. The musical, with a book by Allan Knee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and music by Jason Howland, received mixed to positive reviews for its ambitious adaptation when it opened on Broadway almost 20 years ago.