Little Women: The Broadway Musical opens Nov. 20; plays Fri., 8 pm; Sat., 3 & 8 pm; Sun., 2 & 7 pm; through Dec. 27. Tickets: $22-$35. The Eight Reindeer Monologues opens Dec. 1; plays Fri.-Sat., 11 pm; Tues.-Wed., 8 pm; through Dec. 19. Tickets: $20-$30. The Chance Theatre, 5552 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills. 714.777.3033 or chancetheater.org
This holiday season The Chance Theater tells a story of the power of family and artistic expression for all to enjoy. As a part of their continuing family literature series, The Chance is presenting Little Women: The Broadway Musical with music by James Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and book by Allan Knee based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott.
Casey Long
After a successful run of Anne of Green Gables at the end of 2007, The Chance’s Managing Director Casey Long, who directs Little Women, believes this show is another opportunity for the family to enjoy theatre together during the holidays. “We stayed with the same approach of Anne of Green Gables but we wanted to build on it and really show the power of family in this narrative,” says Long.
Long has been at The Chance since 1999 as an actor, lighting and sound designer, and managing director. “I have worn many hats, just like the rest of our company members,” he says.
Long describes Little Women as a timeless tale of the journey of a family through the many unexpected struggles and joys they experience. The show begins with the March sisters singing about the hope they have for a happy Christmas despite the absence of their father this year.
“The male figure of the house is away at the Civil War and his absence is an ever lingering presence throughout the show,” says Long. “This obstacle really shows the strength of family in the toughest of times.”
Little Women narrates the lives of the March sisters but focuses on the middle sister Jo’s personal journey as she searches for inspiration to write her family’s story. “Jo serves as a reminder of how you can make plans but life may throw you curve balls you are not prepared for,” he says.
One of the biggest challenges while working on the show was converting the story to be told in a 49-seat theater. Long did not think of the space as an impediment but merely as a tool to foster a connection with the audience. “We approach any show we do as if it was written for our space,” he says. “Doing the show in an intimate space includes the audience as part of the family so they really feel like they are with the sisters in their attic.”
Long uses flats and projections to create the many locations where the story takes place. These simple set choices create a believable yet workable environment for the cast to experiment and explore the world of the play.
Little Women
During the six weeks of rehearsal, Long relied heavily on his cast to make this beloved tale come to life. With a mixed bag of veterans and rookies ranging in age from 12 to over 50, Long had what he describes as “quite a bag of riches to choose from” in auditions.
The show is extremely ensemble oriented and therefore Long gave much of the responsibility and artistic ownership to the cast. “I don’t just simply tell my actors what blocking to do,” he says. “I want the storytelling to be owned by the people performing it.”
This group attitude fostered an atmosphere of family that extended beyond the stage. “We are a very professional theatre company but during rehearsal we just felt like a family,” says Long. “There is a bond in the acting, something that is really there.”
This intense bond is an element that adds to the poignant story already written and makes this production of Little Women truly a family affair.
For all of you Scrooges who want something a little less sentimental this holiday season, The Chance is also producing the celebrated The Eight Reindeer Monologues by Jeff Goode. Directed by Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen, this raunchy, anti-holiday Chance tradition tells the hilarious truth about Santa Claus from the perspective of his eight reindeer.
Long in Reindeer Monologues
This is Reindeer Monologues’ sixth year but despite the same script, it is a different show every night. “There is such a sense of freedom in this show,” says Long. “Every night we rotate actors so there is something new and ridiculous.”
Long says it is the perfect adult holiday show so he recommends leaving the kids at home. The two productions wrap up The Chance Theatre’s 11th season.
Feature image of Little Women cast (Melissa Dunham, Erika C. Miller, Eloise Coopersmith, Sarah Pierce, Stephanie Philo) by Christopher Trela
Article by Greta McAnany
