Musical March Sisters Premiere

Not too far from Cambridge is the Orchard House, the home of famed Massachusetts author Louisa May Alcott and the inspiration for her 19th-century novel “Little Women.” This beloved classic was adapted as a musical in 2004. The Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s production about the famous March sisters will run from Thursday to Nov. 9 in Farkas Hall.

Co-producer Katherine L. Price ’14 sees the show’s historical significance as an asset. “It’s a modern day classic: a story that everybody knows, made contemporary by the music,” she says.

The story follows the March sisters—Jo (Taylor K. Phillips ’15), Beth (Olivia R. Miller ’16), Amy (Page Axelson, a senior at Reading Memorial High School ) and Meg (Tess V. Davison ’16)—as well as their mother Marmee (Charlotte L. McKechnie ’15) and their neighbor Laurie (Jeremy Y. Venook ’15). The adventures, revelations, and tribulations of the close-knit sisters and their community in Concord, Mass make up the plotline.

Of central focus in much of the musical is the character of Jo, an American literary heroine, whose legendary pluck and determination are only enhanced by the musical score and staging. Price notes that Phillips’s performance of “Astonishing” at the end of the first act is a show highlight.

“That’s the thing I like about the show,” Phillips says. “You get to see the reasons why she is so fearless.”

Although the story was written over a century ago, the cast and crew attest to the enduringly relatable themes as a major takeaway.

“It resonates especially with the Harvard community,” director Alexandra M. Kiley ’15 says. “It’s all about what it means to make it, how you can define your own success, and how to balance what you want to do professionally with what you want personally.”