Florida Weekly Previews ‘Little Women: The Musical’

This January it will all be about March. The March sisters that is. The famous foursome, brought to life by Louisa May Alcott, has long been a part of our cultural lexicon.

When Players Circle Theatre presents “Little Women, the Musical” from Jan. 6-25, 2026, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy will come to life more buoyantly than they did when you read the book in 6^th grade English class.

The uplifting story of the four sisters, their mother, neighbors and loved ones was an instant literary hit when it was written by Alcott in the late 1800s.  It was later adapted into a musical with a book by Allan Knee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and music by Jason Howland.

Director Ted Wioncek says this is the theatre’s largest production to date. “It’s a big Broadway-style musical, in an intimate setting,” he explained. “It will be fun to give audiences the experience of the intimacy of reading a book while making those characters jump to life on the stage.”

Set in Concord, Massachusetts during the Civil War, the play explores the relationships between the young women of the house while their father is away serving as a chaplain for the Union Army.

Alone at home with their mother Marmee, who calmly holds the family together in her husband’s absence, the play explores the changes within the family as the girls grow.  The interactions between the young sisters keep the house a lively one, while reflecting the uniqueness of each character.

Eldest Meg is the most traditional of the sisters.  Conventionally prim and proper she is also kind and loving. She ends up marrying John Brooke and having two children as the story develops.

Independent second-born is fiery Jo. A passionate writer, she represents the challenges of driven women during this period in American history.   Determined to pursue her own writing career and even rejecting a marriage proposal from a neighborhood young man, Laurie, she is committed to carving her own path no matter how unconventional.  She eventually became engaged to an academic, Professor Bhaer.

Beloved Beth is selfless and constantly lives to support her sisters’ endeavors. She is a musical protégé but in the second act dies of scarlet fever, altering the dynamic among the family.

Spoiled youngest Amy is rarely satisfied with what she sees as a boring life. She aspires to sophistication and yearns to live a more elegant existence. She eventually marries Laurie, though he was once Jo’s paramour.

Wioncek has assembled a top-notch creative team to complement his direction. Costumer Sallyanne Sullivan Bianchetta, Choreographer Amy McLeary and Musical Director Ricky Pope make the entire team as colorful as the March family themselves.

Casting was an intense process with the team knowing how etched the characters they were looking to cast were in the minds and hearts of the American public.

“We auditioned hundreds of performers, many submitting from as far as New York City and beyond,” explained Wioncek.  “We searched for a balance between authenticity to the characters we know and love from the book, and the ability to offer a lively energy to their performances that would set the stage ablaze.”

And set the stage ablaze it is sure to do. This will be the largest cast of the season, comprised of former Players Circle performers and ensemble members. “This is the perfect musical to feature our multifaceted artists,” said Wioncek. “We have assembled the perfect cast for this story. Every single actor is tailor-made for their role. “

Player’s Circle Ensemble Members appearing in the show include Ft Myers actress Kimberly Suskind as Jo March; fellow Fort Myers resident AJ Mendini as John Brooke; Northern California performer Betty Nordstrom as Aunt March and Naples’ own John McKerrow playing John Laurence.

Performers who are returning to Player’s Circle, having appeared in previous productions, include Chicago’s Lexi Rae Smith as sister Beth March and New York performer Rachel Querreveld in the role of eldest sister Meg March.

Making their Players’ Circle debut is Bonita Springs’ actress Paulette Oliva as the matriarch Marmee; Illinois’ own Emily Ahrens as the youngest sister, Amy March; Orlando, Florida’s Jameson Stobbe playing heartthrob Laurie; and New Yorker Alex Martinez as Professor Bhaer.

Cast members reflected on what it means to be part of this ensemble. Oliva, in her role as Marmee said, “This has been a role I’ve wanted to do for ages,” she said. “To get to perform this, especially in such an intimate theater! It speaks to the tenacity of women through the ages, tenderness, and steadfastness as they cope with the death of Beth.”

Nordstrom in her role as Aunt March notes, “When I was ten my grandmother gave me a copy of the book and I read it cover to cover.  I was then gifted the dolls that corresponded to the book. I wasn’t aware how I would be touched after so many years and then being cast in it.”

Rae, as Beth commented, “I think the story is still so powerful and resonates with many people because they can see themselves in the characters. This story shows how women can find their own voices and importance. I have always felt a connection. In college, Beth was even a role that I studied in class. I’ve never had a sister, but this story makes me feel as if I do.”

Love interest Laurie is in good hands with portrayer Stobbe. “Laurie’s a lot more impulsive than I am, so that part’s going to be fun to play with in the rehearsal process,” he states. “It’s these impulsive and impetuous decisions he makes that get him in some of these major predicaments, and being able to play with a trait like that is such a great way into finding the character as an actor.”

Naples professional Jameson, playing Mr. Laurence, agrees that these characters are richly written. “I am playing Mr. Laurence who appears initially as a mean old man but longs for a family to love. To be true to the spirit of the story, especially when adding music to a classic, it must not change the mood or the message of the original.”

Amy’s portrayer, Ahrens, holds the material close to her heart. “The first time I read Little Women was when I was Amy’s age at 12. My mom recommended I read it and I just loved it. Since then, it’s one of my most re-read novels. ‘Little Women’ still resonates, in my opinion, because it’s about female relationships. In all of their messy, silly, and unedited truth. The sisterhood of this novel is so personal and so real that I literally used to pretend I was in the novel as a 5th sister when I was growing up.”

Finally, in the role of writer Jo, Suskind reflects, “She’s an incredible woman who is a complete trailblazer. She refuses to succumb to expectations of a ‘lady’ at the time and pushes to become the person she knows she was meant to be. I like to think of her as a contemporary woman born in the wrong era. She is full of heart and passion and longs to create the best life with and for her family.”

The story is so beloved that it has been translated into over 50 languages and adapted for television and film. It has even been argued, as in Anne Boyd Rioux’s book “Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters”, that the classic has shaped how women’s history is understood.

Wioncek agrees that the well-known story is part of our cultural identity. ”Everything stems from the text,” he feels. “Choices and discoveries made by each of the characters must be grounded within the confines of the script. Little Women is particularly unique because the text is both the script, as well as a 157-year-old classic novel.”

Naturally, each actor will embody their role while finding their own voice within the character. “The richest choices that will be made will be those founded within the author’s intent while providing a palpable energy that permeates the stage.  I told them ‘Six generations have read the book – but you will be the first to sing it! ‘” declares Wioncek.

Wioncek believes the story is so timeless and relevant because at its core the themes of ambition, identity, family and the struggle for self-definition are universal human experiences that still resonate deeply with modern audiences.

Audiences can expect a big Broadway-sized musical, complete with Victorian era costumes, soaring musical numbers, and an innovative set within this intimate theatre.

“What makes this particularly unique, aside from the general curiosity of how we’re going to pull it off, is that we can provide an intimacy akin to reading the novel by the fireside, while make the characters jump to life right before your very eyes. It is literally from the page to the stage,” said Wioncek. “Heartfelt and energetic we know our adaptation honors a beloved classic about the enduring power of family for the entire family.”

Wioncek concludes, “In essence, ‘Little Women – The Musical’ endures because it captures what it means to grow, dream, break, and love; experiences that are just as alive now as they were in Louisa May Alcott’s time.”

Players Circle Theater is located at 13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-800-3292.