Little Women

See it if Ok, so I never read the book, but, always heard about it, especially from a "Friends" episode + I've seen Kristolyn in 3 other productions

Don't see it if In the past several months and think she's awesome, so I decided to see this. I was actually quite pleased, amused, and interested. It kept

Also My attention. I don't have a reference point and now I'd like to check out the book, but, I'm pretty sure this "cliff-notes" version stayed true to the script. The four sisters were perfectly cast, but, "Cherry Lane" tends to have awesome productions anyway, even for theatrical works that I'd otherwise pass on... the 2+ hours went by and I'm sure there's a feministic contemporary take that added to this classic, but, brava!!!... Read more Read less

See it if You like classic stories told with an amazing cast.

Don't see it if You want to see shows done with old fashioned casting.

See it if If you Liked the book. Great acting of all the 4 sisters and the rest of the actors . True to the story

Don't see it if If you didn’t like the book . If you only Like comedies.

See it if you love the novel - although Hamill did an interesting take on the characters, the heart of the story is still there.

Don't see it if you are an Alcott purist as Hamill’s interpretation might turn you off.

Also I think everybody was in awe on what Hamill has done with Sense and Sensibility that a lot of my friends were disappointed at how straight forward her production of Little Women turned out. While it’s true that the show lacked the ingenuity of Hamill’s past productions, it made up for its brilliance in reinterpreting the beloved Jo. Well not so much of a reinterpret but more like giving her a new depth of character. And I applaud her for that. I was hoping that she would do the same with Laurie but I guess that might drastically change the story already. Still I thoroughly enjoyed the play. It was still in previews so I guess the staging and flow would improve but the acting are already top notch.... Read more Read less

See it if Hamill doesn't really change anything - just draws Alcott's subtle subtext to the surface in a thoroughly enjoyable production.

Don't see it if U need all the bells & whistles of KH's previous productions.I found this presentation perfect for the source material.The fun is slyer this

See it if you love the messiness of family life. You want to see a well-staged drama. *I was unable to attend, so this review was provided by a friend

Don't see it if you're expecting a direct imitation of the original, or if you don't have the patience for a long show (2.5 hrs).

See it if You love the March sisters, Kate Hamill's other productions and some old fashioned story-telling with a few twists

Don't see it if What you loved about Sense & Sensibilty was the mad-cap staging. This take is more staid, perhaps truer to the original in tone.

Also I thought the acting was terrific, especially Laurie, Marmie, Meg and Amy. I missed some of the humor of Hamill's Sense & Sensibility, but I thought the acting/casting was stronger than in some of her prior productions. Could have done with a bit less inter-scene furniture moving but the overall production is excellent. Really liked Meg's rant, though not sure that's in Alcott!... Read more Read less

See it if You liked the story of little women. They stuck to the story itself. It was in classic form. Loved the outfits and scenery.

Don't see it if You don’t like classics. You prefer a spin on classics or something more musical

See it if Love Kate Hamill, who continues to delight. Premise falls a bit short, but company is wonderful, so it's worth seeing.

Don't see it if you want to remember Little Women form your childhood, and can't stand the idea of Jo wanting to be a boy for real.

See it if You like the Kate Hamill productions of the classics. Great cast with interesting set changes. Aunt March’s parrot steals Act II.

Don't see it if You expect the same excitement as the Hamill production of Sense and Sensibility. A little slow moving in parts. Actors in multiple roles.

Also Kristolyn Lloyd is outstanding as Jo March. She captures the spirit and physicality of her character perfectly. Also Michael Craine is an amazing parrot.
He really stole the scene in Act II. LOL... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of the novel and want to see a live play of the novel that is a fair but not exact version.

Don't see it if You are not a fan of the novel or a stage adaptation that has questionable casting choices.

See it if u loved Little Women when U were growing up.It's a relatively straightforward retelling, though the 2d half is truncated & changed.

Don't see it if U're expecting this to be similar to Hamill's Sense & Sensibility, Vanity Fair, Pride & Prejudice. Only one scene is Hamill-esque slapstick.

Also I would probably have enjoyed this show more if I hadn't seen Hamill's Vanity Fair and Pride & Prejudice. I was expecting this to be similar....and it wasn't. Then when the second act began with a scene more like what I was expecting, I thought the 2d half would be more like her earlier plays. However, it soon returned to a very traditional retelling.

The traditional telling was good--but there are FAR better versions of Little Women available. (See Katharine Hepburn's Jo in a movie version.)

Moreover, the second half was very truncated. I always sob when Beth dies, but having Beth on her deathbed tell Jo to bring Laurie and Amy together really, really annoyed me. Beth was a very, very different sort of person than she was portrayed here.... Read more Read less

See it if You're a fan of Kate Hamill's adaptations. This one is not my favorite of hers but it's well done.

Don't see it if You're looking for a laugh-out-loud comedy; you dislike costume dramas.

Also I did enjoy Hamill's Pride and Prejudice. It can't beat her delightful Sense and Sensibility for grace and charm and humor, but it's well worth seeing. The direction kept everything moving, except that parts of Act 2 seemed a bit draggy. All the performances are wonderful, but Kristolyn Lloyd in particular is giving a star turn as Jo.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a modern adaptation of a classical novel.

Don't see it if you are expecting Hamill's antics as in Sense and Sensibility.

See it if wish for a family-friendly version of a classic for the 21st century. done well in a small space.

Don't see it if Kate Hamill fans will be a bit disappointed - not on the caliber as her other works. a nice story but not much beyond that.

See it if You want to see an updated version of Little Women where there's more of a focus put on trans/gay issues

Don't see it if You're looking for a traditional version of this story. The elements (costuming, design) remain in time but the adaptation feels current.

See it if you're a fan of the story, of Hamill's adaptations of novels by women, of options open to women more than a century ago.

Don't see it if you aren't interested in adaptations that add little to the original beyond an emphasis on Jo's difficulty fitting into gender expectations.

See it if You want to see an intelligent modern take on Little Women that reveals Louisa Mae Alcott's intentions & experiences. Nice work by Hamill

Don't see it if You are homophobic or locked into conventional treatment of the text.

Also The staging is far less interesting than that of some of Hamill's other plays plus the lighting is just plain bad. Perhaps the dim lighting is intended to help establish the time period but it also makes it extremely difficult to see & enjoy. I don't require distance glasses but I couldn't make out physical exchanges between characters or several expressions because the stage was so dark & it really damaged my ability to enjoy the play.
Very strong performance by KRISTOLYN LLOYD as Jo. That is needed because unlike the Austin plays there is no character here fitting for Jason O'Connell's talent. He was central to the power of Hamill's Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice.

I liked how Hamill took liberties to interpret Alcott in the 2nd Act particularly with her own character - Meg & I enjoyed the open disdain for Amy's character throughout.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of book and don't mind adaptation , liked Hammils other works

Don't see it if You're expecting Austen humor or pace, this is darker and slow...crying out for some comedy or light...but that's not Alcott.

See it if You love the story and want to see a fairly straightforward retelling.

Don't see it if You're hoping to see a reinvention of the work or the unexpected.

See it if you are a fan of Kate Hamill and/or Little Women. Tone and story aligned with the original novel. Talented acting, clever staging.

Don't see it if you want the energy, pace, and comedy of Kate's "Sense & Sensibility."

See it if A fan of Hamill's work, even though this adaptation falls short, being more fem statement than her usual revelation through reimagining.

Don't see it if A real fan of the original—Jo's rebelliousness is intact but the narrative is truncated, would need a third act to finish. Long night as is.

Also Well cast and nicely staged, the diverse performers bond and create a real sense of family, each actor having quick moments to shine over the course of an at times slow and long evening. Lloyd gives a brave and plucky performance, avoiding what could have been an abundance of clichés.

The problems arise with Hamill's script, which here is less re-imagining and mining for truth than it is making obvious points about self-expression and gender identity: a Jo Marsh always in pants is less a mystery than a cry for encouragement.... Read more Read less

See it if You liked the book. Its interesting to see the story on stage.

Don't see it if You're expecting the same wit and humor as Kate Hamell's preceding plays. This is more of a feminist interpretation.

See it if you want to see some stunning performances. You don’t have an allegiance to the book and thus don’t mind what all they’ve changed.

Don't see it if you hold the text as sacred and expect to see the story you know and love. This takes a lot of dramatic license and doesn’t tell it all.

See it if Kate Hamill is brilliant but she missed the mark with this one.

Don't see it if Ponderous and draggy, this play lacked Ms Hamill's customary spark and wit.