'Little Women' Musical Debuts This Week With Bergen County Actors

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — Fans of the classic novel Little Women, the play Little Women, and the movie Little Women are in for a treat when Pixie Dust Players' production of the Broadway musical opens Feb. 8 at the JCC Metrowest in West Orange.

Based on Louisa May Alcott's 1868–69 novel, the story centers on the four March sisters— traditional Meg, wild Jo, timid Beth and romantic Amy— and their beloved Marmee, at home in Concord, Mass., while their father is away serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War.

Tenafly's Noa Avrahami plays Amy March, the youngest March sister and is a ball of energy.

"She’s sassy and funny but also ladylike and proper. Though Amy is the youngest she wants to be older than she is," she said. "My approach to playing her is to perfect those ladylike mannerisms and incorporate them into her actions, while keeping her young and silly personality."

Playing her oldest sister is fellow Bergen County resident Emily Moran as Meg. The Midland Park native had high praise for her costars.

"If you come to see our show," she said, "you will receive Broadway level talent and nothing less! It’ll be a show to write home about!"

Pixie Dust Players, currently housed in the JCC Metrowest in West Orange, recently celebrated their 15th anniversary. The group has produced dozens of show for casts of all ages in that time, including working on pilot productions with luminaries like Stephen Schwartz and massive entertainment companies like Disney and Dreamworks.

Little Women will mark their first adult production since 2019.

"Our goal is to tell the story of every character in the Little Women family, and have our audience laughing, crying and leaving more excited than when they arrived," said director Matt Dranzik. " With two casts of incredible actors alternating shows, every performance will be a new experience and entice audience members to come a second time."

Draznik noted, "Little Women is not only the story of Jo March and her dreams of becoming a famous writer; it is a
story about the connections between family, friends, and loved ones, which I believe we are all still finding again after the various isolations of the pandemic."

Russ Crespolini, who plays Professor Bhaer in the New York cast, said the director's vision has made the show extra special.

"Matt has a very specific vision of this show and has emphasized the physicality of our performances in order to move the story forward," Crespolini said. "But his emphasis on visual storytelling comes into play in not only the melodrama reenactments, but in the way we stand, sit, and navigate this world.""

Dranzik said any theatre can produce a good show with the right cast, crew, and resources.

"But this production will be something memorable, something that every audience will take home in their hearts and minds," he said. "So come hear our story this Feb. 8 to 18 at the JCC MetroWest. Be part of the experience and leave with something more."

Little Women bows Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and runs Feb. 10, 15, 17 at 7:30 and Feb. 11, 18 at 1 p.m.

For tickets, visit: https://jccmw.booktix.com/dept...