'Little Women' Musical Kicks Off NextStop Theatre's 2022-23 Season

HERNDON, VA — NextStop Theatre Company is kicking off its 2022-23 season with a musical production of Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic "Little Women."

While the story of the March family and daughter Jo's journey to becoming a writer in the 1800s may be familiar to many, the musical production takes the story into another realm, according to the show's director Charlotte La Nasa.

"I've been interested in 'Little Women' for a long time," she said. "It really speaks to me that this musical captures transcendental themes in a chamber musical, which means that there's not a large ensemble telling the story. So it is simple and moving, just with the characters and the plot and the music."

La Nasa was also struck by how this musical version of the well-known novel could be pared down and told with minimal sets.

"For our vision, the conceit is that the musical is staged by Jo in her mind and all played out in her attic," she said. "So our set designer, Nadir Bey, has created the skeleton of the March attic, and we've staged the entire musical with 10 actors."

One of those cast members is Tori Gomez, who is excited to be playing Amy March in NextStop's production.

"I've never read the book, but I knew the story as a whole," she said. "I wasn't very familiar with the musical. I didn't really start theatre until later in middle school, high school and I wasn't really exposed to that many musicals."

But, that all changed when her voice teacher in college shared "Astonishing," Amy March's song from the "Little Women" musical to practice.

"That was the first time I heard music from 'Little Women' and then after that, I just kept listening and I loved it," she said.

Gomez is not only the youngest member of the cast, "Little Women" is her first professional production.

"Fairly soon, before rehearsal started there was this opportunity," she said. "They were looking for an Amy. I had remembered really loving Amy's character and Amy's song. So, I sent in my stuff and I was very excited and yeah, here I am."

Katie McManus has been in seven NextStop productions and the role of the March children's mother is one she's wanted to play for a long time.

"I'm not a mother, but I am the oldest of six children. I understand it and I see my mother in Marmee a lot, having had a husband who was at war waiting for him and also losing a child. So, it's going to be an insane challenge to get through those songs," she said, laughing. "Only because my mother is 100 percent Marmee, with having four daughters around plus two more sons and things like that."

When asked what they would like audience to take away from their production of "Little Women," the two actresses and director had different answers.

"This is also just something that's been on my mind lately, but hug those you love," Gomez said. "Not because of loss or anything in the show. This is the first summer I've spent in D.C., which is very exciting. But it also means that I'm away from my family and I haven't seen them as much."

"We just want people back to the theater and back to see things," McManus said. "With this particular play/musical, it's family friendly. It's just a good way of bringing in everyone to see another version of a classic story."

"I want people to leave the theater unafraid to follow their dreams," La Nosa said. "That if people leave the theater believing that whoever they are, however alone they may have arrived, that they leave feeling more unified with the people in their lives, closer to themselves as a person, and uninhibited from their sense of drive."

"Little Women" is the first production of NextStop's 2022-23 season. Here is the the company's performance calendar for the coming year:

• Little Women: Aug. 28 to Sept 25
• Frankenstein: Oct. 21-Nov. 13
• 46 Plays for America's First Ladies: Jan. 27-Feb. 19, 2023
• The Cake: March 12-April 2, 2023
• In The Heights: May 12-June 11, 2023

NextStop Theatre Company's performance venue is located at 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, Virginia 20170. Information about NextStop and how to purchase tickets for any of its upcoming performances is available online.