Every year, SNU students work to put on a production selected by the music department faculty, and it always proves to be a smashing success. This year will be no different, as students perform Little Women, a musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel. With significant student participation, two separate casts will perform on Nov. 7, 8, and 9, offering the SNU community multiple opportunities to see their talent in action.
Keeping with the story of Alcott’s novel, the musical centers on the March family, namely the four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and their lives. The plot primarily focuses on Jo’s ambitions to become an author. It also features Meg’s search for love, Amy’s desire to become a member of high society, and even Beth’s growing friendship with Mr. Laurence, a grumpy older man whom the sisters initially fear. Cast member and stage manager, Connor Padgett, expressed that “[what makes this show so special is that] it is not like anything we have done in recent years.”
Much work has been done to prepare for this show. Audra Faust, Director of Musicals, as well as the music teacher at the SNU Lab School, talked about how her role in this production is one of “guidance and support to mentor [students] through the challenges of putting on a musical,” helping them grow creatively and refine their skills in the process. One of these individuals is SNU student and Musical Director, Julia Gilbertson. Faust talked about Gilbertson’s role of encouraging her fellow students to “know their music and know it well.” No matter what role they play in putting this musical onto the stage, the students of this university have worked tirelessly to put a great production together.
Alongside memorable characters and fabulous songs, this musical allows SNU students to engage with stories that have messages we want to share with our community. Gilbertson notes that Little Women highlights “the goodness in community and consistency with relationships,” which SNU aspires to do as they point students to Christ and a life of fellowship.
As a department, we produce these shows for the joy of creating them and to invite our audience to connect with the performance on a personal level. Everyone involved has poured their heart into making this production of Little Women a memorable experience. By engaging with the performance, audiences are encouraged to reflect on their own journeys, embracing the resilience and camaraderie the story celebrates. We invite you to join us for this heartfelt performance, which promises to resonate long after the final curtain falls.
Photos by José Ramos