Little Women: The Musical

Allie Boettcher

5/1/11

Musical Theatre

Little Women: The Musical Critique

            On Friday, April 29, I attended San Diego State University’s production of Little Women: The Musical, with music by Jason Howland, and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. This rendition of Little Women: The Musical, directed by Brandon Maier, was such a delight to watch. This was the first performance of the musical that I have ever seen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although this was the first time I’ve seen the musical I am very familiar with the story of Little Women. Four sisters have a strong bond with one another and each embodies their own individual personalities. This tale of the four March sisters is a true classic, and the rendition of it that I saw on Friday night satisfied my expectations.

            The performer that I have chosen to critique is Tom Vendafreddo, he played Laurie, the charismatic young man with a big heart and a deep bond with the March family, specifically Jo March. Tom made a perfect Laurie because not only did he physically suit the part, but also he suited the part vocally as well. I could tell that he really committed himself to the role, and I forgot that during the performance that he is in reality Tom Vendafreddo, an MFA at SDSU, and my vocal coach. His commitment to the role made his character more believable and engaged his audience. Tom also did an excellent job transitioning between speaking and singing because his transitions were motivated, there was a reason that his character needed to sing at that moment. As the character Laurie, it was clear what the subtext of his song was. Tom, as Laurie, especially had crystal clear subtext in the song, “Take a Chance on Me.” He really made it clear to the audience how he felt, you could see the true love that he has for Jo not only in his eyes but in the gestures he made. For example, he did a lot of open gestures and moved towards Jo, which successfully expressed the excited, bubbly feeling that he was having. As an audience member, you could see how anxious and nervous he was to reveal his true feelings for Jo. Tom’s commitment physically and emotionally to his character Laurie shined through. His subtexts in his songs were clear and the connections he made with other characters made his character believable.

            Tom brought clarity, also, to the type of person Laurie is to his audience, and he seemed natural and comfortable on stage doing that. Tom has great stage presence, the moment he steps out on stage he just lights up. The stage presence that Tom has breathes life into his character, he really became Laurie. One of my favorite moments in the musical was when Tom sang, “Take a Chance on Me,” because he had a clear objective and obstacle. His objective, as Laurie, was to propose his feelings to Jo and to propose marriage to her. His obstacle is that she may reject him. Tom brought the lyrics to life in the motivated movements, gestures, and crosses he made. His performance of the song made his objective and obstacle obvious to the audience. Tom’s performance of this song was one of my favorite moments in the musical because it showcased his stage presence and the clarity of his objective and obstacle enriched the likeability of his character. 

            The quality performer that Tom is was exuded through his performance as Laurie. He is a talented performer and has a beautiful voice. It was easy to understand what he was speaking and singing about because he has good annunciation and a nice tone quality. His tone was forward both when he spoke and when he sang; I could hear that his voice was in the right place. Not only did he sound great but he moved with fluidity. His movement and his sound complimented each other nicely. Tom looked and sounded great in his character, and overall he gave a clear, vibrant performance.

            I thoroughly enjoyed the entire production of Little Women: The Musical. Every performer on stage did a fantastic job portraying their characters and the cast sounded wonderful as a whole. Tom did an excellent job as Laurie, he is perfect for the role and gave a clear, captivating performance. Seeing this production was not only educational as a performer but it was a true delight. Ultimately, it’s my goal to incorporate what Tom did on stage to my own performances in the future. Watching this performance has been beneficial and participating in the Musical Theatre class this semester has re-shaped and stretched me outside of my box as a performer. I have learned a lot and am therefore very thankful to have been given the opportunity to participate in the class this semester.