The Orignal Writing Team for Little Women was Replaced Right?

Is this the team that got replaced?

http://www.villagetheatre.org/mainstage_0708-lw.shtml

Any details on why this happened, etc, would be appreciated, as I am doing an article on both.

But this version has "I have a Garden" in it, which I believe was in the original. This production was the team that got fired. Though they have put it up elsewhere, it was originally going to be produced by the same people who ended up doing the Foster version.

The writers of the Broadway Little Women were replacements for other people?? THEY must have REALLY sucked.

Yup - this is the original team, that was "fired" from the Broadway production of Little Women.

I actually was cast (but had to turn down) in a production of it in 2003.

The story is - Kim, Alison, and Allan Knee were all commissioned to write a musical of LW, that was aimed toward broadway. The score was good - but seemed a bit more aimed at Children's theater than the broadway score (which was also pretty darn kiddie, IMHO), but it was accomplished and way more polished and crafted than the Broadway score. Really strong lyrics and more period appropriate music. (I'm sorry, but inserting a JRB like pop number in the middle of the show ('Take A Chance on Me') was almost unforgiveable)

Anyway, Jason Howland and his wife, Dani Davis, had the commercial rights for the show, and, after a couple of workshops, they decided to fire Alison and Kim so that Jason (who cut his teeth being Frank Wildhorn's music director)could write a brand new score to Allan's book.

After that - Alison and Kim (who is actually a guy - btw - think he's scandinavian or something) decided to push forward with the regional route, and have been doing it here and there ever since.

I'm sorry. I'm familiar with the book and every film adaptation out there, and this musical missed the mark on so many levels.

For a really incredible and moving adaptation of the story to a musical setting, try Mark Adamo's opera. It's transcendently beautiful.

When I fist saw the show on tour I hadn't read the novel , but I was able to follow the plot pretty well, although I thought at the time that the characters (except for Jo) weren't well developed and a lot of the music was forgettable.

Then a read the novel and realized that Allan Knee's book for the show was like the sparknotes version of the orignial. There were so many missed opportunities to hit some really emotional notes with the audience. Why didn't Laurie have a sweeping ballad to sing when he gets rejected by Jo? Why was the return of Mr. March left out of the show altogether? Why didn't we see more of the other sisters? It just seemed like they could have done so much more with the material than they did.

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but a clear plot line and developed characters clearly wasn't their focus when writing this show, so..

LOL! Too true.

(And to think I saw the tour multiple times.)

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"I agree with the critics that said that this might be the best show that could have been made from this particular novel."

Then it wasn't worth musicalizing

"I agree with the critics that said that this might be the best show that could have been made from this particular novel"

Please, take the time to listen to how very superior this is to the Broadway cheese-fest.
Beth's Aria - Have Peace, Jo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3R1zwB6L2U
I know it's not a musical, but if you're interested in the best musical adaptation of Little Women out there, look no further.

Sondhead, that was my point, that LITTLE WOMEN never merited a musical adaptation on Broadway. I think it's a good piece for community theater or a high school production, but it lacks any kind of sophistication or thrill that it'd need for a Broadway production to succeed. I agree with Bobby that as it stands, Broadway's LITTLE WOMEN is an exercise of Theater 101. And I know it has been said repeatedly, but "Astonishing" is one of the most shameless intents to copy "Defying Gravity."

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