What exactly is Jo the musical?

There are ads all over TikTok and Instagram for a musical called Jo which I gather is based onLittle Women. They even have footage of a giant orchestra recording the overture. What they don't have is any real information about what the show is. Does anyone know?

It's a traditional, proscenium-style musical.

They're calling it an "unforgettable theatrical experience" because it seems like they want it to have the intellectual weight of a Light in the Piazza, and not be confused as a "MUSICAL!", as if they think all musicals are The Boyfriend or (the fictionalized) The Drowsy Chaperone and their serious artistic endeavor is above being thought of as those.

For reasons that they tout: the composer wrote the show in dramatic order "abandoning musical theatre conventions to propel the story through song", I found it extremely hard to listen to, and even harder to be compelled by. They recorded the entire show with cast and piano and then a few of the songs for full orchestra a few years ago and you can find bits and pieces of it all over the internet.

To me it feels like an assembly of film music cues: musicalized moments and ideas that sometimes build into perfectly pleasant songs, but leave the overall work rather devoid of a traditional structure. The breakout numbers are ... pretty, but don't really add much to the repertoire.

I suspect that a very visual director (and a large budget) could craft a rather stunning production with the material, but it seems like it needs a director who can advocate for its audience and force them to do the dramaturgical /score work that allows you to emotionally connect with the characters not just watch them sing at you. I really felt like the show just washed over me and then I left.

They're raising money for a spring workshop in the hopes that it (and the two "sold out" presentations they gave in NY this year) will give them the momentum to be Broadway-aimed. I truly hope that they use the workshop to work on the piece and not just as an extended backers audition.

Here's a very old interview on it: https://playbill.com/article/stritch-and-gibson-help-read-operatic-little-women-april-23-24-com-96199

Updated On: 12/19/23 at 01:41 PM

What's the point of this? You can't outdo Sutton Foster belting her face off singing "Astonishing" or Maureen McGovern's "Days of Plenty." Find another book that's out of copyright.

CATSNYrevival said: "What's the point of this?"

It seems to be one of those: it's a project that people who want a project have access to. As I mentioned, and the article I linked to mentions, it was written in the late '90s / early '00s. So it's not a new endeavor at all and the songs mentioned in the article are the ones they released recently. So, they're still holding on to the original material. I suppose one never really walks away from the shows that feel like they "almost" went.

However, having seen the presentation, and not trying to sound cruel, but the writing certainly doesn't justify its existence. Perhaps it could, but the authors would have to give up a lot of their approach and really dig into what makes singing characters compelling.

If they haven't figured out to do that inn the last twenty years though....