Meet the Marches, the women at the center of the upcoming RLC spring musical "Little Women: The Broadway Musical"

INA, IL (March 30, 2022) -- With Women's History Month coming to an end, take a moment to celebrate the family who is the heart of the Rend Lake College Spring 2022 musical.

"Little Women: The Broadway Musical" opens Thursday, April 7, in the RLC Theater, beginning at 7 p.m. The show is directed by RLC Music Professor Sara Alstat-Sanders.

Tickets are now on sale, and the cost is $12 per seat. Secure your spot for one or more showtimes by calling 618-437-5321 ext. 1467.

The musical is based on the coming-of-age novel by Louisa May Alcott, which has delighted readers for generations. Taylor Frank of Valier is getting the chance to step out of her usual typecast. Frank plays Marmee, the matriarch of the March family who has the challenge of raising her four daughters while their father is serving as a chaplain for the Union Army during the Civil War.

“Marmee is the glue that keeps the family together,” Frank said. “She is super inspiring. She supports her girls no matter what they want to do. Jo doesn’t fit into societal norms but she is ok with that. She loves Jo and supports Jo in whatever she wants. Meg is the romantic one, and she wants to have a family life. She supports her youngest in going off to Europe. She is big on loving all of her girls and loving each one for who they are.”

Frank lit up the stages last fall as the White Witch in “The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe.” Switching gears to bring to life a completely different character is something Frank is looking forward to most about the upcoming production.

“Her personality and mine are very similar,” she said. “I am excited to play a character I absolutely adore. I pride myself on being a kind person because I think there isn’t enough kindness in the world.”

Olivia Bailey of Mt. Vernon is cast as Josephine “Jo” March, the second eldest daughter and heroine of the story. Bailey said she looks up to her spirited character who is determined to set the world on fire.

“She is very strong, very independent and she has a big imagination which I think I connect with the most,” Bailey said. “I just like how certain she is of herself but also trying to find herself at the same time. She is very powerful and a great inspiration for girls of all ages.”

Heidi Carroll (Benton) plays Meg, the eldest daughter and Dylann Torres (Marion) is Beth, the third daughter, in the spring musical. 

Carroll described her character as the straight arrow that doesn’t command a lot of attention while Torres points out that the sweet and innocent Beth does no wrong. 

“When people think of classic novels they think that it will be boring or they’re in a hard language and they won’t understand what’s going on,” Torres said. “That’s not true for this one.  It’s about children growing up. It's relatable.”

Nealia Lewis (Waltonville) has been cast as the youngest sister, Amy, who is a part that is different from her own personality.

“She is very different than me,” Lewis said. “She is out there and excited and kind of dramatic. I’m kind of reserved. It’s fun to play something different.”

“Little Women: The Broadway Musical” was originally supposed to hit the RLC stage in the spring of 2020 but COVID restrictions forced the production to close a few weeks before opening night.

“We were ready to go,” Frank said. “The only thing that wasn’t ready was the set. I’m so thankful. We have got a great cast and a wonderful director. It’s going to be a great show.”

Opening night will be special for many of the actors who have had to wait for such a long time to bring their characters to life.

“Since we have been waiting to do it for so long, I was Amy in the original cast. I have been waiting,” Lewis said. “It’s a really talented cast. And the show is really fun. There is constantly something going on.”

Several members of the March family say the RLC show is one that they encourage everyone to come out and enjoy a night that retells a classic story in a new and beautiful way.

“After everything we’ve been through these last few years, I think even more people now will be able to connect to this story that they would have before,” Bailey said. 

“We all need a heartwarming musical because we had such a hard few years,” Carroll said. “It’s nice to do a show again.”

"Little Women: The Broadway Musical" has additional shows on Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9, at 7 p.m. and a matinee show on Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m.

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