The Broadway musical version of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” will premier at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts on Lower Fayetteville road on Thursday, August 9, through Saturday, August 11.

Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12, $10 for seniors and students, and are on sale at the Centre box office. Call 770-254-2787 (254-ARTS) for more information.

The last of this summer’s STAR performances, the Broadway version of “Little Women” is based on Alcott’s 1868 novel, with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. The script, by Allan Knee, follows Alcott’s familiar Civil War-era story of The March family. Father March is away with the Union army while sisters Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth keep in high spirits with their mother (Marmee). Their friendly gift of a Christmas holiday breakfast to a neighboring family is an act of generosity rewarded with wealthy Mr. Laurence's gift of a surprise Christmas feast.

Despite their efforts to be good, the girls show faults: the pretty Meg becomes discontented with the children she teaches; boyish Jo loses her temper regularly; while the schoolgirl Amy is inclined towards affectation. Gentle-natured Beth keeps the house in order. After happy times winning over the Laurences, dark times arrive as Marmee finds out about her husband's illness. Worse is to come as Beth contracts scarlet fever after caring for a sick neighbor. The story follows the challenges and progress of the sisters into young womanhood with the additional strains of romance, Beth's illness, the pressures of marriage and the outside world.

The musical is a part of the STAR (Superintendent’s Theatre Arts Resource) Project, a summer theatre arts workshop for Coweta students. It is the third STAR performance this summer, following “Into the Woods” and “Our Town” earlier in June.

The Centre’s STAR cast includes Brandon Copeland (Professor Bhaer), Courtney Bailey (Jo), Meagan Upchurch (Amy), Mary Anna Hendley (Meg), Meagan Johnson (Beth), Cari Hipp (Marmee), Jeremiah Hobbs (Laurie), Meagan Hubbell (Aunt March), Andrew Henson (John Brooke), Meagan Hubbell (Mrs. Kirk), Allison Rohan (Clarissa), Andrew Henson (Braxton), Jeremiah Hobbs (Rodrigo), and Elizabeth Murphy (The Hag, The Troll, The Knight).

The Musical Director for the Centre production of “Little Women” is Dr. Lynn Schenbeck, choreographry is by Erin Exner, and set and technical direction is by John Molettierre

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