{"id":521318,"date":"2026-11-07T03:50:20","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T03:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/521318\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T03:50:20","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T03:50:20","slug":"kick-off-cozy-season-with-musical-theatre-wests-little-women-the-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/521318\/","title":{"rendered":"Kick off cozy season with Musical Theatre West\u2019s \u2018Little Women: The Musical\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Step into the warm, welcoming surroundings of the March house this fall, as Musical Theatre West (MTW) presents a musical spin on the timeless classic, \u201cLittle Women.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lovers of Louisa May Alcott\u2019s much-retold journey can expect the same wit and sisterly affection through the lens of Director and Choreographer Cate Caplin, along with songs and a stunning score from Music Director and Conductor Diane King Vann. These characteristics will combine on the triumphant stage of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in \u201cLittle Women: The Musical<\/a>\u201d from Nov. 6-22, wrapping up MTW\u2019s 2026 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The March sisters, played by Jenna Lea Rosen (Jo), Jordan Cruz (Amy), Katie Roche (Meg) and Haven Watts (Beth), each experience love and loss together as they grow older and discover what they want out of life, yet reminds audiences that family and love are two necessary strongholds when achieving one\u2019s dreams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rosen, whose showstopping vocals will breathe new life into the strong-willed protagonist Jo March, spoke to the Signal Tribune before a day of rehearsals to discuss her love of \u201cLittle Women,\u201d her deep ties to Musical Theatre West and a penchant for playing strong female characters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Jenna Lea Rosen (Jo March) smiles as she waits to rehearse her lines on on Oct. 27, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

\"\"Diane King Vann, music director and conductor, looks at her binder full of lines as she plays the piano on Oct. 27, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a stretch to say Rosen was born for the theater, especially for her mother, who toured the country for \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d while pregnant with Rosen. Growing up in her grandmother\u2019s Orange County Song and Dance<\/a> studio, she has fond memories of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, where she was exposed to the magic of theater through shows like \u201cCats\u201d and \u201cSandlot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were such a vital part of my growing up and learning about theater,\u201d Rosen said. When she was 12, she took the MTW stage herself in the musical \u201cAnnie.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was around this time when Rosen was introduced to the March sisters and their lofty dreams, first loves and sacrifices. She remembers reading \u201cLittle Women\u201d for school, visiting Alcott\u2019s home in Concord, Massachusetts and feeling a \u201csort of magic in the house.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time it was written, it was quite progressive for the time period. It didn\u2019t narrow down women to just one thing. They weren\u2019t able to be put in a box. They wanted big things, they dreamt big,\u201d Rosen said. \u201cEveryone can see themselves in characters in the book and at its core it\u2019s about hope, family, chasing your dreams and how often you have to change your dreams while growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Katie Roche (Meg March, middle) and Jenna Lea Rosen, (Jo March, right) enthusiastically talk with Ariel Neydavoud (Laurie, left) as the \u201cLittle Women: The Musical\u201d cast practice their lines on Oct. 27, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\"\"Cate Caplin, the director and choreographer for \u201cLittle Women: The Musical,\u201d watches as the cast walks in before rehearsal on Oct. 27, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Having big dreams herself, Rosen found herself enamored by Jo, the story\u2019s main protagonist. While Rosen grew up envisioning herself on stage and screen, Jo dreamed of becoming a writer, during a time when women weren\u2019t typically given the opportunity to make a living for themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rosen said she jumped at the opportunity to be a part of \u201cLittle Women: The Musical\u201d since the show isn\u2019t often performed regionally. She admits that she\u2019s also always been drawn to Jo\u2019s determination and stubbornness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe and I have both had curveballs thrown at us within our lives and we\u2019ve had to readjust and find out that changing your dreams doesn\u2019t mean abandoning yourself and your wants, it just means that you have to find a new dream or find a new version of that dream,\u201d Rosen said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Taking on a singular role like Jo is also fitting at this point in Rosen\u2019s career. For the last year plus, she\u2019s been traveling the country with \u201cSuffs,\u201d a Broadway musical about the 1913 women\u2019s suffrage movement. It\u2019s the latest in a long list of strong female characters Rosen has taken on, including her Disney voice acting roles: Sofia the First, Alice (of Wonderland) and Vampirina.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"(From left to right) Meg, Jo, Laurie, Amy and Beth, lock arms during rehearsal on Oct. 27, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Rosen also played Wednesday in \u201cThe Addams Family,\u201d Sandy in \u201cGrease,\u201d Belle in \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d and Elsa in \u201cFrozen,\u201d all in various theatrical productions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things I\u2019ve been so grateful to be able to do is to portray these women who refuse to accept the limitations that society or whoever has placed upon them,\u201d Rosen said. \u201cI think in today\u2019s day and age, to be able to expose new young women to these characters, I hope to inspire the next generation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Women: The Musical\u201d will be playing at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center (6200 E. Atherton St.) from Nov. 6-22. Tickets are on sale at musical.org\/events\/little-women-the-musical\/<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a>\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Step into the warm, welcoming surroundings of the March house this fall, as Musical Theatre West (MTW) presents…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521319,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[120269,137491,199504,131,133,132,116898,1058,3240],"class_list":["post-521318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-carpenter-performing-arts-center","tag-little-women","tag-little-women-the-musical","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-musical-theatre-west","tag-theater","tag-theatre"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=521318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/521319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=521318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=521318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=521318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}