CODA: Little Women - Review by Matt Dorahy

CODA’s production of Little Women is a heartfelt and vibrant retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic, brought to life with warmth, humor, and an abundance of heart. This musical adaptation captures the timeless story of the March sisters, as they navigate love, ambition, loss, and the unshakable bonds of family.

Before I begin I want to state that all opinions are my own based on my interpretation of the characters in this story. I have seen multiple types of adaptations of this classic and naturally these characters are brought to life with new eyes and characterisations each time.

Jordan Berry led the cast as the iconic Jo March with expertise, she had each and every audience member in the palm of her hand from beginning to end. Jordan carried this story with fiery determination, charm, elegance and perfect pitch. Notably, the Act 1 closing number that everyone came to see ‘Astonishing’ was nothing short of that: Astonishing. Though, my particularly favourite moment of hers was her first solo ‘Better’, which perfectly set the tone for the beginning of the huge journey she took us on.

The absolute standout performance of the night came from Lucy Bailes as Marmee March, every moment she was on stage I was captivated by every single word that left her mouth. ‘Here Alone’ had me holding my breath, I really would have paid to watch her sing that for 2 hours straight.

Caitlin Beckwith proved to be a force to be reckoned with playing the stern Aunt March with ferocity whilst dropping the most hilarious one liners, paired with her stunning vocals left us wanting more!

Gabi Lanham as Meg balanced with Jo’s energy flawlessly. She provided the role with grounded nuance which brought a large amount of depth alongside her March sisters. Providing A class chemistry with every actor she performed alongside.

Bailee Guyer played Amy, with delighted wit and youthful ambition. Taking on the youngest March sister convincingly and showcasing stunning vocals in ‘The Most Amazing Thing’.

Rachel Baker’s quiet gentleness in the role of Beth offers some of the production’s most poignant and touching moments in the show. ‘Some Things Are Meant to Be’ was a definite highlight of the night, especially with the addition of Lily Barry and Katie Clements uplifting this number with beautiful choreography.

Naturally in this show centred on the female experience, the actors taking on the roles of the men in the show have to work twice as hard not to be overshun. This was done beautifully by Daniel Walsh as Professor Bhaer, providing subtle authentic reactions and facial expressions the entire way through. Though his standout moments were towards the end of the show during “A Small Umbrella In The Rain” these moments were elevated with stunning expertly choreographed intimacy coordination by Lucy Vella.

Joss Arkley-Smith took on the role of Laurie with comedic prowess and flair, I particularly preferred their brief moments of authenticity and stillness which allowed us to really capture their emotion in the role.

Amongst the rest of the ‘Little Men’ was Will Kilgour as Mr. Laurence, arguably the hardest character in the show to pull off but Will did a fantastic job on playing this role believably. Whilst Alexander Whitbourn as John Brooke, brought a down to earth heartwarming feel to his relationship with Meg.

Alongside this cast was an ensemble of performers who brought Jo’s stories to life, Lucy Gray who also played the role of Mrs. Kirk shun in this role, Blair Mangan played Rodrigo with impressive vocal work, Ingrid Hermenegildo played the fierce Troll with style, Meg Collis played an enchanting Hag, Parker Texilake brought his sword wielding into action as Braxton and Kayla Irvine had an epic reveal moment which I won’t spoil but it was indeed a highlight of the night.

The cast of children who took on the younger version of the March sisters and Laurie brought a new light of energy to this production with their beautiful uplifting moments of movement.

Visually, the production was elevated through stunning costuming by Melissa Sina Applin, dare I say, not a single costume missed its mark. Every single cast member had beautifully crafted costumes and the March sisters also had an impressive amount of costume changes. This was clearly a huge feat that Melissa accomplished, I was simply left in awe.

Kathryn Sergi provided a visually simplistic set design with minimal set changes which kept the pace of the show. Outlining the edges of the stage with poignant pieces of furniture leaving the middle of the stage open for the cast to play.

Director Kris Sergi has outdone herself with this beautiful staging, her direction created an endless amount of weaving these performers into aesthetic shapes and beautiful tableau’s, highlighting each key moment with focus and care. Her direction kept the pacing tight while allowing tender moments to breathe, giving the audience both laughter and tears in equal measure.

Tech Director and Assistant Director Grant Brennan took on multiple roles on the production team with ease. I’m sure it was no easy feat, but from my eyes his efforts seemed so seamless, so huge props to him!

Zoe Conolan-Glen led the orchestra with finesse, assisted by Marcy Gomez, providing this beautiful score with the exact amount of care it deserved and of course I’d love to extend my appreciation to the rest of her unseen orchestra who all deserve their praises!

The entire cast had a clear amount of chemistry between them, I can only assume this was the result of the Producer alongside Kris, creating an environment for these performers to be vulnerable and shine. This dynamic duo leading CODA has had an extremely successful launch year and I am very excited to see what they have in store for years to come.

CODA’s Little Women is more than just a musical, it’s a reminder of why this story captivates to this day. The production captures the spirit of resilience, the importance of family, and my personal favourite: the courage it takes to follow one’s dreams.