June 12-13, 19-20, 26-27, July 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, Aug 7-8, 14-15, 21-22
Mother and Daughters
Little Women: The Broadway Musical was a classic example of ‘when life gives you turn lemons, turn them into lemonade.'
Amid the lockdowns of 2020–2021, the production team was determined to give actors a long-awaited opportunity to return to the stage. Fortunately, the venue—an entirely outdoor space—was ideal for such a production. However, rehearsals remained a challenge, as gathering large groups indoors was still a concern.
To address this, the production team selected a musical with a relatively small cast. Yet demand to perform was overwhelming, making casting decisions especially difficult. The solution? Two nearly distinct casts, with only Kevin Tanner appearing in both—each time in a different role.
Instead of the usual eight weekends of performances throughout spring and summer, the schedule was expanded to nine. The two casts alternated weekends, with one weekend shared between them.
For various reasons, the decision was made not to open on Memorial Day weekend. According to available records, this marked only the second time the theater had skipped that traditional opening since its founding in 1923. The previous outlier was the in 1936.
Although the production staff remained the same throughout, the actors brought their own interpretations to the script. Notably, the one of the casts included four members from the same extended family—an unusual and memorable detail.
The role of Jo was shared by Ila Dreessen and Jasmine Harrick, both longtime KFT regulars. Although they had never appeared in the same show before, they finally shared the stage in the 2023 production of The Sound of Music, where Ila played Maria and Jasmine portrayed her stepdaughter, Liesl.
The uniqueness of being one of the first theaters to open after the lockdowns brought the King 5 Evening show out to do a review of the production. You can see the video below.
As featured on King 5 Evening on Tuesday, July 20, 2021:
Production Staff:
Director: Craig Schieber; Asst. Director: Jenny Dresseen; Choreographer: Guy Caridi; Music Director: Dawn Brazel; Sets: Chris Stanley; Costumes: Ila Faubion Dreessen & Jenny Dreessen; Stage Manager: Danette Lam; Props: Stewart Shusterman; Sound: Bryan Castillo, Jerry Dreessen, Emma Shusterman, Greg Brown
