Even though “Little Women” is set during the Civil War, two of the actors in Wagon Wheel Center for the Art’s production of the musical “Little Women” have found similarities between their lives and the characters they play. In “Little Women” there are four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Elaine Cotter is the Wagon Wheel actress playing Jo in the Broadway musical of Louisa May Alcott’s book at the theater. In real life, she also happens to have two sisters – Megan and Beth. “I have two older sisters. Fun fact: Their names are Megan and Beth, which are two of the other characters in the show, so that is just funny,” Cotter said in an interview Monday afternoon. “My sisters in real life are five and seven years older than me, so I’m significantly younger than them, but it was never ... I think they fought together more than I fought with them because I was the younger one. But in the show, there’s so much playing in the attic and imagination and creation – sisters laughing together and having fun together, and that was so my childhood growing up.” For her role as Jo, Cotter said she channels those good times growing up with her two sisters for a frame of reference. “It’s a blast, I love it,” she said. Keaton Eckhoff, who plays Theodore “Laurie” Laurence in Wagon Wheel’s production of “Little Women,” didn’t have any sisters growing up. “When I grew up, I had a lot of friends who were girls,” he said. “And there was one I actually had a crush on, and she didn’t actually like me. But I’m sure we all had that. But that’s what I’m kind of channeling; like we were such close friends, such good friends and it was heartbreaking when I told her I liked her and she didn’t like me back. We still remain friends though.” In “Little Women,” Laurie asks Jo to marry him, but she turns him down. According to a synopsis of the musical provided by the Wagon Wheel, “Little Women” follows the adventures of the March women. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested. Her friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that she has to do better and write more from herself. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves together her story with that of her sisters, recounting their experiences growing up in Civil War-era America. “Jo is one of four sisters. The ‘Little Women’ is the four sisters. And she is the second oldest, there’s one above her,” Cotter said in describing Jo. The four sisters – from oldest to youngest – are Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. “She starts out being 15, and the (musical) takes place over a couple of years, and ends up being around 20. It’s just kind of her journey. The musical ‘Little Women’ is about Jo and her wanting to become a writer and wanting to become this person who can change the world with her stories that she writes,” Cotter continued. Eckhoff said Laurie is “a kind of an orphan, my grandfather took me in. He’s Mr. Laurence in the show. And I don’t have a mom and I don’t have a dad. I’m assuming that my dad died in war and that my mom – the backstory that I made is that my dad died in war and that my mom died in childbirth, so my grandfather took me in. So I become a good friend of the March sisters and we all make a pact to stay together forever and that is one of the big numbers is ‘Five For All Forever.’ And it’s a fun part. I fall in love with Jo in the first act, and then in the second act I end up marrying Amy when I meet her over across seas in Europe because I was so defeated when Jo turns me down. So my grandfather lets me go to Europe and I meet up with Amy and Aunt March and I fall in love with her.” Cotter said she read the original book by Alcott when she was younger, but reread it in preparing for the show to be more informed. “The book is very long. It’s very good, it’s such a good book. Louisa May Alcott is such a good writer,” Cotter said. “It is very long, so the musical obviously is a much, much more condensed version of the book. But I would say it sticks pretty much to it. I would say there’s no crazy surprises. If you have read the book, you can pretty much expect all the big events that happened in the book to be in the musical.” The only big difference between the book and the musical, she said, is that the father is present for a huge portion of the book but doesn’t appear in the musical. He is referred to by the characters. “The relationship between Jo and Laurie is very developed in the book, and I think it’s very developed in the musical. The relationship between the sisters – same thing. You totally understand from the musical the exact reflection of what the characters are in the book, too,” Cotter explained. As for the music in the show, Cotter said it has a “pretty wide array.” Eckhoff considers it “a tie between classical music with contemporary elements thrown in.” There are some marching drums in one number. “There are some power ballads,” Cotter said. The song “Delighted” is a classical musical theater number, Eckhoff said. “Everyone will love it. It’s beautiful. The musical is just beautiful. The orchestra is just going to be beautiful,” Cotter added. As for the show itself, she said it’s a mix of drama, romance and comedy. “There’s definitely some real funny parts. You’ll be laughing out loud and you’ll be crying. I can guarantee it, especially if you have sisters or even know a family that has a bunch of girls. If you have siblings. It’s emotional ... just because of circumstances that happen within the family,” Cotter promised. “But overall, I think it’s an uplifting story,” Eckhoff interjected. “It’s about camaraderie between family. And I think everyone can relate to family first. I think everyone can relate to that and I think that’s what everyone can get out of this.” To see the full interview, visit the free video section on the Times-Union website at www.timesuniononline.com. Tickets are on sale at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts or can be purchased online at wagonwheelcenter.org. The cost of admission is $32 for adults, $24 for seniors, $18 for students and $14 for children up to age 12. Call the box office at 574-267-8041 with any questions. The show runs through Aug. 22, and is presented by Parkview Warsaw.
