MIDWEST — Springfield, Ky., native Aaron Robinson has done plenty of work with the Lexington Theater Company, but now the local Kentuckian is taking to the stage in a Broadway tour. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Robinson.
Robinson said he dreamt of performing in “Little Women” for years. When he heard the national tour was casting, he said he had to jump at the opportunity.
“This is a story that is almost engrained in us as a culture. I read it in school. I know that a lot of people read the story in school and I was really attracted by the music in this show — it’s absolutely gorgeous — but really it’s the story itself. It’s a story about perseverance and triumphing in spite of impossible odds,” he said.
Robinson portrays John Brooke in the show, Meg March’s love interest.
“It’s very much a love at first sight kind of connection. John Brooke becomes a little bit goofy and he’s at a little bit of a loss for words when he first meets her. It’s that quintessential musical theater, love at first sight, sort of moment. People always get a big kick out of that when they see the show,” Robinson said.
The couple sings a duet, which Robinson said is always a joy to perform.
However, his favorite part has to be the “Operatic Tragedy” performed in the beginning of Act II. During the sequence, characters from Jo March’s book come to life.
“Her imagination seeps into the real world a little bit and we see her characters come to life and act out this bold and daring and adventure story. There’s a hero and a villan but there’s also trolls and witches and knights. It’s very medieval fairytale energy that is pumped into our show,” Robinson said.
Robinson said that energy is welcomed. The show itself is set in Concord, Mass., during the Civil War, so the Shakespearean operatics is a favorite foil of his, as well as many audience members. The costumes, whether more Shakespearean or Civil War leaning, are all period accurate. They even come from a London-based costume shop. It’s the same costume shop that provided a lot of costumes for “Game of Thrones.”
But among all of the love stories, period ballgowns and funny imaginative moments, Robinson said there’s a much deeper message for midwestern audiences.
“I hope audiences take away the power of family. I think that family, specifically sisterhood — the relationship between the sisters — is at the core of the show,” he said. “And the power of perseverance. I really think that this show is about — specifically for Jo, the central figure of the show, but really for everyone — getting hit over and over, but getting back up again, and using those experiences of loss or tragedy or failure, using those experiences to drive you forward in life.”
“I hope that they see what Jo goes through, and what all of the sisters go through, and see that ‘If she can get through this, maybe I can get through whatever it is that I’m going through.’ It really is a timeless story. There’s a reason why the novel has had such staying power over the years. The topics that it covers really are so relevant, even today. It may be an old novel but the ideas of feminism and the power of that sisterly relationship that they all have is what keeps people coming back to this story over and over again,” Robinson added.
Katy Glodosky, the executive director at the Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan, Wis., echoed those themes, saying the story was “timeless” and appeals to all ages.
“We hope [audiences] walk away with the feeling of adventure and joy and a little bit of heartache and love,” she said. “It’s a classic coming of age story [with] a lot of family elements and sisterhood and overcoming challenges and really finding yourself.”
This theater season marks the first time Weill Center for the Performing Arts is hosting a Broadway series. Glodosky picked the tours that would come through Sheboygan, Wis.
Her favorite part of “Little Women,” no matter the rendition, is following the leading lady’s path.
“I really like Jo’s storyline. She’s a creator. She’s independent. She doesn’t take the typical path of the society’s standards. She does what her calling is, what her passion is. She finds her truths and lives by them,” Glodosky said. “It’s inspiring to me. I hope it will be inspiring to others.”
“Little Women” runs in Lexington, Ky., at the Lexington Opera House from March 14 to 17. It then heads to Portsmouth, Ohio’s The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts on April 24 and Akron, Ohio’s Akron Civic Theatre on April 25. Later this spring, “Little Women” heads to Sheboygan, Wis., running at the Stefanie H. Weill Center on May 3. It heads back to Ohio that month, running at Toledo’s The Valentine Theatre on May 14.
-
