Life imitating art

Deidre Haren is following in Jo March’s footsteps this fall.

Haren, 21, who plays the tomboyish, literary lead in UC Irvine’s upcoming musical production of the classic 1869 Louisa May Alcott novel “Little Women,” will go to New York City to pursue her dream of acting on Broadway.

“Little Women” tells the story of a family of four daughters — Jo, sentimental Meg, sweet-but-frail Beth and grandiloquent Amy — who cope, along with their mother, Marmee, while their father is away during the Civil War serving as a chaplain.

“It’s just very special,” Haren said of the story and the show. She first saw the movie adaptation, starring Winona Rider as Jo, when she was in second grade. From there, Haren read the book and went to see the musical adaptation on Broadway when she was 17 — with her best friend, who was fighting a terminal illness. The comparison to Jo March’s sickly sister Beth was uncanny.

Haren’s roommate and best friend at school, Mazie Wilson, plays Marmee. Tony McConville, who plays Jo’s love interest, Professor Bhaer, has been one of her best friends since her freshman year.

“This is my last show at UCI,” Haren said; she graduates next month, and will spend the summer in San Diego working on a show before packing her bags and heading for the Great White Way to make a name for herself, just as Jo March did to become a published writer.

For her last production, Haren dove into researching Alcott and her time.

“She was an author that was so ahead of her time,” Director Myrona Delaney said of Alcott, describing her feminine and progressive qualities.

Delaney is associate professor of musical theater and head of UCI’s New York Satellite Program.

The Broadway musical by Allan Knee, with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, debuted in 2005 on Broadway.

The musical gives audiences glimpses into characters not included in the book — like Professor Bhaer’s thoughts upon being in New York after Jo leaves.

The show’s directors say their experiences with “Little Women” are numerous — a mother’s favorite book, it inspired a trip to Broadway with Delaney’s daughter.

“Our costume designer’s mother is a Civil War buff; she was thrilled to be on this project,” Delaney said. Her family’s roots are in the Boston area, and she has extensive experience in period costumes. The female members of the cast have been rehearsing in corsets to get used to singing and dancing in them.

The cast’s actresses had a sleepover to create a familial bond.

“We encouraged the students to match who they are and who they’re playing,” said Musical Director Dennis Castellano, the head of musical theater at UCI.

All sets and costumes are designed in-house for the wholly undergraduate production; a “small but mighty” eight-piece orchestra will perform during the show, Castellano said.

Delaney underscored that the show has universal appeal.

“I think that’s one of the interesting things about the show — it’s not just for women. It’s about a family during the Civil War,” Delaney said.

IF YOU GO

WHO: Claire Trevor School of the Arts and Department of Drama

WHAT: Little Women, the Broadway Musical

WHEN: May 29 to June 6

WHERE: Claire Trevor Theatre, UCI

COST: $18 general; $16 seniors, UCI staff and faculty; $9 students and children

INFORMATION: (949) 824-2787; ticketmaster.com, www.arts.uci.edu/events