More than 5,000 students from the Long Beach area will attend free performances of "Little Women: The Musical" through Musical Theatre West's Student Matinee Program, with about half entering a theater for the first time in their lives.
Based on Louisa May Alcott's novel, "Little Women: The Musical" chronicles the March family, including daughters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March, as they grow up and figure out their hopes, dreams and wants while life throws curveballs at them.
"There are so many people that grew up reading this book, and to be able to pass that story along through the generations, there couldn't be a more poignant or more important thing that we can do as storytellers," said Bren Thor, associate producer at Musical Theatre West.
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Lea Rosen stars as Jo March, the second eldest daughter of the March family, in "Little Women: The Musical."
"She dreams of becoming a famous writer, and she won't let anything get in her way until she achieves that goal," Rosen said. "She refuses to accept any limitations that society wants to put on her."
Rosen said she sees a lot of herself in the character.
"I identify strongly with her determination and her passion for what she loves to do," she said. "I think she and I are also quite stubborn. We don't let a lot of things get in our way when we have our eyes set on something."
Rosen said she previously performed the role in a different adaptation of "Little Women" that began in 2021.
"What I think is so amazing about this novel and about this book is that the story stands the test of time, and that's why it keeps getting written into new adaptations," Rosen said.
She said performers rehearse for only about two weeks before moving into technical rehearsals at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach, where the production comes together.
"This is truly one of my favorite groups I've ever gotten to work with," Rosen said. "The show is about family, and I think we've already created such an amazing family within like a week and a half."
Rosen added that her real-life best friend plays Laurie, who is also Jo's best friend in the show.
The production closes Musical Theatre West's 74th season, called the "Season of Dreams."
"I just think it is absolutely incredible that they chose to close this specific season with 'Little Women' because at its core, it's a story about dreams," Rosen said. "Jo March is following her dream of becoming a writer."
Thor said the student matinees are one of the organization's premier educational programs. He said Musical Theatre West pays for buses and admission for participating students and has reached nearly 20,000 students through the matinees and other programs.
"To get to interact with art, live and in person, it teaches you how to be a human being," he said. "We feel like we are a formative influence on these students."
"Little Women: The Musical" runs Nov. 6-22, 2026, at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach and is presented by Musical Theatre West.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Musical Theatre West brings theater to thousands of students
