(1/5) On Wednesday, January 30, at 7:30 p.m., the heartwarming production of Little Women – The Broadway Musical brings Pennsylvania native Louisa May Alcott’s beloved story to life on the Majestic stage.

Based on Alcott's own family experiences, Little Women - The Broadway Musical follows the poignant and often comical adventures of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March as they grow up in Civil War America. The timeless story of the March sisters deals with issues as relevant today as when they were written, such as gender stereotypes, family obligations, and personal fulfillment.

"Little Women - The Broadway Musical is a truly wonderful production filled with music and dancing and plenty of family appeal," shares Jeffrey Gabel, the theater’s founding executive director. "Local audiences have the opportunity to see a Broadway musical without leaving town­and what a musical it is! Families can enjoy the show together and compare it to Alcott’s original story as well as the 1994 movie adaptation."

Gabel adds that, through the four March sisters, the production highlights four different perspectives of being a 19th century woman. Meg, the oldest sister, marries young and begins her own family. Jo attempts to walk the most difficult path; she wants to have it all – both a successful professional life and fulfilling family life. Beth is subservient and dutiful to her parents and immediate family members, putting them above all else, even herself. Amy, the youngest, focuses more on art, pleasure, and self.

It is the character of Jo March that bears a striking resemblance to author Louisa May Alcott. Willful, stubborn, hot-tempered, and ambitious, Jo refuses to behave in a "ladylike" fashion. She openly thumbs her nose at society's constraints, and when reprimanded, she snorts her contempt. When Alcott’s story was written in 1868, it struck a familiar chord with a nation of little women ­ at the time saddled with few legal rights, little chance of higher education, and little future outside of endless household chores.

Louisa May Alcott, the second of four sisters, was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1832. Her mother, Abigail, was an early supporter of women's rights, the abolition of slavery, and other progressive social causes. Her father, Amos Bronson, was a well-known educator and social reformer who advocated, among other ideas, the notion that children should enjoy their education.

Due to financial woes, the family moved many times, mostly in the Boston and Concord area. (It is Concord, Massachusetts, where Little Women takes place.) This continual worrying about money haunted young Louisa, who vowed to help her family any way she could. When she grew old enough, she took any job that came her way­teacher, seamstress, laundress. When the Civil War broke out, she became a Union Army nurse and moved to Washington, D.C.

At the beginning of her writing career, Alcott wrote several short stories and poetry for various magazines and newspapers, as well as a series of rather scandalous "blood and guts" thrillers under the pen name A. M. Barnard. One day her publisher, knowing her financial straits, famously suggested she try a "girls’ book." Although she wasn’t keen on the idea, Alcott needed the money. Drawing on her own childhood and family experiences, she wrote Little Women in less than three months. The book was an instant success, much to her surprise, and the Alcott family’s money problems were solved. Little Women has never been out of print since its initial edition in 1868.

Tickets to see Little Women at the Majestic are priced from $43 to $49, reserved seating. To purchase tickets, visit www.gettysburgmajestic.org, call 717-337-8200, or stop by the Box Office, 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Box Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 12 Noon until 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 3:00 until 7:30 p.m.

The Majestic Theater at the Jennifer and David LeVan Performing Arts Center is owned and operated by Gettysburg College in partnership with the Greater Adams County Community.