Review: LITTLE WOMEN BALLET at Wilshire Ebell Theatre

Little Women Ballet is the world premiere of a charming new ballet at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Mid-Wilshire.  This is a lavish, romantic, nostalgic, family-friendly night of dance that is not to be missed.

It is hard to imagine a more fitting venue for Little Women Ballet than the gorgeously atmospheric, historic 1927 Wilshire Ebell Theatre, which has been home to everyone from music legends like Igor Stravinsky and Dave Brubeck to aviation pioneers like Amelia Earhart and old Hollywoods stars like Judy Garland in her first audition for MGM.

Created by young director and choreographer Emma Andres in 2023, Little Women Ballet began as a series of dance vignettes that has been developed into a full length ballet, based on the beloved classic novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

This new ballet features a lavish cast of over thirty dancers and some gorgeous set pieces including balls, weddings, ice skating, Parisian can-can dancers, and delightful play sequences in the attic. 

Little Women Ballet is beautiful to look at, but also captures the sweetness, messiness, humor, and heartbreak of the 19th century Louisa May Alcott novel chronicling the joy of family and sisterhood in times good and bad.  If you are not familiar at all with the novel, you may be struggle a little to follow some of the more intriciate plot sequences, but the program explains the plot and relationships in some detail.  

Romantic period costumes by José Luis Reyes are sheer loveliness.  Projections by Ross Clark are painterly and delightful.  Composer Daniel Robbins has created an excellent score, winsome, nostalgic, and expressive.

Standouts in the cast include a delightful Ross Clark, who shines with humor, panache and naughty charisma as Grandfather Laurence, the showstopping, lithe acrobatic dexterity of Evan Hernandez as Ned Moffat, and the peevish mischief of Catie Faye Smith as Amy March, whose rich expressiveness is a delight.

Little Women Ballet is an absolute treasure to be savored, and I loved every moment.

Photos by Edie Tyebkhan Photography

Little Women Ballet premiered as a full-length original ballet with two performances at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theatre on December 7, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.  The Wilshire Ebell Theatre is located at 4401 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005.  Free parking available on site.  For more information about the ballet and future performances, please click on the button below:

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