"Little House" in New Jersey

When I first read in Playbill that there was a musical stage version of Little House on the Prairie playing to sold out houses at the Guthrie Theatre in Minnesota, I was excited. When I read on to discover that Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura “Half Pint” Ingalls in the TV series was playing “Ma” on stage, I actually got chills.

While I never read the books, I was a huge fan of the television show. Little House on the Prairie was damn near perfect. It had heart and warmth and humor and drama, and it featured interesting characters played by some pretty fine actors. I feel happy inside just thinking about that show. And I am a sucker for a good stage musical.

Of course, I wanted to see the musical version of Little House featuring Melissa Gilbert as “Ma.” It was going on tour after its run in Minnesota was complete, and it turned out that it would be playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey the same weekend that we were attending my husband’s eighth grade reunion in nearby Long Branch. We bought two tickets for the Friday night performance the day the tickets went on sale to the public.

I read a review or two of the Paper Mill production before seeing it, and they were mildly positive but qualified. I wondered if these were pretentious critics who just couldn’t bring themselves to flat out admit to liking the show, or (heaven help us!) television actress Melissa Gilbert in the part. Mind you, it didn’t matter to me if the show was the greatest musical ever or if Melissa Gilbert could sing (I mean, really, who cares – she’s Melissa Gilbert). If it was true to the source material and spirit of the TV show, I would have a great time.

I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. I can’t tell you the number of women, upon hearing that Little House was being made into a musical, shared their stories of loving Little House with me. They were either devoted to the books, the television show or both, and more than one of them had daughters named Laura, after the author or the character.

We arrived at the theater to see the show. After settling into our seats, the gentleman next to me struck up a conversation. It seems that his wife and he had seen the production in Minnesota, and really enjoyed it there. Hmm. This couple was even more “mature” than I am, and I wondered why they were seeing the show a second time in the second city in which it played. Were they “Bonnetheads” following the show around from city to city in a van? The man thought I would never ask. Actually, their son was playing Almanzo in the show.

I was sitting next to Almanzo’s father!!?? This was getting better and better. He proceeded to tell me how his son and the actress playing Laura had fallen in love not only on stage, but off stage as well. She was a very sweet person, and his wife and he were just crazy about her. Unfortunately, she had laryngitis, and would be replaced by her understudy this evening. What about Melissa Gilbert? I asked, alarmed. Oh, no, she was fine, she hadn’t missed a performance yet. Whew! We talked some more about his son’s career. It turns out that we saw him perform in the Deaf West production of Big River when the tour came to Pittsburgh. Almanzo’s dad and I agreed that it was a small world, and then it was time for the show.

All sentiment aside, I really loved the show. More tellingly, my husband, who is far more critical when it comes to musical theater and has no sentimental connection to the material, also thought the show was very good. Truly, the show couldn’t have been more delightful - it really did an exceptional job of bringing the compelling story of Laura Ingalls Wilder to the stage, from portraying the struggles of pioneer life to showing Laura coming of age. The score was beautiful and interesting, and the production values were top notch.

The actors, including Steve Blanchard as Pa, Megan Campanile as Laura (filling in for Kara Lindsay) and the proudly-parented Kevin Massey as Almanzo, did a great job of bringing the characters to life for us. Melissa Gilbert was terrific in her role, independent of her history with the material. She held her own in her dancing and her singing, and brought me to tears with her solo ballad “Wild Child” in the second act. As someone who loved her so much in the role of Laura, seeing her interpretation of Ma was especially interesting – I could see how the Laura I knew could have been the child of this Ma, and not just because they were played by the same person.

Almanzo’s dad told me during intermission that the show had been revised since the version he saw in Minnesota, that there were plans for a cast album, and that the producers hoped to take it to Broadway. This would be a perfect Broadway show. They have a built-in audience - generations of women who love Little House, and children of all ages (and their parents). It is absolutely critic-proof, and it is an exceptional piece of musical theater.

The show was over, we bid farewell to Almanzo’s parents, and headed back to the hotel. I felt a little let down. What now, I wondered, now that Little House was done? I perked up. The first season of thirtysomething was back at home just waiting to be watched.