Louisa May Alcott's famous novel welcomes a new adaptation of its "coming-of-age" story about four sisters torn between choices of love and sisterhood — opera.

With the transformation of this classic story into an operatic play, the composer/stage director Mark Adamo, as stated in the director's notes of the playbill, hopes to call attention to the nineteenth-century lost art and how the timely themes and messages sing out and ring in our ears. Adamo feels the old-fashioned language of Alcott's novel will rise to new levels through opera and pluck our heartstrings better than any traditional play could.

It is undeniable that the melodies and the solidness of the actors' voices hit the audience somewhere deep inside, which force the lessons of loyalty and choice to not only be heard, but felt. If Adamo succeeded at anything with his "Little Women" opera, it's that the audience becomes actively engaged throughout the entire play, flooded with a sea of sound and emotion. Also, with the orchestra's precision, the crispness of notes only enhances the on-stage talent.

For a first-time opera-goer, however, there could be some difficulty in focusing on all there is to take in. The Cabot Theater, the charmingly intimate venue where "Little Women" is performed, stands as a worthy distraction from the play. With its rich gold moldings, ornate chandelier overhead and lush blue velvet curtain, the Cabot Theater sweeps away the world beyond its cozy walls.

But even beyond the setting, it takes an attentive listener to catch the fullness of what's being said, or sung. It takes all of your attention and could be a bit daunting for the unprepared listener. However, opera is something one should at some time in their life experience, and "Little Women," no doubt, proves an advisable play to begin with.

However, for Little Women fans, the play noticeably diverts from the novel, beginning the play well into the story and placing dream sequences intermittently amongst reality. Despite this "telling fragment" as Adamo calls it, the play maintains its wholeness of theme — "that even those we love will, in all innocence, wound and abandon us until we learn that their destinies are not ours to control."

It's apparent Adamo is a creative genius of sorts, taking a well-known story and molding it into something completely different from its original form. However, it is also that creative genius that took a well-loved story and rid it of all its memorable and endearing qualities.

Adamo's "Little Women" opera resembles little of the novel, distracting the audience with melody and interrupted scenes rather than focusing the audience on the story itself. The dream sequences paired with wayward melodies did more than signal a change in scene, they signaled a task ahead for the audience, considering the difficulty of understanding the words. This all resulted in less comprehension of the play.

The actors were clearly talented individuals, their voices wondrously wandering from this pitch to that pitch. They were the saving graces of this classic English story gone live-action, modern opera.

Grade: BC

Little Women will be playing at the Cabot Theater, 158 N. Broadway St., on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 2. Tickets are available through the Broadway Theater Center Box Office (open Monday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m.) by calling (414) 291-7800 or online at www.skylightopera.com.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 22, 2005.