A song from “Jo – The Little Women Musical” has taken First Place in the inaugural Musical Theatre category of American Songwriter Magazine’s 2025 Song Contest, and the team behind the show is marking the win today with the release of a live music video shot at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The winning track, “Fly Away,” closes the first act of the stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel. American Songwriter confirmed the honor on April 13 in its full rundown of 2025 Song Contest winners, crediting composer Dan Redfeld alongside lyricists Christina Harding and John Koladziej. It’s the first time the publication has handed out a prize specifically for musical theater writing.
The video, out today on YouTube, captures Grammy nominee Christine Allado as Jo March and West End performer Tobias Turley as Theodore “Laurie” Laurence performing the number live at the show’s sold-out January 25 concert at Drury Lane. A 27-piece orchestra backs them. It’s the first official film document of the concert, which had a one-night-only semi-staged run.
“We are thrilled that ‘Fly Away’ from Jo – The Little Women Musical has been recognized by the American Songwriter Song Contest,” Redfeld said. “As this is a brand-new category, we are honored that the distinguished judging panel picked our act-one closer. It’s a joy to now share the video of ‘Fly Away’ from our concert at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The show was a sold-out hit with the audience and we look forward to the next steps in Jo’s journey.”
“Fly Away” comes at the point in the story when Jo, a young writer, realizes she has to leave home to chase her ambitions. Redfeld has said before that the song’s pull is in how plainly it sits on the page. Simple construction. A universal lyric about the moment you decide to go.
The January concert at Drury Lane was the show’s world premiere in semi-staged form, with an all-star cast that also included Kerry Ellis as Marmee, Tracie Bennett as Aunt March, Kelly Mathieson as Meg, Sophie Pollono as Amy, Eleanor Grant as Beth, Julian Ovenden as Father, Liam Tamne as John Brooke, and Barry James as Grandfather. JoAnn M. Hunter, whose Broadway credits as a choreographer run to 20 shows including “Bad Cinderella” and “School of Rock,” directed and choreographed. Critics who caught the night praised the orchestrations and the strength of the ensemble, with Musical Theatre Review calling the sound at Drury Lane “rich, full.”
Today’s video release builds on a year of steady rollout for the project. A studio cast album recorded at Abbey Road Studios came out last May on Center Stage Records, produced by Nigel Wright, the five-time Grammy nominee and three-time Emmy winner, alongside Redfeld. That recording is available on streaming platforms, as a 2-CD set, and as a limited hand-numbered 2-LP vinyl edition. Sheet music for “Fly Away” and four other songs from the show, including “My Captive Heart,” “(A World of) Dreams and Figments,” “The Simple Truth,” and “Moments,” is available through Sheet Music Direct and Sheet Music Plus.
Lead producers Brian Purcell of 4 Times Entertainment and Tony Award winner Rob O’Neill are steering the production, with Elizabeth Hedman, Emily Kerrigan, and Willette and Manny Klausner of WMK Productions producing alongside Pulau Sisters, LLC. Randy Jones Toll, Steven Toll, and 2 On the Aisle BDWY, LLC are on board as associate producers. The producing team includes veterans of recent Broadway and West End runs of “Waiting for Godot,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Our Town,” and “The Producers.”
The song’s prize win puts the show on a short list of new musicals getting industry attention outside the standard festival circuit. Redfeld has pointed to the win as validation for the category itself, not just the song. Other Musical Theatre winners announced in the same April 13 round included Second Place “Grow – Acoustic” by Pippa Cleary.
The “Fly Away” video is streaming now on the official “Jo – The Little Women Musical” YouTube channel.
