Reviewed by Marie J. Kilker
Working has always been a favorite of
composer Stephen Schwartz and regional and school theaters, though Broadway gave
it short shrift. So it's being given a new chance--via some script updating,
new songs and setting--for employment in New York. Along with Schwartz, his cast
and crews have come from there to Sarasota, possibly in hopes the "reimagined"
musical will enjoy the same success moving onto a Manhattan stage as may A
Tale of Two Cities.
The only similarity, however, is a floor-to-ceiling set with action on
simultaneous levels as well as major scenes on the proscenium stage. Here,
designer Beowulf Boritt's backstage "bones" of the show, in the shape of nine
cubicles, immediately introduce the audience to actors dressing and making up,
musicians tuning up, stage manager and sound technician readying cues: that is,
working! (It reminded me of the old Living Theatre's Lost Eden cage or the cells in Omaha Magic
Theatre's touring production of Megan Terry's Babes in the Bighouse. I do think the suggestion of
workers imprisoned is faulty, just as Boritt and Aaron Rhyne's projections back of the frame
may be colorful but overdone.)
The
show remains a revue of monologues and musical numbers based on Studs Terkel's interviews with real workers
about their jobs. Their words are, in fact, real documents. A major staging
change is to have all the diverse workers portrayed by only six actors: Marie-France
Arcilia, Darrin
Baker, Colin
Donnell, Danielle
Lee Greaves, Nehai
Joshi, and Liz
McCartney. They
also represent diversity in ethnic background, age, and sexual orientation.
Newer jobs reflect greater use of computers, work contracted out of the U.S.A.,
and aides to retirees who're living longer and with more ills than in 1978.
Broadway's latest star, composer-actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, has written "A Very
Good Day"
for the nursing home scene as well as the peppy song "Delivery" suggested by his early
experience serving fast food and as a delivery boy. Schwartz supplies the
beginning "All the Live Long Day" (for the whole cast, but highlighting
construction worker, project worker) and penultimate "Fathers and
Sons" which
shows a typical laborer (Baker, an everyman like this in most scenes) having
hopes his son will achieve more.
One
wonders how typical is Rose (McCartney), who's less and less prepared for
teaching different students with different needs and curricula, in
"Nobody Tells Me How", sole contribution by Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead. James Taylor supplies two segments, as do Micki
Grant and Craig
Carnelia. The
latter's strongest is "Just a Housewife", beginning with a
homemaker's blues and containing Greaves' striking change into a hooker. Edgy
humor sneaks in with Joshi's answering a phone, obviously from India, and comes
on full force with Donnell telling how his ex-copyboy character, also by phone,
told a caller his employers were more interested in making money than informing
people. Arcilla is like a robot as she mimes making luggage. Those who appear
proudest and happiest with their work are a mason, a fireman, caregivers. The
waitress, cleaning lady, housewife may be the most ambivalent.
Mattie
Ullrich's
costumes seem authentic, without being confined to a period. Direction by Gordon
Greenberg and Mark
Harmen's Music
Direction are complementary. Joshua Rhodes' choreography nicely meets the demands of the
script. There isn't a song to hum on the way out of the theatre, but a lot of
things to remember and perhaps a few to comment on. Another look at Terkel's
book (also added to, but earlier) might extend the pleasure of audiences beyond
this 90-minute non-stop production.