New Version of Working: A Musical Opens at SF Fine Arts Hall Tonight
May 24, 2018
May 24, 2018 - Cast members of Theatre Santa Fe will breathe new life into an old Broadway hit when they present a newly updated version of "Working: A Musical" in six performances May 24, 25, 31, June 1 and 2, 2018, in the Santa Fe College Fine Arts Hall. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. each day with an additional 2 p.m. matinee June 2.
Tickets are $15 for adults; $9 for seniors, children and University of Florida students; and free for Santa Fe College students, faculty, and staff with college identification cards. For ticket information, call the Box Office at 352-395-4181 or visit the SF Fine Arts ticket website at sfcollege.edu/finearts.
The play is adapted from the 1974 book "Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do" by oral historian and radio broadcaster Studs Terkel. First staged in Chicago in late 1977, Working opened on Broadway in 1978 with a book by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso and music by Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers and James Taylor. The musical was revised after Terkel conducted new interviews in 2006.
"Theatre Santa Fe will present the updated version of Working based on its production in London last year, but we have a completely original concept that we've developed with music and dance faculty members from the SF Fine Arts Department," explained SF Theatre Professor Terry Klenk, who is directing the play. "The older songs have been re-orchestrated from the 1970s to reflect contemporary music and there are new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created Hamilton."
"This is a concept musical based on interviews that reveal how people feel about the American dream, the idea of work and what those things mean to our own identities-it's about working as an American experience," Klenk said. "Eighteen students will perform onstage and every one of them is a soloist, which is a great way to showcase our growing musical theatre program and the amazing talent we have in this group of students. It's interesting, too, that each character is matched to a specific composer."
The original version of Working featured songs by a steelworker, parking lot attendant, office worker, teacher, supermarket checker, newspaper delivery boy, stonemason and housewife, among others. Theatre Santa Fe's version of the play adds new characters including a fast food delivery person, daycare worker, hospital aide, call center worker and people in different kinds of cubicle job settings.
Students and professionals directed by Dr. Steve Bingham, Ph.D., will provide live musical accompaniment for Working. Lynn Sandefur is directing the vocal performances and Sarah Harkness-Sebastian is choreographing the dances.
The new production of Working completes a circle for Klenk, who said he was "working on Working" 25 years ago when it was the first musical he directed for Theatre Santa Fe. "This is like a bookend for me and it was nostalgic to look through all my old materials from that long ago-like opening a time capsule for the faculty and the Theatre Department," he mused.
For more information about tickets, call the SF Fine Arts Hall Box Office at 352-395-4181 or visit sfcollege.edu/finearts.
