By Michael Buzzelli
Another Monday rolls around, and everyone gets ready to punch the clock in “Working,” a tribute to the American employee (though the unemployed and the retired are also represented in the show). Women (Cadee Velasquez, Melessie Clark, and Vanessa Reseland) and Men (Matty Thornton, Dylan Pal, and Stefan Lingenfelter) trod off to their jobs, and the workers describe their daily lives in monologue and song, backed up by an impressive chorus.
Ironically, they are songs about the unsung: the millworker, the truck driver, the waitress, the nurse, the pride of the proletariat, from hookers to homemakers.
It’s billed as a new musical, but it’s newish, since most of the monologues are taken from the 70s source material, based on interviews compiled and written by Studs Terkel and adapted by CMU grad Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso with additional revisions (stay with me for a moment, we’ll get there).
This ode to the Union Label is Pittsburgh Proud and Pittsburgh Strong, or in terms your friendly neighborhood farmers market-goer would understand: “It’s locally sourced!”
The Steel City has a plethora of local talent, and Front Porch Theatricals has always sought to find the cream of the crop. The cast of “Working” is no exception. Director Daina Michele Griffith has gathered a superb lineup. It’s a strong group of performers, most notably the show’s leading ladies, Velasquez, Clark, and Reseland.
Velasquez brings a powerful singing voice along with a heap of charm.
Clark is delightful in a variety of roles. Her sassy “Woman of the Evening” is a particular joy.
Reseland is a new star in the Pittsburgh firmament, but by no means a new talent. They have performed all over the world on stage and screen. They serve up some of the most delicious scenes as a waitress.
Note: On opening night, Lenora Nemetz, who originated the role of the Waitress in “Working” on Broadway, was in the audience. After the show, there was a full-circle moment when Nemetz posed with Reseland in front of Front Porch Theatrical’s step-and-repeat.
Matty Thornton does a great job with some regional accents. His role as a trucker stands out in the slightly risqué ballad “Brother Trucker.”
Sefan Lingenfelter delivers a soul-crushing song about retirement that is perfectly executed, yet devastatingly all too real. We understand [his character’s] Joe’s frustration. The musical doubles down by compounding the scene with health care workers singing, “A Very Good Day.” Keep your handkerchiefs and facial tissue handy! It’s a 3-Kleenex moment.
Dylan Pal has some fun character bits, particularly as a customer service rep with rage issues. He’s not all fun and games. He portrays the health care worker, Utkarsh, with a poignant flourish.
Doug Levine’s musical accomplishments are exceptional. He’s backed up by an incredible band, Ken Karsh (guitar), Tim Nwranski (drums) and Paul Thompson (bass). The band flawlessly creates heightened tension throughout the musical.
This reviewer rarely mentions the lighting design, but Andrew David Ostrowski’s work was exceptional. When Thornton portrays a fireman in the middle of a conflagration, Ostrowski’s lights tell the story, with dusky orange hues backlit on the actor’s frame.
While Studs Terkel’s original material has been updated by a legion of songwriters, including Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz, and James Taylor, the show still shows its wrinkles through the facelift (more in the text than the music, but there are some significant signs of aging in the songs as well).
“Working” is meant to be a glorious affirmation of the common man and woman, but it tries too hard to appeal to everyone and gets a little lost in its attempt to serve all its customers. Some good acting and powerful singing keeps the show from feeling generic.
The musical is a hard sell for anyone who likes a cohesive beginning, middle, and end. It’s the poetry of the proletariat. There are, however, some triumphant moments, especially with this glorious cast.
-MB
“Working” runs until May 24 at the New Hazlett, 6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.
