by Paula Kaplan-Reiss
I was excited to see the revised version of Working, a Musical by Studs Terkel and adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso at The Ghent Playhouse. I was part of the audition process and heard some excellent voices. I have a vague memory of seeing a reading of Terkel’s work in the late 70s at Cornell University, shortly after Terkel’s book, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, came out, upon which the show is based. After a lackluster opening number, All the Livelong Day, by Stephen Schwartz, I remain hopeful the energy will improve.
The musical shares stories of everyday workers, told in their voices, including a laborer, stone mason, flight attendant, teacher, and even a sex worker and a retiree, approximately 25 professions in all, portrayed by three women and three men. Music and lyrics are written by Schwartz, Susan Birkenhead, Mary Rodgers, James Taylor, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. So many ‘cooks’ do not necessarily improve this production.
We watch the cast, initially dressed in black, warming up before the production, immediately breaking the fourth wall by chatting with audience members. Stage Manager, Ray Francis, calls out the cues. The set, designed by co-director, Michael McDermott, is simple, displaying a raised platform upstage with steps on either side, in front of a backdrop of a cityscape (designed by Jennie Sinott) highlighted with lights. A large trunk in front of the platform contains many wardrobe pieces the actors use when switching characters. We can easily see into the wings, as characters enter and exit and often regard each other’s performances, sometimes joining their songs. On each side of the stage, we see screens identifying the profession and name of the worker, often with a photo displaying the work each does.
Among the standouts, Brian Sheldon has a strong voice and a moving delivery in both comic and more serious characters. The three women: Amy Le Blanc, Helen Annely, and Dianne DeSantis perform well together, especially when bemoaning the thankless job of a Housewife. DeSantis amuses us as a flight attendant preparing for a scary landing, a waitress hoping to entertain her diners, and a fundraiser seducing her donors.
At the same time, on the opposite side of the stage, Annely describes being a sex worker who begins her ‘career’ as a teen. Her voice is pleasant. LeBlanc is engaging, as an old-school teacher who struggles with the out-of-control behavior of today’s students. She, too, sings well.
Steve Michalek believably plays a Stone Mason, yet makes us cringe when portraying a UPS delivery man, who loves to surprise women who are tanning in bikinis when he shows up with a package. This behavior is not funny in our current climate. In fact, some pieces of this revised musical are already dated, especially the job of a Verizon Operator. How rare it is to reach a live human being when calling for service.
Chris Gilbert shows he can effectively act and carry a tune but seems to struggle with his lines and has difficulty with choreography. These deficits compromise his entire performance. Learning lines is often the most challenging part of an actor’s job. As the audience, we become anxious when see this struggle.
Choreography, by first-time choreographer, Katie K. Snyder is simple but requires the cast to dance in sync. Even easy choreography fails when dancers are out of step with each other.
Music Director, Joanne Mensching plays keyboard with percussionist, Neal Bernston in the wings. Unfortunately, the actors cannot see them, causing difficulty in hearing the key and the beat of the various songs.
Experienced co-directors, Michael C. Mensching and McDermott take on a show with no plot, but interesting stories and a wide mix of songs by different composers. Choosing to use a relatively small cast to play many roles requires six actors on top of their game. Hopefully, with three weekends of performances, the cast will become more comfortable in their roles and with playing off each other, leading the audience to experience their energy.
And, yes, that takes a lot of work.
“Working” by Studs Terkel, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, directed by Michael C. Mensching and Michael McDermott, musical director Joanne Mensching, runs April 11-27, 2025, at the Ghent Playhouse, 6 Town Hall Place in Ghent, NY. Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, Susan Birkenhead, Mary Rodgers, James Taylor, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. CAST: Helen Annely, Dianne DeSantis, Chris Gilbert, Amy LaBlanc, Steve Michalek, and Brian Sheldon. CREATIVE TEAM: Choreographer Katie K. Snyder, Set Design Michael McDermott, Lighting Design Jennie Sinott, Stage Manager Ray Francis, percussionist Neal Bernston.
PERFORMANCE TIMES
Friday & Saturdays 7:30 pm
Sunday Matinees 2:00 pm
TICKET PRICES
$23 Members
$28 Non-members
$12 Students
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