Monmouth University’s Department of Music & Theatre will present the first East Coast production of the newly revised musical, Working, based on the book by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Studs Terkel. Adapted by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, and Godspell) from his original version with Nino Faso, the new Working recently completed a run in Chicago. Monmouth’s production will be the first by any university in the country.
Directed by Nicole Ricciardi, Working is the working man’s A Chorus Line. A musical exploration of twenty-six people from all walks of life, with songs by all-star composers Craig Carnelia (Sweet Smell of Success), Micki Grant (Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope), Tony Award-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), Mary Rodgers (Once Upon A Mattress), Susan Birkenhead (Jelly’s Last Jam), Stephen Schwartz, and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, James Taylor. The musical director is George Wurzbach.
Working celebrates everyday people in a genuinely funny and touching way, and has been called “the perfect musical for everyone who has ever worked a day in their lives.” Updated to fit 21st century audiences, cast members sing and dance with cell phones and laptops as they tell the tales of traditional careers: teacher, waitress, firefighter; and more modern additions: hedge fund manager, UPS delivery man, and a customer service representative in India.
Performances will take place in the Lauren K. Woods Theatre, located at the intersection of Norwood and Cedar Avenue on the Monmouth University campus. Performances run Wednesday through Saturday, March 28 to 31 at 8 p.m., Sunday, April 1 at 3 p.m., and Tuesday through Thursday, April 3 to 5, at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the Central Box Office by calling 732-263-6889, or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts.