The REV Theatre Company — Attraction in City of Auburn

WORKING Works

On Friday, we went to the Finger Lakes Theatre Festival in Auburn to see the newly renovated musical “Working” based on the Studs Terkel book of the same name. The musical was originally produced in the early ’80’s, I believe, and was created by Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked”) and Nina Faso. This new edition includes music by Lin Manuel Miranda, James Taylor, and others. It’s a fabulous musical. I didn’t want it to be over. I wanted it to start again.

The show explores a bunch of different jobs and the nature of work through monologues, a little dialogue, occasional narration, and lots of wonderful music. The cast is evenly excellent. Most of the players are young, great to look at, with gorgeous smiles, and fabulous, powerful musical theatre voices. Two members of the cast are a bit more senior, but let me tell you age has not withered these two. After almost every number, I would decide that it had been my favorite to that point. When the show was over and I looked back, I decided that I had three favorite songs/scenes. In order of performance, my first fave was “Millwork” with Jodie Anne Evans and the company, about the terrible tedium of working a mill job. Can this young woman ever sing! My next fave was “It’s An Art,” about waiting tables, and featuring Joanne Baum, one of the two older cast members. I think Joanne puts more energy into this wild song than does anyone else in the show. She’s hilarious and wonderful. And not only is she a super actor/singer, she’s also a nurse at Cayuga Medical Center. She should have a big red S on her blouse. My final favorite was “Joe,” performed by Joseph Deliger, the other more senior member of the cast. It’s a combination of monologue and song about a man who is retired, but not as happily as he had anticipated. My favorite line, and the favorite line of the many senior citizens in the audience, came when Joe was talking about daydreaming. He says there’s no purpose to it. If you come up with an idea, the next thing you do is forget what it was. I also loved the line, that came when he thought back on what his youthful intentions had been. . . until life got in the way. He asks an unanswerable question. If things had been different, “I wonder what I coulda did?”

I want to mention the terrific, simplistic set made from platforms, steel stairways and a pipe-framed, scaffold-like catwalk. The onstage 5 piece band is never too loud not too soft. Always right on.

“Working”only plays until this Friday, 9/21. I don’t know if any tickets are available. They aren’t cheap. Sixty bucks a pop. But so worth it. This is broadway quality in Central New York. If you can go, go!

I have to close by mentioning the rest of the cast. Everyone was so fine! Others in the cast of “Working” include: Elaine Cotter, Shane Donovan, Sam Harvey, Onyie Nmachukwu, Nikhil Saboo, Lauren Sprague, and Erik...

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