WORKING-2012 REVISED VERSION at WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Based on Studs Terkel's best-selling book of interviews with American Workers, WORKING paints a vivid portrait of the men and women the world so often takes for granted: the schoolteacher, the phone operator, the waitress, the millworker, the mason, and the housewife, just to name a few.

This new 2010 version of WORKING is a musical exploration of 26 people from all walks of life. While most of the professions have been updated, the strength of the show is in the core truths that transcend specific professions; the key is how people's relationships to their work ultimately reveal key aspects of their humanity, regardless of the trappings of the job itself. The show, still set in contemporary America, contains timeless truths. This new version of WORKING allows the audience to get a rare glimpse of the actors and technicians working to put on a show. This raw adaptation only enhances the realistic and relatable nature of the subject matter.

With extremely modest set and orchestra requirements, universal subject matter, and featuring a multi-ethnic ensemble cast of variable size, WORKING is one of the most accessible, relevant and substantive musicals ever created. The new, revised 2010 version includes updated lyrics, a streamlined book and two new songs by IN THE HEIGHTS Tony Award-winning creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as favorite by Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, and James Taylor.