Review: Rollins' Students Shine in True-to-Life Musical, WORKING

As its opening song, and the Walt Whitman poem from which it was inspired, says, WORKING is all about the "varied carols" of working Americans. For nearly four decades, this musical has been celebrating the high (and low) lights of the American workforce. Conceived and adapted by Stephen Schwartz (GODSPELL, WICKED) and Nina Faso, the show employs no fictional characters, instead, it draws from real-life individuals and the stories that they told legendary author and historian Studs Terkel for his book of the same name. The Rollins College production of the musical, running now through Saturday, October 4th at the Annie Russell Theatre is a joyful, if not over-stuffed, examination of this ultimately uplifting material.

Featuring songs from theatre and pop music luminaries like Schwartz, James Taylor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, Micki Grant, and Craig Carnelia, the score fuses together an eclectic mix of genres that is sure to leave a tune on your lips long after you exit the theatre; I, for one, have been singing songs from the show for well over 20 years.

These songs form a patchwork quilt of Americana, with each character singing in the style representative of his or her own life. The Rollins cast is exceptionally well-voiced, especially in the larger choral numbers, when the strength of their 15-person ensemble can be heard. The only drawback of the larger cast, is that certain performers, who shine in their given moments, aren't seen nearly enough. This version, which reflects updates made in 2012, is generally performed by six actors; three men and three women; though schools and regional theatres have been expanding the cast size for decades.

As a whole, the female voices were superior to the males', but that is not surprising from a college theatre

program, nor is it an indication of a lack of male talent, as Nicholas D'Alessandro had a handful of impressive moments. It is just that there are a number of women in the cast that display exceptionally impressive vocals; Caisey Cole as the fast food worker, Lena Barker as the housewife, Elodie Germain as the millworker, and Isabella Ward as the cleaning woman provided the show's musical highlights.

However, WORKING is more than a simple song cycle; since this show is drawn from real-life interviews, it is essentially a collection of monologues, either sung or spoken, that provide ample opportunities for actors to embody characters. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, the emotional depth of the portrayals rarely revealed the true heart of the individuals. Though each performance was earnest and sincere, it seemed to be far more surface and presentational, than nuanced and introspective.

That being said, Hannah Powell (Flight Attendant and Waitress) and Casey Casteel (Trucker, Fireman, Unemployed) both provided multiple unique performances, creating the most committed portrayals of the night. Powell especially shined during "It's an Art," as she not only sang well, but acted each and every lyric to create an honest, if not broadly-drawn, character.

The direction by Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Dr. Jennifer Cavenaugh, was quick and crisp, and fully utilized the multi-level set by Lisa Cody-Rapport. As mentioned before, the vocals, especially collectively, were quite strong under the direction of Jamey Ray. However, with the exception of the monotonous millwork movements, the choreography by Missy Barnes, didn't seem to add either character depth or entertainment to the production.

It is also slightly disappointing that while the students were presenting a quite professional-level production, Richard Owen, a member of the school's Department of Music, routinely struggled to remember his lines and lyrics as a retiree named Joe. While I am sure that it was a treat for students to see a member of the faculty in the role, I wish that the production team had cast a student in the part, as they did with Bailey DeVoe, who played the 60-something teacher Rose.

Also of note, the creative team received permission from Schwartz to reinstate the song "Un Mejor Dia Vendra," which focuses on the plight of migrant farm workers. Cavenaugh felt that, given the nearly 200,000 farmworkers in Florida, the song would provide futher real-world implications in this Central Florida production. Read BroadwayWorld's article on the change here.

As a whole, the production presents an enjoyable cross-section of American life, featuring a talented cast of future theatre professionals. For all involved, this production of WORKING should most definitely be "something to point to; something to be proud of." To get your tickets, visit the Annie Russell website, or call 407-646-2145.

To post a comment, you must register and login.