{"id":22300,"date":"2020-02-06T07:51:20","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T15:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=22300"},"modified":"2021-08-08T11:20:29","modified_gmt":"2021-08-08T18:20:29","slug":"working-at-meadow-brook-theatre-rochester-hills-mi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/working-at-meadow-brook-theatre-rochester-hills-mi\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWorking\u201d at Meadow Brook Theatre, Rochester Hills MI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reviewed by Suzanne Angeo (member, American Theatre Critics Association; Member Emeritus, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle), and Greg Angeo (Member Emeritus, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photos courtesy of Meadow Brook Theatre<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Working Cast<\/p><\/div>\n

The Extraordinary Dreams of Ordinary People<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You may just see yourself, or recognize someone you know, working onstage at Meadow Brook Theatre.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking\u201d is an enduringly likeable musical based on Studs Terkel\u2019s 1974 book Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. <\/em>\u00a0A celebrated radio personality from the 1950s through the 1990s, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and oral historian, Terkel interviewed dozens of ordinary people all over the country from all walks of life for his book, which offers insight into the often-overlooked \u201ceveryday American\u201d.<\/p>\n

A few years later, in 1977, Working<\/em> was adapted for the musical stage, with the book by noted American composer Stephen Schwartz (\u201cGodspell\u201d, \u201cPippin\u201d, \u201cWicked\u201d) and writer\/director Nina Faso (\u201cRocky Horror Show\u201d, \u201cGodspell\u201d). Based on the stories of real people and their jobs, it moves through a series of 14 short vignettes revealing the deeply personal feelings people have about their means of livelihood. It also celebrates the joy of meaningful work, although that joy is dished out in small portions.<\/p>\n

It premiered in Chicago in December 1977, then on to Broadway in May 1978 where it garnered several Tony nominations and two Drama Desk awards. It had multiple revisions over the years, gaining contributions by many popular songwriters like James Taylor and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The version presented at Meadow Brook is the 2012 revision which has six main performers \u2013 three women (Emily Hadick, Yemie Sonuga, Kim Rachelle Harris) and three men (Cory Cunningham, Gregory Rodriguez, Ron Williams). Their characters have no names other than number designations (Woman 1, Man 3, etc). Rounding out the cast are Katie Akers and Tyler Bolda, identified simply as Ensemble.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking\u201d is a nice tribute to the working class – the \u201csalt of the earth\u201d. They share their views on the meaning of life and work, from the mundane to the profound. \u201cBrother Trucker\u201d by James Taylor is a folksy, funky number, performed by Cory Cunningham, that stays in your head long after the show is over. \u201cDelivery\u201d by Lin-Manuel Miranda has a lively, Latin-pop beat. Fine vocals by Gregory Rodriguez and company make this one of the best songs in the show.<\/p>\n

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Gregory Rodriguez (on bike) and cast<\/p><\/div>\n

Craig Carnelia\u2019s \u201cJust a Housewife\u201d, is a stark reminder that after all these years, being a stay-at-home mom is still a thankless job. It\u2019s performed with great feeling by the amazing Yemie Sonuga and the three other ladies in the cast. Yet another highlight is \u201cIt\u2019s an Art\u201d, where a waitress (played with sassy sparkle by Kim Rachelle Harris) shares her trade secrets for providing top-notch service. Another notable story-song by James Taylor is \u201cMillwork\u201d, featuring Emily Hadick and the other ladies.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u201d is arguably the most touching number by Carnelia. In a powerfully poignant turn by Ron Williams, a retired elderly gentleman finds himself trying to fill his too-long days, struggling to stay relevant to his shrinking world, and ultimately failing.<\/p>\n

Even though the musical numbers and individual stories have no real connection to each other, director Travis Walter manages to find a common thread through the incandescent energy of the multi-talented ensemble cast. Starting off as a single unit, they break off into their individual characters, then merge once again to sing the anthems of the American worker with one voice.<\/p>\n

This musical was created over 40 years ago, before the internet, computers and social media transformed the workplace. But despite some dated material, the central message of \u201cWorking\u201d is timeless and underscores the sometime uncomfortable truth: Work can define who you are and your place in society, for good or bad, and the lack of it can make you feel isolated, useless and irrelevant. But work can also inspire you to dream of a better life.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Emily Hadick, Yemie Sonuga, Katie Akers, Kim Rachelle Harris<\/p><\/div>\n

When: Now through March 8, 2020 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Tickets $36 to $46<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where: Meadow Brook Theatre at Wilson Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oakland University<\/strong><\/p>\n

378 Meadow Brook Rd<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rochester Hills, MI 48309<\/strong><\/p>\n

(248) 377-3300 <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0www.mbtheatre.com<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Meadow Brook Theatre is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kresge Foundation, the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, the Shubert Foundation and the Meadow Brook Theatre Guild.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reviewed by Suzanne Angeo (member, American Theatre Critics Association; Member Emeritus, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle), and Greg Angeo (Member Emeritus, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":3.7,"yasr_post_is_review":"yes","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-22300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-greg-suzanne-angeo"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"