Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The starry Encores! Off-Center revival of WORKING pays moving tribute to New York Center’s human building blocks

• By drediman
• July 8, 2019
• No Comments

The company of Encores! Off-Center’s revival of “Working” at New York City Center. Photo by Joan Marcus.

I recently had a chance to catch the Encores! Off-Center revival of Working, a gentle musical reminder of and a loving tribute to the workers upon which our great society is built on. The musical tapestry was originally adapted for the stage by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso in 1977 from Studs Terkel’s book of interviews of the same name, featuring an easy listening score from a number of accomplished songwriters, including Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, James Taylor, and, of course, Mr. Schwartz.

By flashy Broadway standards, Working has always been a modest experience, consistent with the mostly working class characters the musical portrays. The Encores! reworking of Working features two new songs by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda (his “A Very Good Day”, a song about caregivers who send money back to their homelands, is particularly touching), as well as a new set of interviews with New York City Center employees (to commemorate the great performing arts center’s 75^thanniversary). If the show initially felt a tad underpowered, it eventually moved me with its grace and dignity, especially the segments featuring the charming and disarmingly heartfelt portraits of City Center’s human building blocks.

As for the casting, Encores! pulled out all the stops for the event (the weeklong run ended last weekend). The company featured appropriately workmanlike and generous performances from the likes of Helen Hunt, Andréa Burns, Christopher Jackson, David Garrison, Javier Muñoz, Mateo Ferro, and Tracie Thoms. Despite the considerable star power onstage, these actors kept their egos in check, working wonderfully as an ensemble (the material is beautifully distributed among them). Given the truncated rehearsal period, it was easy to forgive the occasional less-than-steady moment. Last but not least, Anne Kauffman directed the continuously evolving musical with a sensitive hand, admirably giving the piece a sense of cohesiveness and purpose.

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WORKING
Off-Broadway, Musical
Encores! Off-Center / New York City Center
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed