By Dorothy Eggenberger
Special to Monday Magazine
The Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA) sheds the glitz and glamour of their recent performance with the Victoria Symphony to don a different uniform later this month.
The students – singers, actors and dancers all – will become a tableau of America’s often invisible working classes in the Tony Award-nominated musical Working.
Working paints a vivid portrait of the men and women that the world so often takes for granted. Based on the award-winning book of collected interviews by Studs Terkel, this 2012 revival of the original 1978 production promises to deliver thought-provoking, inspiring, challenging and highly entertaining stories from all walks of working life.
With a riveting score by an outstanding team of songwriters including Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor, Craig Carnelia and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and text created from Terkel’s original interviews, Working delivers an honest and intriguing portrayal of 26 diverse careers.
Audiences will relate to the varied songs and monologues of this working man’s musical – if you haven’t done the job then you know someone who has.
“CCPA students will challenge the audience, and themselves, to think deeply because they will be very connected to these stories that are based in truth,” comments director Matthew Howe. At times grungy, at times comedic, but always hopeful, Working celebrates the daily grind.
New York Theatre calls Working “entertaining, funny and touching,” hailing the wonderful new songs by Miranda (In the Heights, Hamilton) and celebrating the new characters – based on new interviews – that “reflect how dramatically the world of work has changed just in the past three decades.”
Don’t miss the opportunity to see this powerful performance by Victoria’s emerging artists. Just once wouldn’t you like to say, “I knew them when they were starting out?”
Join CCPA for their year-end show at the McPherson Playhouse April 26 to 28, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $52.50 and available online at rmts.bc.ca, at the Royal or McPherson box offices or by calling 250-386-2121.