Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein looked at dozens of stage productions before he selected “Working” to open the company’s 91st season.
Good choice.
This musical, based on the 1974 Studs Terkel book and reworked in 2012 to include two new songs by “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, is, at its heart, a celebration of the American worker, and the country’s essential workers in particular.
That’s why the show’s 26 characters, played by just seven actors, include a stonemason, an assembly line worker, a schoolteacher, a waitress and a housewife—the people who do all the thankless jobs that keep a community going.
Klein selected a first-rate cast whose members effortlessly slip from one character to another as readily as they switch costumes, sometimes within a few seconds with the help of dresser Kit Cheung.
There’s not a weak link in the cast, and nearly all have strong, powerful voices. Ray D’Ambrosio, playing four distinct characters, brings a tear to the eye as he stumbles across the stage using a walker and singing the sentimental song “Joe.”
Triple-threat actress/director/singer Linda Piccone appears in many scenes but stands out as the harried waitress in the heartfelt “It’s An Art.”
She also joins Izetta Fang Klein, who possesses one of the cast’s most powerful voices, in the heartfelt “Cleanin’ Women,” telling the story of the women who clean hotel rooms, office buildings and wealthy people’s homes. “Working” choreographer Stacy Reed takes over Klein’s role for some performances.
Another strong female voice belongs to Eiko Yamamoto, who appears in a number of vignettes as both a sharp businesswoman and a young college graduate. Mai Abe is the final female in the cast; she, too, shines in five different roles.
Jomar Martinez and Jason Mooney are both energetic, sincere and authentic in their many roles. Martinez is funny and athletic in several of his characters, while Mooney takes on five roles and succeeds in four of them. He doesn’t quite have the gravitas to be the stonemason, and his voice is slightly thin when singing “The Mason.”
But these are trifles because “Working” turns out to be an uplifting, affirming and altogether satisfying experience. As one member of the opening night audience said, “This makes me realize how much I’ve missed live theater; I’m so thrilled it’s back!”
Dolores Duran-Cefalu is the musical director, although there’s no live orchestra. Instead, the music accompaniment is provided by P Backing Tracks. Nevertheless, snafus happen. On opening night, all the actors were on stage ready for the grand finale (“Something to Point To”), but no music played. There was an uncomfortable silence before it finally came on.
Scott Ludwig took on multiple jobs for “Working,” including scenic designer, technical director, production manager and properties designer. The set is more utilitarian than beautiful, but that’s perfect for a show that calls for the actors to carry the heavy load.
R. Dutch Fritz is responsible for costume design and also serves as scenic painter. Abby May is the lighting designer, with Jeff Grafton handling sound.
“Working” runs through Oct. 3 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. The Sunday, Sept. 26, performance will be live-streamed and will be available for viewing Sept. 30-Oct. 3. In-person tickets sell for $27-$57, while streaming tickets are $25 per household at https://paplayers.org or 650-329-0891.