 |
(L-R) Clint Ibele, Brian Benz and Kevin Stanford are
working in Falcon’s production of Working.
|
On Sept. 13, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani asked Broadway to reopen, a sign that the American spirit was alive and kicking in his devastated city.
In similar fashion, Falcon Productions' Artistic Director Ted Weil made the decision to open Working at the Westwood Town Hall. Based on the 1974 book by Studs Terkel, Working gives brief glimpses into the lives of American workers from every walk of life. In his program notes, Weil comments, "It has been a challenge to complete our preparations for this show in the shadow of this terrible attack; however, the cast and crew have pulled together, worked tirelessly and used their grief as an inspiration to create something wonderful as a light in the midst of this darkness."
In many aspects, they succeed at their task. The cast of nine men and nine women work well as an ensemble: There is no noticeably weak link. As a director, Weil has an impeccable sense of timing. Each scene flows seamlessly into the next, creating an overall delightful evening of well-paced entertainment.
Trevor Hartman and Wendy Weil give wonderful portraits of a parking lot attendant and a grocery store checker, respectively. And the ensemble showcases some good voices, including Tracy Schoster singing "Just a Housewife" and John Langley singing "Mason." The most powerful voice in the cast belongs to Julie Anderson, whose soulful rendition of "Cleaning Women" is not to be missed.
Monologues punctuate the musical numbers. Many are funny, such as Andrew Vogel as a gas man who spies on women sunbathing in their back yards. Other humorous highlights are Julia Bethune as a wealthy socialite justifying the importance of her work, and Daniel Bayer in a small spot as a paranoid office geek. Some are recognizable, like the disappointed receptionist played by Natalie Bauman; and still others are moving, such as Michael Morehead's bored retiree.
Large ensemble numbers are not as effective. The show opens with "Traffic Jam," a number that seems low on fuel. In the small performance space offered by Westwood Town Hall, it's difficult to stage musical numbers involving 18 people, and the limited movement of Tim Miracle's choreography stunts the energy and appeal onstage. In fact, the ensemble numbers -- which should energize the show -- tend to drag it down.
This problem might have been remedied by a three-dimensional set with more set pieces and props. For the supermarket scene, a group of checkers spin a grocery cart with the soloist on board like a homecoming float, while one checker plays with a basket of fruit like a Carmen Miranda-style head dress. It works. The rest of the choreography in Working would have benefited from similar creative touches. But the set, designed by the show's director and a cast member, offers no dimension. As a result, choreography is limited to the small square space that, in most scenes, is barren, save scenery painted on the backdrop and floor.
Effective and visually interesting costuming, under the coordination of Holly Sauerbrunn, is the show's best design element, with just a few missteps: a prostitute wears a skirt past her knees, and migrant farm workers look like poster boys for Calvin Klein in blue jeans and tucked-in white t-shirts. But these are minor complaints.
A good deal of this production's appeal can be attributed to the apt performance of the show's orchestra, led by music director and keyboardist, Linda Abbot, and including Tim Binzer, Bill Reichard and Eric Day. These four musicians generate enough sound to create the illusion of a much fuller orchestra.
This show would have benefited from more multicultural casting to portray a more realistic cross-section of American workers. At one point, the production falls into some ethnically inappropriate casting.
All in all, Falcon's production is an appropriate tribute to the fiber of America, the American workforce: Ted Weil does a wonderful job bringing this to the stage. In a time when thoughts and prayers are so focused on one tragedy, it's important to remember the spirit that makes America great. Working helps audiences do that.
WORKING, produced by Falcon Productions at the Westwood Town Hall, Harrison and Montana avenues, continues through Sept. 29.
