Showtunes Brings “Working” Back To Life…With Two New Lin-Manuel Miranda Tunes

May 6, 2016• byMichael Strangeways

Seattle star and Broadway vet Anne Allgood sings James Taylor’s “Millwork” in the all-star cast of WORKING, in concert at Benaroya Hall for two shows only, May 7 & 8! Buy tickets at: http://bit.ly/1S22jic or call the Ticket Office at 206.215.4747.

Showtunes Theatre Company wraps up their 16th season of presenting concert versions of beloved but slightly forgotten/difficult to stage productions this weekend with their production of Working, the musical version of Studs Terkel’s non-fiction book of the same name. Working examines the lives of ordinary Americans doing ordinary jobs but manages to celebrate all forms of “working” regardless of class. The musical features multiple characters and stories but is performed here by a cast of 13.

Working is unusual in that it has mutated and changed over the years as the show has been revised multiple times since its debut in 1977. The show featured a book by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, with music by Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, and James Taylor, and lyrics by Schwartz, Carnelia, Grant, Taylor, and Susan Birkenhead. But, the version being presented this weekend is a one of a kind experience featuring two songs from current hot Broadway wunderkind, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning composer/actor who’s currently the toast of the theater world with his hit production of Hamilton, which just earned a record breaking 16 Tony Award nominations. Miranda added two songs to the 2012 revisal of Working: “A Very Good Day” and “Delivery”. This concert will also include songs that were cut since the original production making this a unique experience for Seattle musical theater fans.

You only have two chances to check out this version of Working which was directed by Timothy Piggee with musical direction by Mark Rabe. It plays Saturday, May 7th at 8 pm and Sunday, May 8th at 2 pm in Benaroya Hall’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. This production features 13 talented actors PLUS live musicians. The actors are:

Corinna Lapid Munter, Cheryl Massey-Peters, Frances Leah King, Alexandria Henderson, Iris Elton, Anne Allgood, John X. Deveney, Nick Clawson, Allan Barlow, Matt Giles, Dominic Micheal Lewis, J Reese, and Nicholas Ponting.

The skinny:

Single tickets ($21-$46) are available now over the phone (206.215.4747) online (www.showtunestheatre.org), via mail (download a subscription form at www.showtunestheatre.organd mail it in) or in person at the Benaroya Hall Ticket Office on the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street. Ticket Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; and Saturday, 1 p.m.–6 p.m.

SHOWTUNES Theatre CompanyFor the Love of Musicals!

Based in Seattle and founded in 1999, SHOWTUNES creates concert versions of the many unsung American musical theater gems. Led by Matt Wolfe (Artistic Director) and company founder Maggie Stenson Pehrson (Executive Producer), the company currently presents a three-concert season at Seattle’s stunning Benaroya Hall. Pulling from the vast array of musical theatre talent in the area, SHOWTUNES has staged 30 productions to date.

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.