The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) is proud to present an all-new staging of the musical Working, a show that looks at the working lives of everyday people revealing their hopes and dreams, performed for the first time with non-traditional gender roles. The show is a down-to-earth, funny, and joyous musical about American workers.
Working director Silvio Weisner says, “GMCW celebrates and gives voice to the members of our community. As we have told our stories and represented the diversity of our community to our audiences, what better way to continue this process by producing a musical with universal themes and emphasizing our common values. We ALL work to earn a living, and also to find meaning and purpose in life; to support our loved ones; and to create things that will endure after we are gone. In adding gender fluidity and sexual orientation diversity to Working‘s already diverse content, we seek to deepen and broaden these themes.”
There are a wide variety of musical styles represented in the show – from traditional show tunes to jazz, Latin, folk, rock, and gospel. The songs were composed by a wide variety of artists, including Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin,) James Taylor (Five-time Grammy winner, Rock & Rock Hall of Fame inductee,) Micki Grant (Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope,) Craig Carnelia (Sweet Smell of Success,) Mary Rodgers (Once Upon a Mattress, Freaky Friday) and Lin-Manuel Miranda(Hamilton.)
In the early 1970’s, Chicago radio announcer Studs Terkel traveled across the United States and interviewed dozens of ordinary Americans about their jobs. He compiled these interviews into a best-selling book, titled Working. In the late 1970’s, Stephen Schwartz and others transformed these interviews into the musical Working, which opened on Broadway in 1978, where it was nominated for five Tony Awards and won two Drama Desk Awards. Working was revised in 2000, and again in 2012, incorporating new material and new songs by Tony Award-winner and Kennedy Center honoree Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Working will be presented on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 8:00pm, and Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 3:00pm (ASL) at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, located at 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC. Tickets are $39 ($35 for seniors and $20 for 25 and under) and can be purchased by calling 202-399-7993 or online.
Working is the third show of GMCW’s 2018-2019 Season, Let Freedom Sing.
