Productions
The musical was first staged at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago from December 1977 through February 1978.
It then was produced on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre, opening on May 14, 1978 where it ran for 24 performances and 12 previews. It was directed by Schwartz and choreographed by Onna White, with a cast featuring Patti LuPone, Bob Gunton, Joe Mantegna, Lynne Thigpen, David Patrick Kelly, Robin Lamont, Steven Boockvor, Rex Everhart, Bobo Lewis, Lenora Nemetz, Brad Sullivan, Matt Landers, Terri Treas and Arny Freeman, an actor who was interviewed in the book. In 1982, Schwartz and Nina Faso adapted the show for a ninety-minute telecast on the PBS series American Playhouse, directed by Schwartz and Kirk Browning and introduced by Terkel.
The musical has undergone several revisions. In March 1999, it was presented at Long Wharf Theater, New Haven, Connecticut, with direction by Christopher Ashley. It had "developmental productions" at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota, Florida in May 2008 and at the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, California, in March 2009. Schwartz revised the musical, which includes two new songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
A further revised version opened at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, Chicago, starting in February 2011 in previews through June, with direction and revisions by Gordon Greenberg. The cast features Gene Weygandt, Barbara Robertson, Emjoy Gavin, and E. Faye Butler. The production opened Off-Broadway at the 59E59 Theaters on December 12, 2012, after previews which started on December 1, 2012. Again directed by Gordon Greenberg, the cast features Joe Cassidy, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nehal Joshi and Kenita Miller.
The musical was produced at the 2nd annual Hollywood Fringe Festival, Los Angeles, in June 2011 by the group theTRIBE.
The show's Asian premiere was in Singapore, performed by LASALLE College of the Arts. The production run was at the Creative Cube in September 2011. The show was directed by Tony Knight, musical direction by Ben Kiley, and choreography by Kristy Griffin. The cast included Gimbey Dela Cruz, Taryn Erickson, Linden Furnell, Safia Hanifah, Mina Kaye, Michelle Kraiwitchaicharoen, Timothy Langan, Oda Maria, Elle-May Patterson and James Simpson.
Read more about this topic: Working (musical)
Famous quotes containing the word productions:
“If you think it will only add one sprig to the wreath the country twines to bind the brows of my hero, I will run the risk of being sneered at by those who criticize female productions of all kinds. ...Though a female, I was born a patriot.”
—Annie Boudinot Stockton (1736–1801)
“Most new things are not good, and die an early death; but those which push themselves forward and by slow degrees force themselves on the attention of mankind are the unconscious productions of human wisdom, and must have honest consideration, and must not be made the subject of unreasoning prejudice.”
—Thomas Brackett Reed (1839–1902)
“If in many of my productions terror has been the thesis, I maintain that terror is not of Germany, but of the soul.”
—Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)