WEST AMWELL: ‘Working’: Musical begins tonight at South

   WEST AMWELL — Today (Thursday) marks the opening performance of “Working,” this year’s South Hunterdon Regional High School musical.
   ”Everyone has been working very hard to bring the 27 characters to life for our community,” said a spokesman.
   Performance dates are Feb. 28, March 1 and March 2, all at 7:30 p.m. March 3 at 2 p.m. is the snow date.
   Tickets can be purchased at the door — $10 for general admission and $5 for students and senior citizens.
   Based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers, “Working,” an oral history of working life, “paints a vivid portrait of the men and women the world so often takes for granted: the phone operator, the waitress, the millworker, the mason, the schoolteacher, the housewife and the trucker, just to name a few,” a spokesman said.
   Mr. Terkel found work was a search, sometimes successful, sometimes not, for “daily meaning as well as daily life.”
   The musical is an exploration of 27 people from all walks of life. The strength of the show is “in the core truths that transcend specific professions; the key is how people’s relationships to their work ultimately reveal key aspects of their humanity, regardless of the trappings of the job itself,” said the spokesman.
   . The show, set in contemporary America, contains timeless truths and “provides important insights into what Terkel describes as ‘the extraordinary dreams of ordinary people.’”
   Adapted from Mr. Terkel’s book by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso with contributions by Gordon Greenberg, the songs have been created by many composers rather than one or two as is usually done. The original production opened on Broadway in 1978.
   The popularity of the score, including the songs by James Taylor (his only work for the theatre), Craig Carnelia, Stephen Schwartz, Mary Rodgers, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Micki Grant, have helped make the uniqueness of this show an asset. A 1983 TV version on PBS’ Great Performances also boosted popularity. The show has been a hit in London and in numerous regional productions.
   ”This show is unique in that it does not follow the standard American musical format. Rather than tell one story about a particular group of people in a particular place, ‘Working’ gives us a glimpse into the lives of 27 different people in many different places. Our students are enjoying the challenges this musical presents and are experiencing great satisfaction as they develop their characters,” said the spokesman.
   Directed by Audrey Frankowski with Matt Petrozelli as music director and Karen Martin choreographing, the cast includes seniors Sean Dale and Sarafina DiBetta, juniors Amy Dupuis, Alessandra Johnson, Jessica MacGregor, Sarah Marty, Tiffany Moran, Danielle Mundhenk, Samantha Peck and Joe Quinn, sophomores Jameson Colbert, Robert Quinn, Ross Rankin, Madison Storcella and Sam Tucker and freshmen Kacey Abitz, Peter Gillete, Katie Hurley, Sadie Lerman, Jaclyn Marrero, Vanessa Moran, Samantha Shallup and Darron Watson.
   Rich Warwinsky and senior Paul Calley will design the lighting. The set will be constructed by volunteer Dynamite Dads, led as always by John Dale and art direction is again by Nora Marley. Ruth Mazujian will coordinate costumes and Sue Bacorn will coordinate props.
   For more information, call the SHRHS main office at 609-397-2060.
    — Ruth Luse