Working the musical

& Studs Terkel's Working

Don't miss our main page for Working the musical

About the Musical:

Working - New Album 2018

DVD of Working - Buy the DVD of Working - the Musical (Broadway Theatre... [new browser window]

Also available as a downloadable rental or purchase: Downloadable version of Working the Musical

Comparison: Working the musical and Working the text by Studs Terkel.

Suggestions for Cross Reference Study - notes by Carol de Giere. [copyright by Carol de Giere]

Studs Terkel book Working is divided into "books," sections within each book, and individual interviews as chapters. Page numbers may differ between different printings, and so instead I've used book, section, name notes.

SONGS BY STEPHEN SCHWARTZ

For "It's An Art" song and waitress character DELORES DANTE, see Terkel chapter in Footwork section of Book Five: Dolores Dante. See lyrics and comments for "It's An Art"

For "Fathers and Sons" song and the musical character MIKE DILLARD, Ironworker, see Terkel preface Mike LeFevre, and in chapter in Book Nine: Fathers and Sons: Steelworker Steve Dubie. See "Fathers and Sons" lyrics and commentary

For "I'm Just Movin" song and musical character BABE SECOLI, Supermarket Checker, see Terkel chapter in Book Five: Footwork section, Babe Secoli, Supermarket Checker

For "Neat to Be A Newsboy" (older scripts), see Terkel Preface II, "Who Spread the News," Billy Carpenter.

SONGS BY JAMES TAYLOR and...

For "Millwork" (or "Millworker") see Terkel chapter in Footwork section of Book Five: Grace Clements, felter, luggage factory

For "Un Mejor Dia Vendra" song and musical characters ROBERTO NUNEZ Boxboy and Migrant Worker, see Terkel Book Five: Footwork section, Brett Hauser and Book One, Working the Land section, Roberto Acuna, farm worker.

For "Brother Trucker" song see Terkel Book Four, The Driving section, Frank Decker, Interstate truckdriver

SONGS BY MICKI GRANT

For "Lovin' Al" song for musical character AL CALINDA Parking Lot Attendant, see Terkel text in Book Four: Parking section, Alfred Pommier.

For "Cleaning Woman" song and musical character MAGGIE HOLMES, cleaning woman, see Terkel chapter in Book Three, Cleaning Up section, Maggie Holmes, domestic.

For "If I Could Have Been" - a general theme of the book.

SONGS BY CRAIG CARNELIA

For "The Mason" song and musical character ANTHONY COELHO, stone mason, see Terkel Preface III, Carl Murray Bates

For "Just a Housewife" song and musical character KATE RUSHTON, Housewife, see Terkel chapter in Book Five, Just A Housewife, Terese Carter.

For "Joe" and musical character JOE ZUTTY, Retiree, see Terkel chapter in Book Seven: Reflections on idleness and retirement section, Joe Zmuda, ex-shipping clerk.

For "Something to Point To" - a general theme of the book.

SONG BY SUSAN BIRKINHEAD AND MARY RODGERS

For "Nobody Tells Me How" and the musical character ROSE HOFFMAN, School Teacher, see Terkel chapter in Book Eight: Cradle to Grave section, Rose Hoffman, public school teacher

For musical character HEATHER LAMB, Telephone Operator, see Terkel Book Two, Communications section, Heather Lamb, Telephone operator.

For musical character CHARLIE BLOSSOM Ex-copy boy, see Terkel book Eight, called The Age of Charlie Blossom, and the chapter about Charlie Blossom, copy boy.

For musical character TOM PATRICK, Fireman, see Terkel's Book Nine, Fathers and Sons section, Tom Patrick, fireman.

For musical character, RALPH WERNER, Salesman, see Terkel chapter in Book Eight, The Age of Charlie Blossom, Ralph Werner, department store salesman.

Working the Musical - From Page to Stage

In Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked, includes a behind-the-scenes stories on the development of Working and what it meant to the creators.

Find out why Stephen Schwartz, Nina Faso, producer Irwin Meyer and others cared so much about this show, and how much creativity was required to make it happen. See photos of Students Terkel working with Schwartz, rehearsals, and more.

Working Albums

Working The Compact Disc CD 1978 Cast Album of Working the Musical is currently unavailable except for used copies. Try here: Working ~ A New Musical From the Book by Studs Terkel (Original Cast Recording)

LA Theatre Works production - Unabridged edition (December 26, 2000) Working: Starring Eileen Barnett, Orson Bean, Harry Groener, Kaitlin Hopkins, Michael Kostroff, Kenna Ramsey, Vickilyn Reynolds, Vincent Tumeo and B.J. Ward, Stephen Schwartz's son, Scott Schwartz, directed this production. Includes songs and more.

Craig Carnelia

Craig Carnelia and WORKING

Craig Carnelia contributed emotionally evocative songs to Working: "Just a Housewife," "The Mason," "Joe," and "Something to Point To." These can be heard on the Working album, video, and DVD.

Craig Carnelia Songbook - Expanded Edition (P/V/G Composer Collection)  

"Craig Carnelia... works have won numerous songwriting awards and have been performed by an amazing assortment of singers, including Barry Manilow, Karen Akers, Andrea Marcovicci, and more. His musicals include Working, Is There Life After High School, 3 Postcards, and more..." Songbook includes "The Mason," "Just a Housewife," "Flight," and others.

Complete Craig Carnelia Sheet music list in this expanded edition of the songbook:

• At The Fountain (Reprise)
• Come On, Snow
• Cowboy Waltz
• Flight
• I Cannot Hear The City
• I Met A Man Today
• Imaginary Friend
• Just A Housewife
• The Kid Inside
• Life On Earth
• Look For Me In The Songs
• Look In My Eyes
• Magellan
• The Man In 37A
• The Mason
• Nothing Really Happened
• One Track Mind
• The Picture In The Hall
• Smart Women
• Things I Learned In High School
• What You'd Call A Dream
• Words Fail Me
• You Can Have The T.V.

Craig Carnelia Songbook - Expanded Edition (P/V/G Composer Collection)

Carnelia on Songwriting

Author Carol de Giere interviewed Craig Carnelia about his experiences on Working for the Stephen Schwartz biography, Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked,

Here's part of a story....

After seeing Craig Carnelia perform in a cabaret one night, Schwartz asked him to try writing a song based on Terkel's interview with a retired man. "Joe" was one of the first pieces written for the new musical. As a keen study in character-appropriate material, it evoked creative discoveries for both Carnelia and Schwartz.

"My favorite thing about Working in my life as a writer," Carnelia explains, "is that it taught me a great deal about how to write. One of the things it taught me is that people reveal their biggest truths in small ways...."

Schwartz comments on what he learned from Carnelia. Read the whole story of Working in Chapter 10 of the book, available in print and ebook editions.

 

Back to the main page for Working the musical