Based on the book by Studs Terkel
Adapted into a musical by Steven Schwartz and Nina Faso

About the Show

The show is about the everyday working man, and woman - and how they are greater and more complex than they appear.

This is a sort of revue-type show that incorporates the lives of real working people, in their own words - as recorded by Studs Terkel for his best-selling book, which came out in the 70's. It has been updated for the 90's and new milennium by Stephen ("Godspell") Schwartz, and was originally presented by the L.A. Theatreworks last year.  That updated production has also been produced in Chicago, Terkel's home town, to glowing reviews. 

We have it now, and are adding our own special touch, which was very well-received the first time we did it, and that is the full-color, large screen slide show of photographs of the working people of the greater Manchester area at their jobs.

Performed November 15th-18th, 2001
at the Palace Theatre
80 Hanover Street Manchester, NH

Production Staff
Director: Betty Thomson
Asst. Director: Pat Delzell, Beth Ann O'Hara
Stage Manager:  Denise Burke
Asst Stage Mgr: Doug Penney
Musical Director: Jed Holland

Costumes: Wendy Trommer
Technical Coordinator: Joe L. Vago
Set Build Managers: Joe L. Vago, Dick Marshall
Set Design: Lacy Long, 'Bert DeWaters

Lighting Design: Dave Nelson, Stan St Onge
Sound Design: Dave Nelson, Joe L. Vago
Lighting Run: Wayland Bunnel
Sound Run: Doug Penney
Treasury: Anne Young, Sara Desrosiers
Props Master: Jack Trommer
Stage Hands: Brian Burke, Kelly Belmont, Lindsay Peterson, Jack Trommer,
                    David Pipalas, Scott Katrycz

Set Build: Joe Vago, Dick Marshall, Warren Small, Lori Smith, David Yutzler,
 Scott Katrycz, Murry Haynes, Jeanne Bailey, Cheri Birch, TJ Davis
Set Build Tools Supplied by: Bruce Royer, Joe Vago


Cast
Adam Young - Charlie Blossom
Aimee Labrie - Cubicle Worker
Amy Jaskolka - Babe (Checker)
Andrew Livernois - Mike Dillard (Ironworker)
Anne Young -  Amanda (Project Manager)
Barbara Webb - Rose Hoffman (Teacher)
Bruce Smith - Lovin' Al (parking attendant)
Catherine Andruskevich - Enid (Telephone Operator)
Dana Shelmire - Maggie (Cleaning woman)
David Yutzler - Stone Mason (Soloist)
Debbie Comire - Sharon (Telephone Operator) / Checker / Dancer
Cheri Birch - Ensemble, millworker, migrant worker
Donna O'Bryant - Candy (Socialite)
Gary Evans - Rex Winship (Executive) / Dave (Trucker #2)
Greg Tarsa - Joe (Retired Man)
Jeanne Bailey - Grace (Millwork monologue)
Jeff Goumas - Roberto (Mirgant Worker)
Joe L. Vago - Frank (Trucker)
John Campanello - Conrad (UPS Man)
Kathy Tilton - Millworker (Soloist)
Lori Smith - Roberta (Hooker) / Dancer-Checker / Dancer-Millwork
Maggie Burgess - Housewife (Soloist)
Mike Lemieux - Tom (Fireman)
Murray Haynes - Stone Mason (Monologue)
Nick Olivo - Ralph (Salesman)
Pat Delzell - Ensemble
Sara Desrosiers - Heather (Telephone Operator)
Susan Schott - Deloris (Waitress)
TJ Davis - Kate Rushton (Housewife monologue)
Warren Small - Cubicle Worker
Danny Pipilas - Newsboy


Synopsis

In the course of one twenty-four hour workday, the audience meets and hears the stories of various workers.

The musical begins Monday morning as the ensemble comes out, introduces themselves, and sings "All the Livelong Day." First, Mike Dillard, a steelworker, talks about his job and thinks about the man who drives the car made with his steel. The Workers, driving their cars, are held up in a "Traffic Jam," then they turn their cars over to Al Calinda, the parking lot attendant. Al tells his life story and sings about his obsession with cars in the song, "Lovin' Al." Meanwhile, in an office filled with cubicles, Amanda McKenny and her fellow workers talk about their work days in a time of computers and corporate mergers. Amanda and her co-workers attempt to do as little work as possible. In contrast, her boss, Rex Winship, loves to work and he takes an overseas call. Rex hopes to retire and become a teacher, so he can pass on his business knowledge to the next generation. Next, an aging third grade teacher, Rose Hoffman greets her students as they come in to class. She laments the changing teaching methods and different generations in the song, "Nobody Tells Me How." Rose then remembers her favorite student, Pam "Babe" Secoli, who is now a checker at the Treasure Island Supermarket. In "Checkers," Babe and two other checkers check-out and bag groceries for shoppers. Roberto, a bag boy, bags lettuce for Kate Rushton, a housewife, as he remembers his migrant worker family. He sings "Un Mejor Dia Vendra" with Spanish Workers. Kate goes home with her groceries where Conrad, the UPS deliveryman, startles her. Conrad talks about the low points of his day (being bitten by dogs) and the high points (meeting pretty housewives). Alone in her kitchen, Kate sings about her mundane tasks in "Just a Housewife." As the lights fade on Kate, Roberta Victor, a hooker, comes on and announces she never wanted to be a housewife. She talks about turning her first trick and how women are taught to hustle. Candy Cottingham, a political fundraiser, says her work is hard because she has to separate people from their money. Candy sees herself as an entertainer while Roberta does not see her occupation as being different from someone who works on an assembly line. The lights fade on Roberta and Candy and come up on Grace working in a suitcase factory. In the song "Millwork," Grace and her fellow Millworkers lament their boring, monotonous jobs and begin to daydream about their lost youths. At the last hour of the workday, all the workers reflect on their regrets and the lives they might have had in the song "If I Could've Been." As the sun sets, Anthony Palazzo, a stone mason, wants to lay one more stone before he quits for the day. The song "The Mason" describes how a mason's work (building stone houses) lasts beyond his lifetime. As evening sets in, two truck drivers, Frank Decker and Dave, drive across the country in the song "Brother Trucker." Frank, on a run from Milwaukee, tries to call his dispatcher but only gets an operator (Heather) instead. Heather, Sharon Atkins (a receptionist), and Enid Dubois (a telephone solicitor) talk about their lives over the phone. As dinnertime sets in at a restaurant, Delores, a waitress, turns her job of serving food into a one-woman show in the song "It's an Art." Then, Joe Zutty, who is retired, comes on and describes his life in the song "Joe." He keeps busy by traveling and going to fires, like the one where the audience meets Tom, the fireman, running out of a burning building. Tom has always wanted to be a fireman. However, Maggie, who's cleaning offices at two a.m., has always wanted to sing and play piano. In the song "Cleaning Women," Maggie dreams of a better life for her daughter, the next generation. Maggie leaves and the next generation comes on in the persona of Ralph Werner, a nineteen-year-old salesman who dreams of starting his own business and having his own family. In contrast, Charlie Blossom, a twenty-year-old copy boy, dreams of killing everyone at his job. Then, Mike Dillard comes back out and laments the mistakes he's made and the lessons he hopes to pass on in the song "Fathers and Sons." The ensemble comes out, points to a building, and describes the different jobs they each have had there in "Something to Point To." The musical ends with a collective acknowledgment of the accomplishments of each of them.


Song List

All the livelong day
Lovin al
It's an Art
Cleaning Woman
The Mason
Neat to be a newboy
If I could've been
Brother Trucker
Fathers and Sons 
Un mejor dia viendra
Nobody Tells Me How
Joe
Something To Point To
Just A Housewife
Millwork


Schedules

REHEARSALS
Sunday's 12:30pm-6pm

Depending on scheduled times, reheasal times may be shorter for some people.

Rehearsal times are sometimes scheduled during the week for main characters.

MISSED REHEARSALS: We ask that you be available every Sunday, but we understand if you must miss 1 rehearsal.  Missing 2 or more rehearsals becomes a hardship on the cast.

SET BUILD
Set build will be Saturday September 15th, 22nd 9am-5pm.  Each cast member is asked to perform a full Saturday of work (8 hours) towards the building and painting of the set.

SET LOAD IN
We will be loading in to the Palace from Notre Dame College late evening on Sunday Nov 11th at 9pm - 11pm.  Please be available that evening.

TECH WEEK
Saturday Nov 10th - Wednesday Nov 15th is Tech Week.  You MUST be able to attend all of these rehearsals.  No exceptions.

TICKETS
$15.00
$10.00 for Seniors/Students/Childern Under 12yrs
$5.00 for Notre Dame College students (ID required)

PERFORMANCE DATES
Thursday November 15th @ 8pm
Friday November 16th @ 8pm
Saturday November 17th @ 8pm
Sunday November 18th @ 2pm