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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Blank Canvas’
‘Working’ is a laborious entertainment<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review will appear in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
o</I></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">n
5/10/13<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Georgia','serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Georgia','serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Despite
a superb cast and a valiant effort, Blank Canvas Theatre’s “Working: The
Musical” is as tedious as the jobs this one-act ode to the American worker tries
to champion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">“Working”
is based on the 1974 Studs Terkel book of the same title that chronicles the
work ordinary people do and, in their own words, how they feel about doing
it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was adapted by Stephen
Schwartz and Nina Faso, with songs by Broadway and mainstream music composers
like Lin-Manuel Miranda and James Taylor, respectively.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Despite
the various revisions this musical has gone through since its original Broadway
production in 1978 – including a reduction in length and cast size, updates in
occupations, and the addition of several songs by a greater variety of composers
– “Working” still unfolds like an oral civics lesson.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Plays based on books grounded in
journalism often do.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
show is essentially a musical revue, with each of the 14 songs and the
monologues that accompany them depicting the malaise of the middle class as they
toil, unappreciated, at their jobs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>One can almost hear the page turn after each song, as we move from one
case study of blue collar melancholy to another. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">There
is something very public service announcement about this play’s sentimental
celebration of workers’ small contributions to our national identity, as if it
was underwritten by the U.S. Department of Labor.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>All the profanity thrown into the
storytelling may simply be there to throw us off the
scent.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">As
such, it is difficult to pinpoint the target audience for a show like this.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Given its Broadway origins, one can only
assume that this musical was intended to give affluent patrons of the arts a
sense of appreciation for those faceless few who deliver their food, build their
houses, protect their gated neighborhoods, and educate their kids.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, the show </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>ran for only 24 performances and closed due to lack of interest.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>If this musical is for the rest of us, do we really want our theater
escapism to be based on the very 9-to-5 reality we’re escaping from?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Will the unemployed among us – 7.6% of
the U.S. population – be enticed to see a play called “Working” or get anything
meaningful out of it?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not
really.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>Director Patrick Ciamacco accentuates the local relevancy of the play’s
narrative by infusing Cleveland references in the costuming, in a backdrop of
our skyscape, and in still-life projections of city scenes on two raised
screens.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is a nice touch.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>Ignored is the diversity of Cleveland’s workforce.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Cast members D</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">oug
Bailey, Ian Atwood, Derrick Winger, Tasha Brandt, Joanne May Hunkins and Sarah
Edwards-Maag are wonderful singers and fine actors, but they are not so good as
to be seen as anything other than young and white.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This sucks some of the authenticity out
of many of the songs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">But
not all.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The production has its
moments, particularly when the right performer is matched with an appropriate
career and given a good song to sing. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Such moments can be found in “Brother
Trucker,” sung by Ian Atwood, and “Millwork,” sung by Tasha Brandt.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“If I Could Have Been,” a song about the
choices we make, is beautifully performed by the entire ensemble.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The band, led by Lawrence Wallace, does
a nice job of supporting the show in general and these songs in particular.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">After the final song,
there’s the distinct impression that “Working” doesn’t quite pack the emotional
punch the playwright and performers were going for.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In fact, applauding seems like
part of the job description for being an audience member and exiting allows for
the next shift to take over.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 3"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN><FONT
size=3><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">“Working: The
Musical<SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">”</SPAN></SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">
</SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">runs through May 18 at the Blank
Canvas </SPAN></I><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Theatre
(at 78th Street Studios), 1305 West 78th Street, Suite 211 in Cleveland.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></I><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">For general admission tickets, which
are $15, visit www.blankcanvastheatre.com.</SPAN></I></FONT><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: #666666"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>