Talking Horse Productions' Upcoming 'Working, A Musical' Benefits from Composer Support

A theatrical tip of the hat to the resilience of the American workforce and the highly stylized musicals of the 1970s.

COLUMBIA, MO, UNITED STATES, April 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Based on Studs Terkel’s 1974 masterpiece "Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do" and the brainchild of "Wicked" creator Stephen Schwartz, Working, A Musical will take the stage at Talking Horse Productions from May 1 through 11.

"Working, A Musical" is adapted by Schwartz and Nina Faso, with additional contributions by Gordon Greenberg. Songs are by Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz and James Taylor.

Columbia resident and Tony Award-nominee Craig Carnelia, one of "Working's" composer/lyricists, has provided profoundly meaningful support to the Talking Horse cast and creative team. Carnelia's wife, Broadway vet Lisa Brescia, is Chair of Performance at the Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College.

Carnelia visited rehearsals and provided extraordinary insight into the musical's dramatic potential, with a special focus on the four songs he created for the show.

"Working" showcases a diverse range of characters from various occupations, including a waitress, firefighter, teacher, project manager, steelworker, trucker, millworker, community activist, fundraiser and more. Eight actors portray all 26 characters.

The talented cast, ranging in age from 19 to 75, includes retired music educator and Columbia arts icon Bob Bohon and Dr. Joy Powell, Associate Teaching Professor & Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Missouri Department of Theatre & Performance Studies. Three Mizzou theatre students (Luca Freccia, Ryan Deshyla Jordan, Kate Wiegardt); two Stephens Conservatory alums (David Hall, Danielle Simpson); and Columbia-based actor Brandon Moore round out the ensemble cast.

"Originally seen on Broadway in 1978 and updated in 2012, Working also provides audiences with the interesting job of determining how—or if—the workaday world has changed in the last 50 years," said Randall Kenneth Jones, Working's director/choreographer. "Its universal themes are rooted in human relationships and continue to resonate, especially considering how much of our lives are spent 'on the job.'"

Jones also described the production as a theatrical tip of the hat to the resilience of the American workforce and the highly stylized musicals of the 1970s.

"Working, A Musical" is generously supported by Phyllis Nichols-State Farm Insurance and a Friends & Family Sponsorship from Larry Kantner and Carl Morris.

Additional support has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, the City of Columbia Office of Cultural Affairs, COMO 411, KBIA, Cumulus, and Shelter Insurance. Working, A Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

With direction and musical staging by Randall Kenneth Jones and musical direction by Jenni Moorman, "Working, A Musical" runs May 1-4 and 8-11 at Talking Horse Productions, 210 St. James Street, in downtown Columbia's growing NE arts district. Tickets are available online at www.TalkingHorseProductions.org


About Talking Horse Productions: Since 2011, Talking Horse Productions has enhanced the Columbia, Missouri, community by producing intimate, character-driven plays and musicals, including the development of new works. THP illuminates social issues by producing scripts that challenge and educate our audiences. THP invests in the community by presenting theater to local schools and other venues and supporting local not-for-profit organizations. THP creates opportunities for the advancement of experienced and emerging actors, directors, playwrights, designers, technicians, and administrative staff. To donate, volunteer, or for more information, visit TalkingHorseProductions.org.

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