Review: 'Working A Musical' by Sacred Heart University Theatre Program

“I Hear America Singing”

Fairfield, CT - Before I review a show that is new to me, I purposefully try not to do too much research on it. I tell myself that this is to preserve the uninformed perspective of someone seeing a work for the first time; sometimes it is simply because I don’t have the time to read carefully every press release I post. Thankfully, opening night of ‘Working’ by the Sacred Heart University Theatre Arts Program marked the first time I thought I was reviewing a play until I walked into the venue.

The upright piano in the corner helped me to notice that the full title on the program I was handed was ‘Working A Musical.’ It was decidedly a pleasant surprise for this musical theatre lover when I saw that it was based upon the book by Studs Terkel and adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (‘In the Heights,’ ‘Hamilton,’) Mr. Schwartz and James Taylor. I quietly updated my Facebook check in with the word “musical” (before the lights went down, of course) and knew that I was in for a treat.

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Junior Patrick Robinson served as producer and greeted everyone at the door. Mr. Carusone, the Assistant Director of Theatre at SHU who teaches voice and musical theatre, made sure that every singer sounded their best, either in chorus or while soloing. Opening night had a least one lighting snafu, but in general I was impressed at how well the students are always able to light the brick-walled former chapel. The black set was reminiscent of the last production, but worked for the needs of this piece with the exception of a tiny opening through which actors had to duck and turn sideways to exit, and the costumes of sophomore Alexa Kober, designing for the first time at SHU, “popped” against the background.