|
North
Texas resident Martha Ringley Sherman, like most audience
members at Thursday evening’s production of Working at
Theatre Arlington, was moved during "Just a
Housewife," one of the show’s most poignant numbers.
For Ms.
Sherman, though, it was even more special. She was hearing the
exact words that her mother spoke to composer Stephen Schwartz
almost 30 years ago.
Ms.
Sherman’s mother was the inspiration for the beautiful and
touching song, her little brother was the source for the
"Newsboy" character, and her father provided the basis
for the salesman in the show.
Working
is a unique
musical that portrays the real lives of real people in a moving
and touching way. Ms. Sherman has seen a number of productions,
but she said this in a recent letter to
Mr. Schwartz, with whom she still stays in touch:
"I
had the pleasure of ‘reviving’ my own memories of Working
at a production at Theatre Arlington last weekend. They [the
cast] were thrilled to see the scrapbook Mom had kept from your
visit with us and the clippings of the road it took to Broadway.
I was moved by ‘Just a Housewife’
once again. We lost Mom two years ago and as ‘just a housewife’
myself now, the song hits home more than it ever did. I am
amazed at how those of you who compose can so very well
incorporate the real voice of the speaker. I can truly hear my
mom saying those words."
The
show features an outstanding lineup of talent, joining UT
Arlington’s Department of Theatre Arts and Theatre Arlington
in a musical that celebrates working Americans in a funny and
frequently moving way.
Ms. Sherman continues,
"I don’t think any one of the Ringley clan could possibly
have imagined how one interview, one weekend, one show could
have touched us all so differently and so deeply. Thank you for
discerning that which is true and beautiful about work and its
workers and for making it accessible to all."
Read what the audiences are saying here.
Working the Musical
Through April 27 - Last Weekend
7:30 p.m. Thursday
8:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday
2:00 p.m. Sunday
Theatre Arlington, 305
W. Main St.
817-275-7661
Click here to
purchase tickets. |
