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    Theater Review

    Working: A Musical brings Dallas Theater Center actors back onstage where they belong

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 12, 2021 | 9:42 am

    The last time we saw a full production from Dallas Theater Center, it was their version of Little Women that ended its run on March 1, 2020. Like everyone else, they were forced to shut down all productions due to the pandemic, and for the last 16 months they’ve only been able to offer virtual or socially-distanced options.

    At long last, they are back with Working: A Musical, running through July 18 at Annette Strauss Square.

    As the venue indicates, though, things are not completely back to normal — this is an outdoor production instead of one taking place inside at the usual Wyly Theatre or Kalita Humphreys Theater. However, it features a cast with seven members of the Brierley Resident Acting Company – Blake Hackler, Liz Mikel, Alex Organ, Christopher Llewyn Ramirez, Molly Searcy, Tiffany Solano, and Sally Nystuen Vahle – performing on a large stage, utilizing a set with multi-tiered scaffolding that enables the actors to move about freely.

    The concept of the musical, first performed in the late 1970s and updated in 2008 to include two songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is relatively unique, as it contains no overarching story. Instead, it honors a variety of types of working people by telling their stories through songs. In addition to ones from Miranda, the musical features tunes from Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Wicked), James Taylor, Craig Carnelia, and Micki Grant.

    Among the workers portrayed are a delivery driver, teacher, trucker, housewife, cleaning woman, and more. Each song extols the virtues of the different professions, as well as its challenges. In between songs, interviews with real local workers are played on video screens at the back of the stage, including a couple made up of two first responders: a nurse and a firefighter.

    The production, directed by Brierley Resident Acting Company member Tiana Kaye Blair in her DTC directing debut, takes a bit of patience for anyone used to a musical with an actual story. While the theme of workers is strong throughout, there is nothing connecting one song to the next other than the actors portraying the different people. But the intention of the musical, and of Dallas Theater Center choosing it as their return to a full-scale production, resonates strongly even without characters to which the audience can connect.

    The songs themselves, despite being penned by some Tony and Grammy Award winners, are not ones that match up with the best that Broadway has to offer. Miranda’s “Delivery” and “A Very Good Day” have very little of the memorable wordplay fans know from In the Heights or Hamilton, although the humor of “Delivery” is fun to see and hear. Other songs, like “Nobody Tells Me How,” “Brother Trucker,” and “Cleanin’ Women,” are more interesting for the performances of the actors than the lyrics they’re singing.

    Viewing the production outdoors has its good and bad points for the audience. On the one hand, pleasant weather, nicely spaced boxes, and comfortable sand chairs on the lawn at Annette Strauss Square made for a good experience. But no matter how good the speakers were, the noise of traffic from nearby Woodall Rodgers Freeway and planes flying overhead provided unavoidable distractions. There were also some technical sound snafus, especially in the opening and closing group numbers, with singing from one actor’s microphone overwhelming the others.

    Having the familiar faces of Dallas Theater Center actors back onstage is cause for celebration just by itself. While Working is not as strong as the company’s best work, it’s a nice precursor for their upcoming return to normal operations this fall.

    Molly Searcy and Alex Organ in Dallas Theater Center's Working: A Musical.

    Molly Searcy and Alex Organ in Dallas Theater Center's Working: A Musical
      
    Photo by Imani Thomas
    Molly Searcy and Alex Organ in Dallas Theater Center's Working: A Musical.
    musicreviewstheater
    news/arts

    Ballet news

    Texas Ballet Theater executive director leaving for new gig in Northeast

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    May 19, 2025 | 2:38 pm
    Vanessa Logan, Texas Ballet Theater
    Photo courtesy of Texas Ballet Theater
    Vanessa Logan joined Texas Ballet Theater in 2016.

    Vanessa Logan, who has served as Texas Ballet Theater executive director since 2016, is leaving TBT for a new role in the Northeast, the company says. Her final day with TBT will be June 30, 2025.

    The move will allow Logan to be closer to her family, the organization says. Her new position has not yet been announced.

    "While we will greatly miss Vanessa and her leadership at TBT, we support her decision to do what is best for her and her family and wish her well in her new pursuit," says TBT board of governors chair Anne T. Bass in a May 19 release. "Throughout her tenure at TBT, Vanessa has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism. It has been a delight to have worked closely with Vanessa over the last nine years, and I am most grateful for her unstinting efforts that have advanced TBT in so many respects."

    Logan joined North Texas' largest ballet company before the 2016-17 season; she previously had worked at the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey and Boston Ballet.

    "Being part of TBT has been an immensely enriching and transformative experience. Partnering with Artistic Director Tim O’Keefe, working alongside such talented artists, and collaborating with a dedicated administrative and school staff has been a true privilege," Logan says in the release. "I am also deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our committed Board Chair and the Board of Governors, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental. Contributing to productions that bring beauty and artistry to our audiences and nurturing ballet education for countless children in Dallas-Fort Worth has been incredibly rewarding."

    During her tenure with TBT, Logan helped the company navigate through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 followed by a catastrophic winter storm of 2021; she helped smooth the transition of artistic director from Ben Stevenson to Tim O'Keefe in 2023; and she oversaw new school facilities in Richardson and Dallas. TBT has also begun a 65,000-square-foot renovation of its Fort Worth facility to support future growth.

    "Vanessa’s support and partnership during the transition was phenomenal. I cannot imagine another leader better equipped to guide TBT seamlessly through such a transformational change," O’Keefe says. "Her steadfastness instilled confidence and built trust with staff, students and subscribers as she ensured that we held true to TBT’s mission of honoring classical ballet while embracing a new chapter of artistic evolution."

    TBT’s Board of Governors will immediately start searching for Logan’s successor and will quickly name an interim executive director to oversee operations until a permanent leader is in place, they say.

    Texas Ballet Theater, which is a resident company of both Winspear Opera House in Dallas and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, just closed its 2024-25 season with O'Keefe's all-new staging of the beloved ballet Giselle.

    balletdanceleavinglogantexas ballet theatervanessavanessa logan
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