JoJo to Star in Cyndi Lauper and Theresa Rebeck's Working Girl Musical

La Jolla Playhouse has announced casting for the world premiere of Working Girl, featuring a score by Cyndi Lauper and book by Theresa Rebeck.

Joanna “JoJo” Levesque will head the company as Tess, alongside Ashley Blanchet as Cyn, Anoop Desai as Jack, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Katharine, and Joey Taranto as Mick.

In the ensemble are Jacqueline Arnold, Jesse Bhamrah, Michael Genet, Bailey Lee, Amy Hillner Larsen, Ashley Levin, Nathan Madden, Alisa Melendez, Sydni Moon, Jennifer Perry, Julio Rey, Elliot Sagay and Ian Ward; and Swings: Patricia Jewel, Jaxon Smith, Gabi Stapula, and Sean Watkinson.

Directed by Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby, Working Girl has additional music and lyrics by Rob Hyman and Sammy James Jr., scenic design by AMP featuring Erica Jiaying Zhang, costumes by Linda Cho, lighting by Amanda Zieve, sound by Gareth Owen, projections by Hana S. Kim, wigs by Charles G. LaPointe, music supervision by Stephen Oremus, music direction by Julie McBride, associate music supervision by Brian Usifer, and orchestrations by Oremus, Usifer, and Scott Wasserman.

Adapted from the 1988 film of the same title, Working Girl is the story of Tess, a Staten Island secretary with ideas that get stolen by her scheming boss Katharine. When Katharine goes out of town, Tess has the chance to prove herself with a move that could change her life forever.

This show marks Ashley’s final directorial project at La Jolla Playhouse after 18 years at the helm; he next joins Roundabout Theatre Company as artistic director.

Performances run October 28-November 30.