Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and More Join WORKING GIRL at La Jolla Playhouse
Performances will run from October 28 – November 30.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Sep. 17, 2025
La Jolla Playhouse has revealed the cast and creative team for its world-premiere musical Working Girl, music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award winner Cyndi Lauper, book by Theresa Rebeck, based on the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture written by Kevin Wade, directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby, running in the Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Theatre October 28 – November 30.
Working Girl marks Christopher Ashley’s final directorial project after 18 years as La Jolla Playhouse’s Rich Family Artistic Director.
The cast features Ashley Blanchet as “Cyn,” Anoop Desai as “Jack,” Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as “Katharine,” Joanna “JoJo” Levesque as “Tess” and Joey Taranto as “Mick,” along with ensemble members: 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.
The creative team includes Rob Hyman and Sammy James, Jr., Additional Music and Lyrics; AMP featuring Erica Jiaying Zhang, Scenic Designer; Linda Cho, Costume Designer; Amanda Zieve, Lighting Designer; Gareth Owen, Sound Designer; Hana S. Kim, Projection Designer; Charles G. LaPointe, Wig Designer; Stephen Oremus, Music Supervisor; Brian Usifer, Associate Music Supervisor; Julie McBride, Music Director; Stephen Oremus, Brian Usifer and Scott Wasserman, Orchestrators; Ann C. James, Sensitivity Specialist; The Telsey Office, Rachel Hoffman, CSA and Hannah Reinert, Casting; Victoria Navarro, Stage Manager; and Alexa Burn and Derric Nolte, Assistant Stage Managers.
Working Girl reunites Stephen Oremus and Cyndi Lauper, who previously worked together on Broadway's Kinky Boots. Kinky Boots featured a score by Cyndi Lauper, with Oremus serving as the music supervisor, orchestrator, and arranger.
The romantic comedy film Working Girl was released in 1988, written by Kevin Wade and directed by Mike Nichols. The film starred Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, and Melanie Griffith.
Tess McGill is a Staten Island secretary with big dreams and even bigger ideas, but when her scheming boss Katharine Parker steals one, Tess decides to take matters into her own hands. With Katharine unexpectedly out of town, Tess seizes the chance to prove herself, making a bold business move that could change her life forever. With some help from her savvy friends and a charming businessman, she’s got one shot to pull it off – before the boss returns! This sharp and hilarious adaptation of the iconic 1988 film features an exhilarating original score by the legendary Cyndi Lauper, a smart, fresh book from award-winning playwright Theresa Rebeck, and direction by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. Working Girl is the ultimate corporate Cinderella story that’s just as much about the power of friendship as it is about chasing ambition and success.
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