Elgin Community College’s musical adaptation of Studs Terkel’s book “Working” presents a mixed bag of musical numbers and monologues. The musical, which ran from Feb. 23 to March 4, deals with the careers of a huge variety of people, from fast food workers to hedge fund managers.

Directed by Mary Hatch and musically and artistically directed by Marc Beth, the musical uses a mix of music and monologues to tell its story. The play has a runtime of about two hours with a ten-minute intermission.

Some musical numbers flourished, with actors incorporating all sorts of skills and methods into their performances of their characters, while others came with flat notes and unexciting delivery. Tony Pellegrino and Terry A. Christianson especially excelled in all the roles they played, bringing a definite charisma to their scenes. Praise must be given to the musicians providing the music underneath the songs, and the audio engineering for making all the instruments and voices sound perfect together.

In acts like “The Mason,” or “Cleanin’ Women,” or “Delivery,” the energy of the show died out slowly. These two particular acts stood out as parts that perhaps should have been cut. Where some of the songs and monologues have a definite energy and life to them, others meander along, poorly executed either by the actors or the set-up of the scene.

The performance  on March 2 was the closing night of the show, the last one besides the Sunday matinee the next day, and was sold out. The crowd’s reaction varied from excited cheers to what seemed like polite clapping at some points. Lots of people talked loudly during performances or looked at their phones. Whether this was because they were bored with the play or simply have no conception of manners is open to interpretation.

While there were some standout parts in the musical, such as the retiree or the publicist’s scenes, overall, too many parts of the show felt boring or flat, and as a result, the show ultimately felt longer than it was. Some standouts in this show cannot save it from being disappointingly average.