Noah Diaz’s “All the There’s a lot to like in “Working Girl”, the new musical with music by Cyndi Lauper, book by Theresa Rebeck, and direction by Christopher Ashley—especially if you harbor a soft spot for teased bangs, power blazers, and an ’80s musical montage. Based on the beloved 1988 film but modernized around the edges, this musical arrives with big expectations and even bigger hair, but never quite hits the mark.

Intelligent and fiercely motivated, Wall Street secretary Tess McGill (Joanna “JoJo” Levesque) knows she’s capable of more than taking dictation and dodging harassment. She has relentless ambition, a tireless work ethic, and she refuses to stop trying to break into the world that keeps telling her no. The arrival of her new boss, the whip-smart and competitive Katharine Parker (Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer), seems like a turning point, as Katharine espouses that the only way to get things done is for women to work together to reach the corner office.

Sadly, that sentiment only goes so far when it is revealed that Katharine is trying to pass off Tess’s idea as her own. Realizing she might have to break some rules to break the glass ceiling, Tess steps into the power suit herself. With mergers-and-acquisitions sweetheart Jack (Anoop Desai) and her loyal Staten Island bestie Cyn (Ashley Blanchet) in her corner, she barrels into corporate negotiations, cocktail parties, and moral gray zones, all in the name of getting what she’s earned.

Joanna “JoJo” Levesque (left) with cast members in La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical WORKING GIRL; photo by Rich Soublet II.

Performance-wise, Levesque brings warmth, drive, and sincerity to Tess, grounding her journey even when the story wobbles. Her most compelling relationship is with Blanchet’s Cyn, both women who are willing to work hard to get what they want and are loyal to each other, sometimes to a fault. Both have great voices and bring personality and humor to a friendship that feels authentic.

Katharine is more of a comedy villain in this piece than the ice queen from the movie, but Kritzer is wonderfully funny in the role. From her corner office to the ski slopes, she is equally entertaining.

Less successful is the central romance. Anoop Desai sings beautifully as Jack and brings genuine charm, but the show gives their relationship little oxygen. Joey Taranto’s Mick, Tess’ Staten Island boyfriend, is very funny as an ’80s hair-band himbo (a reinvention of the character). He somehow ends up with as many songs as Jack, a puzzling distribution of musical real estate that doesn’t do the story any favors.

(L-R) Joanna “JoJo” Levesque, Anoop Desai and Joey Ta ranto with cast members in La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical WORKING GIRL; photo by Rich Soublet II.

The ensemble is uniformly strong, tackling the high-energy choreography and 80s aesthetic with gusto. The ensemble includes 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 all-woman band, Julie McBride, Alex “Goldie” Golden, Elena Bonomo, Vivi Rama, and Meg Toohey, is also fantastic, and I love seeing them on stage as a part of the action.

The building blocks of a sharp, fizzy musical are certainly here; the era alone offers a treasure trove of glam and ambition, but despite bursts of charm, the show often feels like it never fully ignites. You can see the shape of what it wants to be, but the momentum falters just when it needs to soar.

Cyndi Lauper’s score has a buoyant, boppy spirit, but the numbers tend to blend into one another, creating a pleasant yet indistinct landscape of 80’s sound. Outside of the title number, few songs truly stand out or linger. It’s surprising given Lauper’s sharp, witty work on “Kinky Boots”; here, the musical identity feels more generic.

Rebeck’s book is similarly uneven, faithfully mapping the film’s plot while layering in modern themes of diversity and empowerment, yet somehow producing something flatter and less specific. The story of women navigating male-dominated spaces remains relevant, but the musical doesn’t delve deeply enough into its own updates to make them feel essential. Ironically, a show about women finding their voices struggles to define its own.

Visually, the production is on much steadier ground. Ashley and Costume Designer Linda Cho gleefully embrace the era’s sartorial excess: shoulder pads, sneakers, sequins, and the kind of hair that could survive a tropical storm. Sarah O’Gleby’s choreography cleverly animates the corporate setting—desks, chairs, rolling files, and ensembles swirling through the stage with precision. Hana S. Kim’s projections and AMP’s scenic design glide between office towers, river ferries, bars, and Manhattan apartments.

“Working Girl” has got the heart and the talent, but needs some more focus and songs that keep the momentum and the story going. Put simply, this musical needs to work some overtime before it reaches the corner office.