How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying
Book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, Willie Gilbert
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Directed by Rob Lindley
at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont (map)
thru June 1 | tickets: $30-$43 | more info
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Enjoy an evening of pure musical escapism
Porchlight Music Theatre presents
How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying
Review by Kat Hey
Sometimes theater is all about escaping. No need to ponder the merits of existence or motivation. We want to forget the interminable bad weather and root for the good guy and his gal. Porchlight Theatre’s production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying is the antidote to the work weary and the down in the mouth. I am a huge fan of the 50’s-60’s musicals, and Porchlight gets it mostly on the nose.
Smitty (Sharriese Hamilton) heads the secretary pool in a gorgeous homage to Eve Arden, the quintessential second banana/single gal/working woman. Hamilton puts a flame to the song “Cinderella Darling” with a touch of preacher swagger in the sugary tune. She is a real pro and has great stage presence.
The role of the CEO, J. B. Biggley, is perfection in the hands of Fred Zimmerman. He has the bluster and studied cluelessness of a real Wall Street pro. Zimmerman is hysterical as the closet knitter who made his own argyle golf sweater. Zimmerman and Ravelson shine in the duet “Grand Old Ivy”. To see Zimmerman imitate a chipmunk is hilarious. The amazing Iris Lieberman plays Biggley’s secretary, Miss Jones. Lieberman brings the house down with a let-your-hair-down tap dance as the only woman in the “Brotherhood of Man” number.
My favorite breakout actors in How To Succeed… are John Keating (Bud Frump) and Emily Ariel Rogers (Hedy LaRue). These are the villain/antihero roles that throw the monkey wrench into Finch’s climb, Rosemary’s dreams, and Biggley’s marriage. Keating takes the role of the spoiled nephew with a mother fixation and perfects the caricature. His posture and facial expressions are like watching classic animation. When his Frump slinks away, it’s a Friz Freling moment from Bugs Bunny when he trumps Daffy Duck. I can imagine him with his beak on backwards. One of the most difficult roles to play is the dumb Blonde Bombshell, and Rogers hits it out of the ballpark and into Lake Michigan. Hedy LaRue is one hot mama who isn’t as dumb as she looks. When Rogers slinks in all of the men go slack jawed and I admit to my own jaw dropping. She affects the squeaky voice and malapropisms to perfection.
The entire cast is energetic and in fine voice. Brenda Didier’s choreography is sharp and fun. The “Coffee Break” number pops and shows everyone’s skills in dancing and comedy. I have to admit that my very favorite thing is legendary newscaster Bill Kurtis as The Voice of the business manual by which Finch lives and breathes. Major geek out! I love me some Bill Kurtis!
This a fabulous satire of sex and power in the hallowed canyons of New York in the 60’s, where millions of people poured out of the subways and into the workforce. There is intrigue, seduction, and plenty of comical comeuppance. However the show has a couple of major slip-ups. The direction and staging is awkward. With the way the theater is set up, there is simply no excuse to have a pack of actors blocking the view of the entire downstage left audience. We missed a good deal of the climax and other integral parts of the show. Not only were the central characters obscured, so were the reactions of the executive pool. A simple move to the aisle and back would have given everyone a clear view of everything. That is no excuse and a directing 101-fail. My other peeve is the band mix. This is a great score and the singing is fabulous but the percussion is not balanced. Loesser is known for his sometimes-staccato rhythms and lyrical pacing. The drums sound very burlesque and in all of the wrong places. Yes, it’s a peeve, but this is a major musical and everything has to be sharp. Tone it down a bit. The dancing doesn’t need to have the beat guidance and I keep expecting to see Gypsy pop through the retro yet tasteful pop art cyc wall.
I do recommend How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying as a great way to pass an afternoon or evening. The time really does fly and this show is a feast for the eyes, ears and funny bone.
Rating: ★★★
How to Succeed in Business… continues through June 1st at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont (map), with performances Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm, Sundays 2pm. Tickets are $30-$43.50, and are available by phone (773-327-5252) or online through Vendini.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. (Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes, includes an intermission)
Photos by Kelsey Jorissen
artists
cast
Bill Kurtis (Voice of The Book), Tyler Ravelson (J. Pierrepont Finch), Michael Kingston (Gatch, Toynbee), Christopher Straw (Jenkins), Patrick Martin (Tackaberry, Ovington, TV Announcer), Daniel Spanguolo (Peterson, Davis, Waiter, Security), Fred Zimmerman (J.B. Biggley), Elizabeth Telford (Rosemary), Jason Grimm (Bratt), Sharriese Hamilton (Smitty), Iris Lieberman (Miss Jones), Matthias Austin (Twimble, Womper, Matthews), Emily Ariel Rogers (Hedy LaRue), Sarah Hayes (Krumholtz, Scrubwoman, Ensemble), Lexi Lyric (Secretary, Scrubwoman, Ensemble), Christopher Kelley (Johnson, Coffee Man, Ensemble), Clare Dolan, Lindsay Loretta Prerost (Ensemble)
musicians
Kory Danielson (conductor/keyboards), Jered Montgomery (trumpet), Ethan Deppe (percussion), Mike Matlock (reeds 1), David Orlicz, Lara Regan (reeds 2)
behind the scenes
Rob Lindley (direction), Brenda Didier (choreography), Kory Danielson (music direction), Jeffrey D. Kmiec (scenic design), Bill Morey (costume design), Erik Barry (lighting design), Jenna Moran (sound design), Casey Schillo (properties manager), Kevin Barthel (wig design), Aaron Shapiro (production management), Julia Zayas-Melendez (stage management), Peter O’Neill (technical director)
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