Sex, Lies and Ambition: All in a day’s work in a revival
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying: Sex, Lies and Ambition: All in a day’s work.
Oscar E Moore from the rear mezzanine for Talk Entertainment.com
As the final show of their premiere season of Broadway Musical Classics, The White Plains Performing Arts Center has pulled out all the stops to offer its audiences a very special cast in a very special show that opened in 1961 – won the Pulitzer and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and reminds us now what comedy in “musical comedy” is all about. This excellent, first rate production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is one of the best I’ve seen.
As a high school graduation gift I had the opportunity of seeing the original sold out show at the 46th Street Theatre based on the small but hysterically funny book of the same title by Shepherd Mead. A few years later, in summer stock, I had the even greater opportunity of portraying Bud Frump. And now I get to review the show in White Plains – which is fast becoming the new Off-Broadway. It’s amazing how wonderful HOW TO SUCCEED holds up after all these years. I suppose sex, greed, ambition and nepotism at work never go out of style. Especially when infused with the humor and satiric wit of Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert – responsible for the riotous book with its barbs aimed lethally at big business. Coupled with the jaunty and snappy music and razor sharp lyrics of Frank Loesser, all the show needs is a great cast and good director.
This the WPPAC readily supplies. A better J. Pierrepont Finch one could not ask for. As the ambitious young man who starts out as a window washer and steadily and rapidly rises to the top of the World Wide Wicket Corporate ladder, armed with his How To book (voiced over by none other than the Dean of Comedy - David Hyde Pierce) and plenty of charm, compliments and aspirations – Matt Wilson is superb. As his equally ambitious girl friend, Rosemary (ambitious to get her man) Patricia Noonan is a wonderful combination of Mary Tyler Moore, Sutton Foster and most importantly herself. Ron DeStefano as the put upon mama’s boy - Bud Frump – caffeine deprived, nerdy nephew to his Uncle the President – does comic justice to his part. As his lusty Uncle – J. B. Biggley – who knits to stay calm, Nicholas Wyman is absolutely terrific. As his secretarial pool play thing, Hedy LaRue (Jill Abramovitz) - makes all the right moves and gets all the right laughs. Another stand out is Joy Franz who gets to let loose in “Brotherhood of Man” – the second act show stopper. The entire cast is phenomenal, sharply directed by Eleanor Reissa who keeps things moving at just the right pace and is aided by some original choreography by Lorin Latarro. I am constantly amazed at the quality of the productions at WPPAC and the talented casts they are able to assemble for their shows. It’s quite an accomplishment.
So if you want to take a short ride on Metro North to be highly entertainment by folks that are of the highest Broadway caliber and sit in the most comfortable theatre seats that have the best sight lines a theatre can offer - the WPPAC is your ticket to having a grand time with some wonderful Broadway Musical Classics. At the performance I attended a group of ladies from The Red Hat Society were out in full force to support the theatre and loving every minute of the performance.
Next season promises to be even better: OLIVER, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and HELLO DOLLY. EVITA is to be a staged reading. If it’s anything like this season’s RAGTIME – it will be sensational.
04-28-08
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