How To Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was a Broadway hit in 1961. The show featured Rudy Vallee, Charles Nelson Reilly, and newcomer Bobby Morse. This tuneful show by Abe Burrows and Frank Loesser ran 1417 performances and earned seven Tony Awards. In 1967 there was a movie made featuring much of the original Broadway cast and there have been several revivals and one is planned with Daniel Radcliff in the leading role. I remember seeing it on Broadway and not thinking that much of it, perhaps because I knew nothing about business and was still in school. The revival by Reprise at the Freud Playhouse that opened May 11th is a total delight. The director is Marcia Milgrom Dodge who recently directed the revival of Ragtime in New ‘York. Her staging is inventive and always active. Perhaps the style was too broad for some tastes but I think it helped lighten up a show about business in this age of Enron. The production was blessed by Ray Bolger-like Josh Grisetti. He gave me a fresh new view of the lead role. He is agile, funny, and sings like an angel. I see a great Broadway career ahead for him.
Grisetti had some very able support from Vicki Lewis, E.E. Bell, Simon Helberg (as Frump), Ruth Williamson, Larry Raben and John O’Hurley as J. B. Biggley. Ed Asner even lent his voiceover talent as the narrator. I was very pleased to rediscover this musical for myself. The songs by Frank Loesser were singable (unlike many of today’s rock scores). I enjoyed hearing “A Secretary is Not A Toy”, “Rosemary”, “I Believe in You”, and “Brotherhood of Man’. God help me, I even liked “Grand old Ivy” which I found myself humming for days afterward. This is a very colorful production as designed by Bradley Kaye and costumer Kate Bergh (though I did hate the red dress all the women wore at one point). Darryl Archibold led his small group of musicians with verve. Most of the credit should go to director Dodge who made this musical live again, at least in my experience. How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying will play at Freud Playhouse on the U.C.L.A. campus until May 23rd.