They say what goes around comes around. I’m never quite certain how to interpret that piece of wisdom, but it does seem that this 1961 musical — which won the Tony Award and the Drama Critics Circle award for Broadway’s best musical, plus the Pulitzer Prize for drama — is suddenly timely again, 47 years later.
Perhaps it’s how it satirizes the soulless world of business. Perhaps it’s that the young man on the express elevator to the top of World Wide Wicket Company seems like one of today’s YPs. (It’s amusing that Robert Morse originated the role of the brash J. Pierpont Finch four decades ago; today he’s playing Bertram Cooper, the quirky elder statesman of the ad agency on the TV hit series Mad Men.)
There’s a lot to recommend How to Succeed, especially it’s tuneful, tongue-in-cheek score by Frank Loesser (who also created Guys and Dolls). It’s a true classic of musical theater, which means it will be a lot of fun to watch when the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music brings its full forces to bear on a production of it at Corbett Auditorium this week. It’s being staged by Aubrey Berg, director of CCM’s acclaimed musical theater program for 22 years, a guy who knows what it takes to make a show look good and re-create what brought audiences to 1,417 performances over the course of four years.
Unfortunately, you’ll only have four days to catch How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying this week — so you’d best call right away for tickets. $10-$28.
See Rick Pender's blog post about the show here and get details, buy tickets and find nearby bars and restaurants here.