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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Also see Susan's reviews of Mother Courage and Her Children and Richard III
Although the musical by Frank Loesser (music and lyrics) and Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert (book) is more than 50 years old, and the life of a corporate executive has changed significantly in that time, the show works beautifully in its original period, and the underlying issues of ambition, conformity, and job security are as relevant as ever. The musical follows J. Pierrepont Finch (Sam Ludwig), a sweet-faced window washer, as he negotiates the corridors of power at the World Wide Wicket Company with the help of the title advice book. Along the way he captivates secretary Rosemary Pilkington (Angela Miller), sucks up to company president J.B. Biggley (Lawrence Redmond), and clashes with Biggley's obnoxious nephew Bud Frump (Dan Van Why)—all with a gentle smile on his face. Loewith's cast is fairly small, with only four men and four women in the chorus, but he has selected outstanding talents for the major roles. Ludwig is appealingly guileless as he manipulates the people around him, and Miller acts and sings with such intensity that one can see that Rosemary is just as driven toward her goal as Finch is toward his. Van Why squeezes the maximum humor from his whining, entitled character, and Redmond understands both the imperious and the slightly goofy sides of the big boss. Colleen Hayes is suitably attractive as office siren Hedy La Rue, but her performance could use a bit more variety in mood. Olney also has brought in two ringers in smaller roles and lets them work off each other. Sherri L. Edelen, having just finished her run as Madame Rose in Signature Theatre's Gypsy, is Miss Jones, Biggley's indomitable secretary, and rich-voiced George Dvorsky is Bratt, head of personnel. And Ian McKellen, a friend of Olney since the 1980s, provided the recorded words of the "How to Succeed" book. Tommy Rapley's choreography is amusing and innovative, from the frenzies of "Coffee Break" to the ridiculous "Pirate Dance." For the most part, music director Christopher Youstra gets a good sound out of his nine musicians. To add to the audience experience, Olney has created a brochure that provides context about life in 1960s big business, including Amy Vanderbilt's etiquette rules for men and women in the workplace. Olney Theatre Center
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