How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (1999)

Performances

May 28-30 & June 3-6, 10-12, 1999

Venue

Community Players Theatre

Corporate Sponsors: State Farm Insurance, Hundman Lumber, Penny’s In The Plaza

Synopsis

The winner of the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” was a satire of big business and all it holds scared. The story follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook called How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressive, compliant ‘company man,’ the office party, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine-addiction, and, of course, true love.

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser, Book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, Based on the book How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying by Shepherd Meade

Historian’s Corner

The season closed with a revival of the Pulitzer Prize winning musical “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.” The show was first performed at Players in the 1968-1969 season. Due to unique season scheduling, “How To….” performed through the 12th of June. What made this unusual was that Players’ seasons usually ended in late May. One of the interesting things to occur in this production was the character that is only heard, the book voice, was played by various local celebrity guest announcers. An interesting tidbit was that the elevator doors appeared to go up and down through special lighting above the doors, an effect created by Dan Virtue.