Players Theatre: 'How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying'

CONROE, TX -- Wow, just imagine reading a book, and suddenly you're a CEO.

It may happen on occasion, but it happens regularly when it’s on stage at The Players Theatre Company in Conroe, as they begin their 60th season with the satirical musical, ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,’ where the audience was thoroughly entertained with an excellent story, exceptional acting, and energetic choreography and singing that had the house cheering for more. Based on the story by Shepherd Mead, it tells the story of young window washer J. Pierrepont Finch in the early 1960s, who by strokes of luck, some cunning, a dash of deceit, and some trickery; rapidly works his way up the ladder at the World Wide Wicket Company. Whatever a wicket is in their definition? And the audience really doesn’t care.

How to Succeed … was put to print in 1952, and found Broadway fame in 1961, along with a 1967 film, with stage revivals in the 1990s and 2010s, plus similar mailroom-to-boardroom climbs that mirror the same trajectory; Michael J, Fox’s 1987, ‘The Secret of My Success’ comes to mind.

With the suggestive confidence and narrator (Casey Burden) reading the book, Finch (Royce Reid) looks to apply for the mailroom, having run-ins with WWW President J.B. Biggley (Stephen Driver), and the personnel manager Mr. Bratt (Austin Atherton), who is impressed with Finch’s name dropping of Biggley and hires him. Pierrepont or Ponti, is met by a young energetic secretary Rosemary Pilkington (Evann Sommers) who is infatuated by the young man. It is one of those musicals that make you wish a revival could produce the same energy of the past creators, yet those guys are all gone, but their recipes can still be reproduced to bring the same brilliance and energy of the 1961 Broadway production, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.

How to Succeed … is an exciting and jovial musical, with a wonderful set, a working elevator (one floor), a lovely corporate staircase thanks to Set Constructor Roger Ormiston and the BOMBS, as well as some innovative props items such as the executive washroom sinks and mirrors for the men. Kudos go out to the lively period costumes by Sue McClelland Hayes, complete with suspenders for the men, while the ladies were treated to wonderful dance outfits in ‘Pirate Dance,’ and dresses for secretaries in ‘Paris Original,’ which took a lot of time and effort to complete. The dance numbers choreographed by Melody Johnson (also the Director), and Captained by Hannah McMurray were exceptional, with ‘Coffee Break,’ ‘A Secretary is not a Toy,’ ‘Cinderella, Darling,’ and ‘Brotherhood of Man.’ A well deserved honorable mention goes to Bud Frump (Travis Driver), whose rather unique movements in the form of dance were rather entertaining and hilarious.

Musical Director Ashlie Driver had all the right music and a great bunch of actors who could sing, thanks to Voice Captain Austin Atherton. Royce Reid’s ‘Finch’ was great in ‘How to Succeed,’ ‘‘The Company Way,’ ‘Grand Ole Ivy,’ with Stephen Driver’s ‘J.B. Biggley,’ entertained bigtime.

Evann Sommers’ ‘Rosemary’ was excellent in her song ‘Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,’ a song that fit the norms of the day, prior to the Women’s Liberation movement. The big band themed music from ‘Pirate Dance,’ was also energetic. In ‘Coffee Break,’ Travis Driver’s ‘Frump,’ and Katy Evans ‘Smitty,’ led the audience to think the end was near with the ensemble perfectly displaying the surreal and sad occurrences when an office lacks coffee. The collapse of the cast before the coffee did arrive had the audience appreciative for the effort.

The lighting was incredible, with shadows on the wall to the right of the stage, but it wasn’t overpowering. During scenes, the darkened portions played their part to highlight actors while the stage was in transition, and it set the mood for the theme of any particular scene, so many thanks to Stephen Driver for that. As for props, it was hard to tell if a dropped globe was part of the action or not, but in the boardroom scene before ‘Pirate Dance,’ a chair came apart causing the actor (Jonathan Hark) to go off-script and ditch the chair off-stage. He improvised and shared a chair, before Bonnie Atkinson’s ‘Miss Jones,’ hurriedly rushed another chair to the audience chuckles, but the actors never missed a beat, which showed great professionalism in their craft.

It was interesting to see again, smoking allowed in offices, the assigned women’s roles of the time being confined to secretarial support, and their future roles of being wives. Also the sexual innuendo of the time in regards to women’s expectations, at least confined to certain women, the prettier ones who took the brunt of attention, and pinches in their daily working lives, and their presumed reliance on a man to step up in society. Erin Wright’s ‘Hedy LaRue,’ played the part to perfection, with her New York accent and good looks launching Hedy from a cigarette girl to secretary, to wife of a retiring CEO.

Younger audience members might wonder about the land lines of the time, as well as the office culture, in which one department doesn’t know what the other is doing, It gives rise to Charles Dickens’ ‘Little Dorrit,’ and The Circumlocution Office, which perfectly serves as a symbol for inefficiency, obstruction, the madness of red tape, all under the guidance symbolizing the ineptness of today’s business or government.

Smitty played a narrator's role in ‘Been a Long Day’’ with thoughts being bandied back and forth between Finch and Rosemary, when Ponti realizes his love for Rosemary, and proposes. Miss Jones, played by veteran actress Bonnie Atkinson, was incredible in ‘Brotherhood of Man,’ and was well received along with the men. Even during intermission Atkinson stayed in character typing a letter in the front of house, and going back to the rear of stage just before the second act.

It has probably been years since anyone has seen the 1967 movie, and most certainly for this A&E columnist, at least five; but it’s a credit to Director Melody Johnson to allow her actors to establish their own relationship with their character they played. Mr. Gatch and Womper (Mike Palmquist), Mr. Jenkins and Ovington (Jonathan Hark), The Policeman and Television Announcer (Henry de la Garza), Twimble and Executive Dancer (David Anderson) all played excellent double and ensemble roles. The Secretary Dancers of Emily Anders, Sarah Crosby, Hannah McMurray, and Samatha Mansel; all danced beautifully, and were much much more beautiful than the men.

The ensemble deserves praise in making the show great as well. Melissa Cummins, Heather Brown, Alex Avila, Melissa Cummins, Jimmy Boutte, and truly all the players made for a wonderful show.

It is a long show with the first act running nearly 1 hour and 45 minutes before the break, so plan on another 75 minutes to round it out at three hours. But don’t let that hold you back, because ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,’ is worth the watch. See you at The Owen Theater!

The Players Theatre Company next production is ‘Silent Sky,’ which runs September 18 - October 4th.

For more information and tickets, visit: playerstheatrecompany.com or 936-539-4090 for tickets.