| How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying |
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1995 Revival Poster |
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| Music | Frank Loesser |
| Lyrics | Frank Loesser |
| Book | Abe Burrows Jack Weinstock Willie Gilbert |
| Basis | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying by Shepherd Mead |
| Productions | 1961 Broadway 1963 West End 1967 Film version 1995 Broadway revival 1996 US tour 2011 Broadway revival |
| Awards | 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Book |
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name.
The musical opened at the 46th Street Theatre on Broadway in October 1961, running for 1,417 performances.[1] The show won seven Tony Awards, the New York Drama Critics Circle award, and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 1967, a film based on the musical was released by United Artists, with many of the original cast recreating their roles. A 1995 revival was mounted at the same theatre as the original production (now named the Richard Rodgers Theatre) ran for 548 performances and starred Matthew Broderick and Megan Mullally.[2] A 50th anniversary Broadway revival directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford and starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette opened on March 27, 2011, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.[3]
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In 1952, Shepherd Mead's satirical book, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, became a bestseller. Playwright Willie Gilbert and fellow playwright Jack Weinstock created a dramatic interpretation in 1955 that was unproduced for five years. Agent Abe Newborn brought the work to the attention of producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin, with the intention of retooling it as a musical. Feuer and Martin had great success with the 1950 adaptation of Guys and Dolls and brought in the creative team from that show to work on How to.... Abe Burrows and Frank Loesser set to work on the new adaptation, with rehearsals beginning in August 1961. Burrows collaborated on the book with Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, also serving as director. Their new adaptation became even more satirical and added romance to the story.[4] Loesser wrote both music and lyrics for the show, which was orchestrated by Robert Ginzler.
The original Broadway production credited the choreography to an obscure dance director named Hugh Lambert, while the much better-known Bob Fosse received only a "musical staging by..." credit. Abe Burrows explains this in his autobiography Honest, Abe. While How to Succeed... was in its early development, producer Cy Feuer attended a trade show and was extremely impressed by an elaborate dance number created by Lambert, prompting Feuer to hire Lambert to choreograph the new musical. According to Burrows, it soon became clear in rehearsals that Lambert's creative abilities were completely used up in that one elaborate dance number. Bob Fosse was brought in to replace him, but Fosse was unwilling to hurt Lambert's career by having him fired. Lambert's trade-show dance number was recycled as the "Treasure Hunt" dance in How to Succeed..., while Fosse agreed to take a "musical staging" credit for choreographing all the other dance numbers.[5] Burrows also reveals that another crisis arose in rehearsals when former recording star Rudy Vallee wanted to interpolate some of his hit songs from the 1930s.
On February 1, 2011 Simon & Schuster re-issued a paperback edition of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying With a New Introduction by Stanley Bing. Stanley Bing’s new introduction is written in the same style as the rest of the book and addresses office life in 2010—what has changed and what hasn’t—and all the new absurdities that the digital age has introduced.
J. Pierrepont Finch, a young window cleaner in New York City, has a mind for advancement. The "Book Voice" tells him that everything he needs for success is contained within the book in his hand, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He enters the World Wide Wicket Company searching for a job. ("How To")
Finch bumps into J.B. Biggley, the president of the company, who dismisses him to the personnel manager, Mr. Bratt. Rosemary Pilkington, a secretary, is impressed with Finch and offers to help him meet Mr. Bratt. Finch uses Biggley's name with Mr. Bratt to get a job in the mailroom, where he works with Mr. Biggley's lazy and nepotism-minded nephew Bud Frump. Rosemary dreams of a life with Finch in the suburbs and tells her friend Smitty that she will do what it takes to get Finch to fall for her ("Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm").
The fatigued workers rush to get their coffee break, only to find that Frump got the last cup. The crew elaborately dances while expressing their angst due to lack of coffee while Frump teases them with his cup before it's snatched by Mr. Gatch ("Coffee Break"). In the mailroom, Finch earns favor with the long-time head of the mailroom, Mr. Twimble, who tells him the secret to longevity at the company is to be absolutely unambitious and unthinking ("The Company Way").
As Twimble is being promoted to a new position as head of the shipping department, the head of the mailroom position is opening up, but as the book warns not to stay in the mailroom too long, Finch passes over the promotion to Bud Frump. Twimble is reluctant to allow Frump this position because of his slacker behavior, but Frump promises to follow Twimble's methods and be a good employee ("The Company Way (Reprise)"). Twimble and Bratt are impressed by Finch, and Bratt offers him a job as a junior executive in the Plans and Systems department, headed by Mr. Gatch. Frump, seeing that he has been outdone, fumes.
An air-headed woman named Hedy LaRue calls Mr. Biggley searching for a job and is hired as a secretary. The male employees see her and are instantly attracted to her, but Mr. Bratt warns them not to do anything stupid ("A Secretary Is Not A Toy").
While waiting for an elevator with Smitty and Rosemary, Finch runs into Mr. Biggley's secretary, Mrs. Jones and gains her favor through compliments. He learns from her that Biggley is a former alumn of the Old Ivy college, which gives him an idea. While going down the elevator, Rosemary and Finch ponder about their relationship while Smitty giddily narrates their situation to the audience before setting them up on a date ("Been A Long Day"). Frump runs into Biggley and Hedy, arguing about her job. Frump realizes their secret romantic relationship and blackmails Biggley into giving him a promotion ("Been A Long Day (Reprise)").
Finch arrives early Saturday morning and sets up the office to appear that he has been working all night. Biggley arrives and witnesses Finch "asleep" at his desk. Finch "absent-mindedly" begins humming the Old Ivy fight song and convinces Biggley that he, too, is a proud alumnus, which leads them both to perform the fight song together ("Grand Old Ivy"). Biggley insists that Finch be given his own office and secretary, Hedy. With the book's help, Finch realizes that Biggley must be Hedy's advocate, and sends her on an errand to Gatch, knowing that he won't be able to resist making a pass at her. Finch is soon promoted to Gatch's position, Gatch having been dispatched to Venezuela.
A reception for the new Advertising Department head, Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington, is being held, and Rosemary hopes to impress Finch with her new dress, but all the women of the office are wearing identical copies of it ("Paris Original"). Hedy tipsily exits to shower in Biggley's office, and Frump, hoping to trap Finch and Hedy, tells Finch that Biggley is waiting in his office for him. In the office, Hedy and Finch kiss, but Finch realizes that he is in love with Rosemary, who enters as Hedy returns to the bathroom ("Rosemary"). After some farcical complications, Finch and Rosemary embrace — just in time for Frump and Biggley to walk through the door.
Ovington resigns when Biggley realizes that he graduated from Northern State, Old Ivy's bitter rival. Then, Biggley names Finch Vice-President in Charge of Advertising, just in time for a big meeting in two days. Biggley leaves as Finch and Rosemary declare their love for J. Pierrepont Finch, and Bud Frump vows to return ("Act I Finale").
It is the morning of the big meeting, and Rosemary is feeling neglected by Finch. She decides to quit but her fellow secretaries convince her to stay: she's living their dream of marrying an executive and living an easy life ("Cinderella, Darling"). (In the 1995 revival, this song was replaced with a reprise of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, with the lyrics suggesting ways in which a girl can get hold of a man's financial assets).
The book warns Finch that as Vice-President of Advertising, he needs a brilliant idea. Bud Frump slyly tells Finch about his idea for a treasure hunt, which Finch loves, unaware that Biggley has already heard the idea and shot it down. Finch bounces the idea off Rosemary, who tells him that, no matter what, she'll stick by his side ("Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm (Reprise)").
Hedy tells Biggley she is extremely unhappy with her secretarial duties and is leaving for California. He begs her to stay and though she initially refuses, she ultimately accepts after he reveals that he loves her, a feeling she reciprocates ("Love From a Heart of Gold"). The other executives hold a meeting in the Executive Washroom, where Frump tells them that Finch's idea will fail, and with it so will his career. Finch enters and gives himself a pep talk, telling himself that he is the only person he can trust while, behind his back, the executives plot and cheer at his approaching demise ("I Believe In You").
Finch presents "his" idea: he will hide five thousand shares of company stock in each of the ten offices around the country and give the audience weekly clues as to their whereabouts. Biggley is about to reject this idea yet again until Finch explains that each clue will be given by the scantily-dressed World Wide Wicket Girl: Miss Hedy LaRue.
During the first television show, Hedy is asked to swear on a Bible that she doesn't know the location of the prizes. Hedy, whom Biggley had told the night before where the treasure was hidden, panics and reveals the locations to the entire television audience, which prompts all the employees at Wicket to tear apart the offices looking for them. The book tells Finch, "How To Handle a Disaster. ...We suggest that your best bet if you are the cause of the Disaster is to review the first chapter of this book: 'How to Apply for a Job' ".
Treasure hunters have wrecked World Wide Wicket Company offices across the country, and the executives, including Chairman of the Board Wally Womper, are waiting in Biggley's office for Finch's resignation. Before he goes in, Rosemary tells Finch once again that she'll stand by him no matter what ("I Believe in You (Reprise)"). About to sign his letter of resignation, Finch mentions that he'll probably be going back to washing windows. Womper is drawn to Finch as he, too, was a washer of windows and that they both "had a book," Wally's book being a book of betting records. Finch manages to place the blame for the treasure hunt on Bud, also mentioning that Frump is Biggley's nephew. Womper is about to "clean house from top to bottom", when Finch steps in on everyone's behalf. Finch tells the executives that despite the fact that the business world is a place filled with betrayal and competitiveness, the World Wide Wickett staff is like a family to him ("Brotherhood of Man"). Everyone is spared except Frump, who is fired because he is Biggley's nephew.
In the end, Biggley is still president, Womper is retiring to travel the world with his new wife, Hedy, and Finch becomes Chairman of the Board. Rosemary stands by his side and inadvertently inspires him to aspire for Presidency of the United States. As the show ends, the entire company bids the audience goodbye in song while Frump is lowered onto the stage on a window washing platform. He swears revenge against Finch one final time before he falls off the platform and is left hanging upside down by a rope ("Finale (The Company Way)").[6]
Major Characters
Supporting Characters
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The show opened on Broadway on October 14, 1961 at the 46th Street Theatre, and closed on March 6, 1965 after 1,417 performances. The cast starred Robert Morse as Finch, Bonnie Scott as his secretary Rosemary, Charles Nelson Reilly as Bud Frump, and Rudy Vallee as the company president. Virginia Martin played Hedy LaRue.
The West End production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on March 28, 1963 and ran for 520 performances. It was also directed by Burrows and Bob Fosse, and featured a new London cast. Warren Berlinger and Billy De Wolfe starred as Finch and Biggley respectively, with Patricia Michael as Rosemary, Josephine Blake as Smitty, David Knight as Bud Frump, Olive Lucius as Miss Jones, Bernard Spear as Mr. Twimble, and Eileen Gourlay as Hedy La Rue.
A Broadway revival opened at the original theatre, now re-named Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 23, 1995 and closed on July 14, 1996 after 548 performances. It was directed by Des McAnuff and choreographed by Wayne Cilento. Matthew Broderick starred as Finch, and Rosemary was played by Megan Mullally. In a pre-recorded performance, Walter Cronkite was the Book Voice. One of the later replacements for Mullally was Broderick's future wife, Sarah Jessica Parker. The wardrobe was designed by Susan Hilferty and is on display at the Costume World Broadway Collection in Pompano Beach, Florida.
A national tour of 'How To Succeed' ran beginning in Baltimore in May 1996 and ended in Milwaukee in June 1997. Other stops included Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle. The national tour cast featured Ralph Macchio as J. Pierrepont Finch, Shauna Hicks (Rosemary Pilkington), Richard Thomsen (J.B. Biggley), Pamela Blair (Hedy LaRue), and Roger Bart (Bud Frump). Both Macchio and the production played to favorable reviews.[7][8][9]
Daniel Radcliffe was featured in a reading in December 2009, with Rob Ashford as director and choreographer.[10] Radcliffe is now starring in the revival, which began previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on February 26, 2011, with the official opening on March 27, 2011. Rob Ashford directs and choreographs.[11] Other cast includes Rose Hemingway as Rosemary Pilkington, Mary Faber as Smitty, Tammy Blanchard as Hedy La Rue, Christopher Hanke as Bud Frump, and John Larroquette as J.B. Biggley. Anderson Cooper has recorded the Voice of the Book for the adaptation.[12][13] The production was nominated for nine 2011 Tony Awards, including for director-choreographer Rob Ashford and as Best Revival of a Musical.[14] John Larroquette won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. On August 1, 2011 it was announced that Darren Criss would succeed Radcliffe in the role of J. Pierrepont Finch for a limited three week engagement that will last from January 3–22, 2012.[15] On September 7, 2011 it was announced that Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers will take on the role of Finch beginning Jan. 24, 2012, and continuing through July 1.[16] On October 31, 2011 it was announced that Beau Bridges will replace John Larroquette as J.B. Biggley starting January 3, 2012, and continuing through July 1.[17]
In 1967, United Artists released a film adapted and directed by David Swift. Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, Michele Lee who replaced Bonnie Scott as Rosemary during the show's Broadway run, Sammy Smith, and Ruth Kobart recreated their roles for the film, and Fosse again choreographed. Several songs were omitted from the score, such as "Love From a Heart of Gold," "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm," "Cinderella Darling," "Paris Original," and "Coffee Break", although there are musical and verbal references respectively to the last two. In the film's finale, Frump was not lowered onto the stage on a window washing platform nor did he swear revenge against Finch one final time nor did he fall off the platform nor was he left hanging upside down by a rope. Instead, Frump was among the entire company singing a finale version of "The Company Way".
In his review of the original 1961 Broadway production, New York Times critic Howard Taubman wrote, "It stings mischievously and laughs uproariously...It belongs to the blue chips among modern musicals. Let Wall Street and Madison Avenue tremble as the rest of us rejoice."[18] John Chapman of the Daily News wrote, "Loesser is the perfect man for his end of the show - the songs; for he is a cynic without being tough. He has not put in a note of music or a syllable of lyric that doesn't carry the story along."[18] Richard Watts, Jr. of the New York Post wrote, "In its first performance at the 46th St. Theater Saturday night, its satire, humor, book, music, lyrics, cast, staging, choreography, setting and general gaiety of spirit combined in a smooth, fast pattern of expert showmanship to make the occasion a delightful event."[18]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Won | |
| Best Author | Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Robert Morse | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Charles Nelson Reilly | Won | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Abe Burrows | Won | ||
| Best Producer | Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin | Won | ||
| Best Composer | Frank Loesser | Nominated | ||
| Best Conductor and Musical Director | Elliot Lawrence | Won | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Tony Award | Best Revival of a Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Matthew Broderick | Won | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Des McAnuff | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Wayne Cilento | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Matthew Broderick | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Tony Award | Best Revival of a Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | John Larroquette | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Tammy Blanchard | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Rob Ashford | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Nominated | |||
| Best Orchestrations | Doug Besterman | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Catherine Zuber | Nominated | ||
| Best Lighting Design | Howell Binkley | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Daniel Radcliffe | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | John Larroquette | Won | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Rob Ashford | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | Grammy Award[19] | Best Musical Theater Album | John Larroquette & Daniel Radcliffe, artists; Robert Sher, producer; Frank Loesser, composer/lyricist | Pending |
| Casts of notable productions | J. Pierrepont Finch | Rosemary Pilkington | Bud Frump | J.B. Biggley | Smitty | Hedy LaRue | Miss Jones | Bert Bratt | Book Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original 1961 Broadway | Robert Morse | Bonnie Scott | Charles Nelson Reilly | Rudy Vallee | Claudette Sutherland | Virginia Martin | Ruth Kobart | Paul Reed | Carl Princi (uncredited) |
| Original 1963 London | Warren Berlinger | Patricia Michael | David Knight | Billy De Wolfe | Josephine Blake | Eileen Gourlay | Olive Lucius | ||
| 1995 Broadway Revival | Matthew Broderick | Megan Mullally | Jeff Blumenkrantz | Ronn Carroll | Victoria Clark | Luba Mason | Lillias White | Jonathan Freeman | Walter Cronkite |
| 1996 US National Tour | Ralph Macchio | Shauna Hicks | Roger Bart | Richard Thomsen | Pamela Blair | ||||
| 2005 Chichester Festival | Joe McFadden[20] | David Langham | James Bolam | Annette McLaughlin | Alistair McGowan | ||||
| 2011 Broadway Revival | Daniel Radcliffe | Rose Hemingway | Christopher Hanke | John Larroquette | Mary Faber | Tammy Blanchard | Ellen Harvey | Michael Park | Anderson Cooper |
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