(Chelsea Update would like to thank James Duncan for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea High School Theater Guild will present “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying,” on Nov. 16-18, and here’s a preview of the performance.
Q: What do Daniel Radcliffe, Darren Criss, Matthew Broderick and Nick Jonas all have in common?
A: They all answered to the name “Ponty” in Broadway’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
The play centers on a young window-cleaner, J. Pierrepont Finch, who begins a meteoric rise from the mail room to vice president of advertising at the World-Wide Wicket Company.
Finch’s unorthodox and hilarious business practices jeopardize not only his career but also his romance with secretary Rosemary Pilkington.
Robert Morse created the leading role of J. Pierrepont Finch and played the part for the show’s successful first run from 1961 to 1965.
How to Succeed… stands up well over the years. What was once a current commentary of office politics in the 1960′s is now a fun retro piece which, without intending to, shows how office politics haven’t changed all that much. People are still angling to get into top positions, there is a lack of effective communication, one hand may not know what the other is doing, and the secretaries often know more about the inner workings of the office than anybody else.
Director Carrie Jay Sayer said, “The music is accessible, unique, on the jazzy side of musical theater fare, and memorable while the story is great and keeps you guessing all the way to the end.”
So, mark your calendars now for the performance dates and times. They are, Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Chelsea High School Auditorium.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors and are currently available at Chelsea Pharmacy.
